DNS lookup
Lists all common DNS records for the given domain via Cloudflare DNS-over-HTTPS.
How the DNS lookup works
The tool queries Cloudflare's DNS-over-HTTPS resolver (1.1.1.1) for the most common record types of the domain: A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT and CNAME. DoH returns the same data as classic DNS on port 53, only transported over HTTPS.
Because the answer comes from a public resolver, you see the records as the internet currently sees them - including any value still cached from before your last change. The cache lifetime is controlled by each record's TTL set in your DNS zone.
Each record type has a distinct job: A/AAAA map the name to IPv4/IPv6 addresses, MX names the mail servers that accept email for the domain, NS lists the authoritative name servers, and TXT carries machine-readable policies such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC or domain-verification tokens.
How to read the results
Most debugging sessions come down to three checks:
- A/AAAA - do they point to the server or CDN you expect? A stale address after a migration is the most common cause of 'the site works for me but not for others'.
- MX - mail is delivered to the host with the lowest preference number first. No MX records means mail falls back to the A record, which is rarely what you want.
- TXT - check that exactly one SPF record exists (multiple SPF records are invalid and break email authentication) and that DKIM/DMARC entries are present if you send mail.
Common problems
Record changed, but the old value still appears. The resolver serves the cached answer until the TTL expires. Look up the TTL you had before the change - that is your maximum wait. You can also purge Cloudflare's public cache at one.one.one.one/purge-cache.
CNAME at the domain apex. The DNS standard does not allow a CNAME on the bare domain alongside other records (SOA/NS always exist there). Providers work around it with ALIAS/ANAME records or CNAME flattening; if your apex does not resolve, verify this first.
NS records differ from the registrar settings. The NS records served by the zone should match the delegation at the registrar. A mismatch after a DNS provider migration leads to intermittent resolution, because resolvers may follow either set.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME?
An A record maps a name directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME maps a name to another name and resolution continues there - useful when many hostnames should follow one target that can change its IP freely.
What is TTL and what value should I use?
TTL (time to live) tells resolvers how long they may cache a record, in seconds. Common values are 300-3600 s. Before a planned migration, lower the TTL (e.g. to 300 s) a day in advance and raise it back afterwards to reduce resolver load.
Why does this lookup show a different IP than ping on my computer?
Your operating system asks its own resolver (your router or ISP), which may hold an older cached value or apply split-horizon DNS. This tool asks Cloudflare's public resolver, so the two can differ until caches expire.
How do I check whether SPF, DKIM and DMARC are set?
Look at the TXT records: SPF is a TXT record on the domain starting with v=spf1, DMARC is a TXT record on _dmarc.yourdomain, and DKIM lives on selector._domainkey.yourdomain (the selector depends on your mail provider, so it may not appear in a plain domain query).
Domain expires - and the whole site goes down
ePulz.io also tracks domain registration (WHOIS) and notifies you 30, 14, 7, 3 and 1 day before expiration.
Try for free →About this tool
A DNS lookup shows the records that route your traffic: the A and AAAA addresses visitors connect to, the MX records that accept your mail, plus NS, CNAME and TXT (SPF, DKIM). When a site or email suddenly stops working, this is the first place to confirm a record points where you expect.