DNS Propagation Check
Check if a recent DNS change has propagated to major resolvers (Google, Cloudflare, Quad9, NextDNS, ControlD).
How DNS propagation works
There is no central push when you change a DNS record. Every resolver that ever answered a query for your name keeps the old value in its cache until the record's TTL (time to live) expires - only then does it ask your authoritative name servers again and pick up the change.
This tool queries five large public resolvers (Google, Cloudflare, Quad9, NextDNS, ControlD) in parallel and compares the answers. When all of them agree on the new value, the vast majority of users worldwide will see it too.
Propagation time is therefore your TTL, not a fixed '48 hours'. A record with a 300-second TTL converges within minutes. The 48-hour figure comes from one specific case: changing the name servers of a domain, where the parent TLD zone's delegation records can have a TTL of up to two days (172800 s for .com).
How to read the results
Each row is one resolver. The interpretation:
- All rows identical and showing the new value - the change has propagated; remaining stragglers are local caches (OS, browser, office router).
- A mix of old and new values - caches are still expiring. Wait for the record's previous TTL to pass and check again.
- Permanently different answers - not necessarily a fault: CDN, anycast or GeoDNS setups intentionally return different addresses per location.
Common problems
Resolvers updated, but my computer still opens the old site. Your OS and browser keep their own DNS caches. Flush them (ipconfig /flushdns on Windows, restart the browser) or test from a private window and another network.
One resolver lags behind for hours. Resolvers may serve slightly stale answers under load or honour the old TTL collected just before your change. Google and Cloudflare offer public cache-flush pages where you can request a refresh for your name.
The change is not visible anywhere even after the TTL. Verify the change reached the authoritative servers: query your zone's NS directly. A typo in the zone, editing the wrong zone copy or an unsaved change at the DNS provider are more common than slow propagation.
Frequently asked questions
How long does DNS propagation take?
As long as the record's TTL, typically minutes to a few hours. Only name server (NS) changes at the registrar can take up to 24-48 hours, because TLD delegation records carry long TTLs. The '48 hours for everything' rule is a myth.
Can I speed up DNS propagation?
Before the change: lower the TTL (e.g. to 300 s) at least one old TTL period in advance. After the change: use the public cache-flush tools of Google (dns.google/cache) and Cloudflare (one.one.one.one/purge-cache). Other resolvers cannot be forced - their caches simply expire.
Why do resolvers return different answers?
Either the change is still propagating (caches expire at different moments), or the domain intentionally serves different answers - CDN, anycast and GeoDNS return location-dependent addresses, which is normal and not an error.
What TTL should I set for my records?
Common practice: 300-3600 seconds for records you may need to change quickly (A/AAAA, CNAME), longer (up to a day) for stable infrastructure such as MX or NS. Very low TTLs increase the query load on your DNS provider; very high TTLs slow down emergency changes.
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After you change a DNS record, each resolver keeps serving the old value until its TTL runs out. This queries five major resolvers (Google, Cloudflare, Quad9, NextDNS, ControlD) at once: matching answers mean the change has propagated, differing ones mean you wait a little longer (or the domain uses anycast).