DNS Lookup
A DNS lookup shows the records a domain publishes: A and AAAA for the server address, MX for mail, TXT for SPF and verification, NS for name servers and CNAME for aliases. Run the free tool below, compare each value with what you meant to publish, and let the error code tell you whether to fix or wait.
For site owners, developers and IT teams checking why a website, mailbox or SSL verification is not pointing where it should.
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Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
Type a domain, pick a record type and run the check. The tool asks the WebJi® server's resolver and lists each record's type, name, TTL and value, so a change made minutes ago can still show its cached value. The sections below explain how to read each row and what to do when one is wrong.
Live DNS lookup
Live checkMail not arriving? Read the MX row, then run the dedicated MX record lookup. Records changed but still old? That is propagation — lower the TTL before the next change.
Which records does a DNS lookup return?
A DNS lookup returns one record type per question: A and AAAA for addresses, CNAME for aliases, MX for mail, TXT for text policies, NS for name servers, SOA for zone authority and CAA for certificate permissions. A busy domain can return a dozen rows, and usually only two or three matter for the fault you are chasing.
| Record | What it returns | The question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| A | An IPv4 address | Which server hosts this site? |
| AAAA | An IPv6 address | Is IPv6 published for this name? |
| CNAME | Another hostname | Which name is this an alias of? |
| MX | Mail servers with a preference number | Where does email for this domain go? |
| TXT | Free text | Are the SPF, DKIM or verification strings present? |
| NS | Name server hostnames | Who is allowed to answer for this zone? |
| SOA | Primary server, contact and zone timers | When did the zone last change? |
| CAA | Permitted certificate authorities | Which CA may issue an SSL certificate? |
Website faults start with A and AAAA; mail faults start with MX and finish in TXT. The MX record lookup handles the mail case in depth, and DNS records explained walks through a complete zone.
How do you read DNS lookup output?
Read the status first, then the answer section: each row carries a name, a TTL in seconds, a record type and a value, and the value is what you compare with what you meant to publish. The authority section names the servers that own the zone, which helps when an answer looks stale.
- NOERROR
- The query completed. An empty answer with NOERROR means that record type is simply not published, the most common false alarm.
- TTL
- Seconds the answer may stay cached, counting down from the value you set.
- Several A or AAAA rows
- Load balancing or failover across more than one server.
- MX preference
- The number before the mail hostname; the lowest is tried first, the rest are fallbacks.
- CNAME chain
- Follow the alias until it reaches an address; normal setups need one hop.
How do you run a DNS lookup from Windows, macOS or Linux?
Use nslookup on Windows and dig or host on macOS and Linux; all three are already installed, so a one-off check needs no download. Add the record type to the command, and name a resolver when you want to compare caches.
nslookup -type=MX example.com # Windows
dig example.com A # macOS / Linux
dig -t TXT example.com +short # just the values
dig @1.1.1.1 example.com A # ask a specific resolver
dig NS example.com +short # find the authoritative serversTo see the true current value rather than a cached copy, query one of the servers listed in the NS answer directly, for example dig @ns1.provider.net example.com A.
What do DNS lookup errors like NXDOMAIN and SERVFAIL mean?
Each failure code is a specific answer: NXDOMAIN means the name does not exist, SERVFAIL means the resolver could not finish, and REFUSED means the server will not answer for that zone. The code tells you whether to edit the zone, wait, or contact the registrar.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix in |
|---|---|---|
| NXDOMAIN | Misspelt host label or record never created | DNS zone |
| SERVFAIL | Broken DNSSEC chain or delegation at the parent | Registrar |
| REFUSED | Queried server is not authoritative for the zone | Query the right server |
| Name exists, no A record | Only mail or text records published | DNS zone |
| NS points elsewhere | You are editing a panel that is not live | Registrar |
| CNAME on the bare domain | Conflicts with the MX and NS records that must sit there | DNS zone |
Why does a DNS change not show up straight away?
A DNS change is delayed by caching: every resolver between your name server and the visitor keeps the old answer until its TTL runs out. Propagation is not a queue your change joins; it is many caches expiring at different times.
A 300-second TTL clears an old value in five minutes; an 86,400-second TTL can hold visitors on the old server for a day. Lower the TTL a day before a planned move and raise it afterwards. Flushing your own cache (ipconfig /flushdns on Windows, sudo dscacheutil -flushcache on macOS) helps only your machine, so use the DNS propagation checker to compare public resolvers.
What to do after a DNS lookup
If the record is wrong, edit it where the NS record says the zone lives; if it is right and the service still fails, the problem is on the server, not in DNS. Site owners use a lookup to confirm a migration landed, developers to check records at handover, and teams to see why a verification TXT or SSL issuance keeps failing.
- Find out which company hosts a site with who is hosting this website.
- Check SPF, DKIM and DMARC together with the email authentication checker.
- Send the domain and the lookup output to support@webji.services; email support runs 24/7 in Hindi and English with an average first reply under 60 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my lookup show a different IP from my hosting panel?
Either the old value is still cached, or the domain's name servers point to a different DNS provider from the panel you edited. Query the authoritative server from the NS record; if it shows the old IP too, the edit was made in the wrong place.
How do I check an SPF record with a DNS lookup?
Look up type TXT and find the string beginning v=spf1. Publish only one SPF record per domain, because two make the check fail, and keep the policy within the 10 DNS-lookup limit set by the SPF standard.
What does the ALL option in the lookup tool return?
It asks the resolver for every record type in a single query. Some name servers answer that kind of query only partly, so treat ALL as an overview and choose a single type, such as MX or TXT, when you need to confirm one value.
Is a DNS lookup the same as a WHOIS lookup?
No. DNS shows where a domain's services point; WHOIS shows who registered it, the registrar and the expiry date. For ownership and expiry questions use the WHOIS domain lookup.
Which public DNS resolver is fastest in India?
It depends on your ISP and city, because resolver speed comes from network distance. The guide to the best DNS servers in India compares the common public options and shows how to test them yourself.
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
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