DNS Lookup Tool
Look up DNS records for any domain name. Query A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA, SRV, CAA, and PTR records using Cloudflare or Google DNS-over-HTTPS. All queries run directly in your browser.
Understanding DNS Records
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet's directory service. When you visit a website, DNS translates the human-friendly domain name into the numeric IP address that computers use to locate each other. DNS records store various types of information about a domain.
DNS Record Types Explained
| Type | Name | Purpose | Example Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Address | Maps domain to IPv4 address | 93.184.216.34 |
| AAAA | IPv6 Address | Maps domain to IPv6 address | 2606:2800:220:1::248 |
| CNAME | Canonical Name | Alias pointing to another domain | www.example.com |
| MX | Mail Exchange | Specifies mail servers for the domain | 10 mail.example.com |
| NS | Nameserver | Authoritative DNS servers for the domain | ns1.example.com |
| TXT | Text | Arbitrary text (SPF, DKIM, verification) | v=spf1 include:... |
| SOA | Start of Authority | Primary NS, admin email, serial number | ns1.example.com admin... |
| SRV | Service | Locates services (SIP, XMPP, LDAP) | 10 5 5060 sip.example.com |
| CAA | Cert. Authority Auth. | Which CAs can issue certificates | 0 issue "letsencrypt.org" |
| PTR | Pointer | Reverse DNS: IP to hostname | dns.google |
How DNS Resolution Works
When you type a URL into your browser, the following steps occur:
- Your browser checks its local cache for the domain's IP address.
- If not cached, the OS resolver checks its own cache (and the hosts file).
- The query goes to your configured DNS resolver (e.g., Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 or Google 8.8.8.8).
- The resolver queries the root nameservers, then the TLD nameservers (.com, .org, etc.), then the authoritative nameserver for the domain.
- The authoritative server returns the requested record, which is cached at each level according to its TTL (Time to Live).
DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH)
This tool uses DNS-over-HTTPS, which encrypts DNS queries inside standard HTTPS traffic. This prevents eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks on DNS queries. Major providers include Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and Google (8.8.8.8). Unlike traditional DNS over UDP port 53, DoH queries travel over port 443 and are indistinguishable from normal web traffic.