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The Domain Name System is the foundation of the internet — it translates human-readable domain names into the IP addresses that computers use to communicate. Even small DNS misconfigurations can take websites offline, break email delivery, or expose your infrastructure to attacks. Our free DNS tools let you query every type of DNS record, look up MX servers to understand where a domain's email is routed, check WHOIS registration data, and troubleshoot propagation issues. These tools perform live queries against authoritative DNS servers, giving you real-time data rather than cached or outdated results. They are designed for system administrators, DevOps engineers, and anyone who manages domains.
Query all DNS records for any domain
Check if DNS changes have propagated across global servers
Find mail exchange servers for a domain
Get domain registration and ownership information
Check how old a domain is with registration, expiry, and registrar details
Find hostnames associated with any IP address via PTR records
Find the geographic location, ISP, and network info for any IP or domain
Calculate subnet details from CIDR notation or IP + subnet mask
Find authoritative nameservers for any domain
View all TXT DNS records including SPF, DKIM, and verification
Check Start of Authority records with serial, refresh, retry, and expire values
Look up IPv6 AAAA DNS records and check dual-stack support for any domain
Trace CNAME alias chains and resolve the canonical hostname for any domain
Find the Autonomous System Number, network operator, and ISP for any IP or domain
Check DNS records, SPF, and DMARC for up to 20 domains at once
Compare DNS records of two domains side by side
Take snapshots of DNS records and track changes over time
DNS records are the configuration files of the internet. Every domain has a set of DNS records that tell the world where to find its website (A and AAAA records), where to deliver its email (MX records), which services are authorized to send email on its behalf (TXT records for SPF), and much more. Understanding and correctly managing these records is essential for anyone who operates a website or sends email from a custom domain.
A records map a domain to an IPv4 address, while AAAA records map to IPv6. MX records define the mail exchange servers responsible for receiving email and include priority values that determine failover order. CNAME records create aliases, allowing one domain to point to another. TXT records store arbitrary text data and are commonly used for email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), domain verification, and security policies.
DNS propagation — the process of DNS changes spreading across global nameservers — can take anywhere from minutes to 48 hours depending on TTL (Time to Live) values. During this period, some users may see old records while others see the updated ones. Our DNS lookup tool queries authoritative servers directly, giving you the canonical answer rather than a potentially stale cached response. This is invaluable when you are making DNS changes and need to verify they have taken effect.
WHOIS data provides registration information about a domain including the registrar, creation and expiration dates, nameserver configuration, and sometimes registrant contact details. This information is useful for verifying domain ownership, investigating suspicious domains, and monitoring your own domain's expiration dates to avoid accidental lapses.
The most common DNS record types are A (IPv4 address), AAAA (IPv6 address), MX (mail exchange), CNAME (canonical name alias), TXT (text data, used for SPF/DKIM/DMARC), NS (nameserver), and SOA (start of authority). Each serves a specific purpose in routing traffic and configuring services for your domain.
DNS propagation typically takes between 15 minutes and 48 hours, depending on the TTL (Time to Live) value set on your records. Lower TTL values mean faster propagation. Before making critical DNS changes, it is good practice to lower the TTL in advance so changes take effect quickly.
Email delivery issues are often caused by incorrect MX records, missing SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication records, or DNS propagation delays after recent changes. Use our MX Lookup tool to verify your mail servers are correctly configured, and our DNS Lookup to check all records for your domain.
A WHOIS lookup retrieves public registration information about a domain, including the registrar, creation and expiration dates, and nameserver configuration. It is useful for verifying domain ownership, checking when a domain expires, investigating suspicious domains in phishing emails, and confirming DNS provider information.