How to use DNS Lookup online, free

DNS records control how a domain name resolves - which server it points to, how email is routed, and more. This tool queries all the common DNS record types (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, SOA, PTR, SRV, CAA) for any domain, useful for debugging domain configuration, verifying DNS changes have propagated, or investigating how a domain is set up.

SEO and webmaster checks are only useful if they match what Googlebot or a browser would see. Guessing from the HTML source alone is how people ship broken tags.

DNS Lookup is a good fit when debugging website pointing to wrong server IP.

Why this exists

DNS Lookup is built around a few practical wins, not a long feature list:

• Speeds up troubleshooting for domain and email routing issues.
• Provides one place to inspect major DNS record families.
• Helpful for propagation checks after DNS changes.
• Useful for security and deliverability verification workflows.

Walkthrough

1. Enter domain name. Query target hostname you want to diagnose or verify.
2. Select record types. Check A/AAAA/CNAME/MX/TXT/NS and other records as needed.
3. Review DNS responses. Inspect values, priorities, TTL, and delegation consistency.
4. Validate propagation/config. Compare expected setup with returned records and fix mismatches.

Jobs it is built for

• Debugging website pointing to wrong server IP.
• Verifying MX/TXT records for email provider setup.
• Checking SPF/DKIM/DMARC text records quickly.
• Auditing nameserver and CAA policies for domain control.

Worth knowing before you start

• Check TTL before expecting immediate global propagation.
• Validate both apex and subdomain records separately.
• Use TXT lookups to confirm SPF and verification tokens.
• Document final DNS values to prevent accidental future drift.

What not to expect

• Assuming local resolver cache reflects global propagation state.
• Editing wrong DNS zone while expecting immediate fix.
• Forgetting AAAA record when IPv6 traffic matters.
• Overlooking MX priority order during mail migration.

Privacy, in one paragraph

DNS Lookup needs the ToolBox API for work a browser cannot do. What you submit is processed, then discarded. It is not kept as a library of your files.

Related tools worth opening next

If this is one step in a longer job, these usually come after it:

• SSL Certificate Checker - Inspect the TLS certificate of any site - expiry, issuer, SANs and chain
• Redirect Checker - Trace every redirect hop of a URL with status codes
• HTTP Header Viewer - Fetch a URL and inspect its response headers

Short answers

What's the difference between A and AAAA records?

A records point a domain to an IPv4 address. AAAA records point to an IPv6 address - modern domains often have both to support visitors on either type of network.

What are MX records used for?

They specify which mail servers handle email for a domain, and in what priority order - essential for verifying email is routed to the correct provider (like Google Workspace or a custom mail server).

I just changed my DNS settings - why don't I see the new values yet?

DNS changes take time to propagate globally due to caching (TTL - time to live) at various points across the internet - it can take anywhere from minutes to 24-48 hours depending on the record's TTL setting and caching along the way.

Open the DNS Lookup when you are ready. It is free, and you do not need an account.