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DNS Lookup

Query the live DNS records behind any domain or hostname.

DNS Lookuplive query

Queries public DNS-over-HTTPS resolvers and returns what they hold right now. Results are not stored.
01.

What a DNS lookup returns

A DNS lookup asks a resolver what records are published for a name. The answer depends on the record type: an A record returns an IPv4 address, an AAAA record returns an IPv6 address, and a CNAME returns another name that the lookup then follows.

This tool queries public recursive resolvers over DNS-over-HTTPS and shows what they return right now. It reads the same data your browser would, without the browser cache in the way.

02.

Address records: A, AAAA and CNAME

A and AAAA records map a hostname directly to an address. A domain can publish several of each, and resolvers may return them in any order — that is a common way to spread traffic across servers.

A CNAME points one name at another instead of at an address. Because a CNAME replaces all other data at that name, it cannot coexist with other record types on the same label. That is why a CNAME is not valid at the apex of a domain, where NS and SOA records must live.

03.

Why results can differ between tools

Every record carries a TTL — the number of seconds a resolver may cache it. Two tools querying different resolvers can legitimately return different answers while a change is still propagating, because one resolver is serving a cached copy.

If you have just changed a record and want to know whether it has settled, the propagation checker compares several resolvers side by side.

Reference

Related tools

When these numbers change, hear about it. Sources are re-checked monthly; a repricing goes out as a short note.

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