DNS lookup: see where your domain actually points right now
You just changed an A record at your registrar and you are waiting for the world to see the new server. A vendor sent you an email saying "switch your MX record to this". A client asks whether your domain has an SPF record set up. All these questions have one common answer: ask DNS, the phone book of the internet.
This tool queries public DNS resolvers (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Google 8.8.8.8, Quad9, OpenDNS and 4 more) and shows you what records are visible right now for your domain. No need to install dig, open a terminal, or wait while your ISP caches an old answer.
Single mode: a quick query to Cloudflare, every record in under a second. Propagation mode: the request fans out to 8 resolvers at once and you see a matrix showing whether your change has reached every corner of the internet. Useful when migrating mail, moving a server or waiting for an old cache to expire.
How to use it
- Type a domain (no `https://`, no path): for example `example.com`, `mail.acme.io`, `blog.person.dev`. A subdomain works too if you are checking a specific service.
- Pick record types: tap the `A`, `MX`, `TXT` chips to query only what you need. Tap `All` to fetch every standard type at once (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS, SOA, CAA).
- Every chip is a multi-select toggle: tap once to add, tap again to remove. `A` is selected by default.
- Flip on "Check propagation" (switch at the bottom) when you have changed a record and want to verify whether it has reached everyone. The query fans out to 8 public resolvers.
- Click Lookup and wait 1 to 3 seconds. The result is a record table: value, TTL (how long the answer stays cached, in seconds or minutes) and priority for MX records.
- For `A` and `AAAA` records (server IPs) the tool also fetches the PTR (reverse name) and ASN/ISP (network owner, e.g. "AS13335 Cloudflare"): you see at a glance whether the domain is on Cloudflare, AWS or Hetzner.
- In propagation mode you get an 8-column matrix: one column per resolver, a green check when it sees the new value, a dash when it still serves the old one. Perfect for tracking a live migration.
When this is useful
Seven typical situations where the tool gives a concrete answer instead of "I think it works":
- Verifying a host migration. You changed the A record from `212.x.x.x` to `185.y.y.y`. You run a propagation check: when all 8 resolvers return the new IP, you can safely shut down the old server. If one or two (say Yandex) still hold the old value, give it a few hours.
- Debugging mail delivery. A client says "I am not getting your emails". You check their MX record: priority 10 points to a typo'd hostname. You fix it in 5 minutes.
- Verifying DKIM/SPF works. Your newsletters keep landing in Gmail spam. You query TXT records on `_dmarc.company.com`, `default._domainkey.company.com` and the apex (SPF starts with `v=spf1`). You see exactly what is missing.
- Pointing a subdomain via CNAME. A client asks you to wire `shop.brand.com` to their Shopify store. After the change you query CNAME: you see `shops.myshopify.com` and know the link is good.
- Auditing a domain before buying it. You look at someone else's domain: NS records (which name servers), SOA (who is admin, last serial bump), A (does it point at anything alive). 30 seconds and you know whether the domain is abandoned or actively used.
- Checking who hosts a competitor. You type their domain, look at the A record, the tool surfaces the ASN (e.g. "AS16509 Amazon AWS" or "AS13335 Cloudflare"). You know whether they run their own server, host on cloud, or hide behind a CDN.
- Verifying you have a CAA record. CAA records say which certificate authorities are allowed to issue SSL certs for your domain (e.g. only Let's Encrypt). No CAA means any authority can issue. A yearly spot-check keeps this honest.
Need more context? The WHOIS lookup shows the registrar, registrant and expiry date for the same domain. The SSL certificate checker confirms which cert is actually served and when it expires. Mid-migration? Track each resolver in real time on the DNS propagation matrix.