DNS Lookup: Check A, MX, TXT, SPF and DMARC Records
Use this free DNS lookup tool to see the DNS records of any domain: A and AAAA (IP addresses), MX (mail servers), NS, TXT, CNAME, SOA and CAA. It also checks the SPF and DMARC records that stop spammers from sending email in your name, which is often the first thing to check when mail lands in spam.
Lookups go straight from your browser to the public DNS resolver you pick (Google or Cloudflare). Nothing is sent to or stored on our server.
Quick answer: Type a domain such as example.com, leave All common records selected and click Look up DNS. You get every A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, SOA and CAA record, plus a quick pass or fail for SPF, DMARC and MX.
How to use the DNS lookup tool
- Enter a domain name. You can paste a full web address or an email address; the tool keeps only the domain.
- Choose a record type, or keep All common records.
- Pick a resolver. Google and Cloudflare both answer from the live DNS, so trying the other one is a handy second opinion.
- Click Look up DNS. The address bar updates with
?domain=, so you can bookmark or share the result page.
DNS record types explained
| Record | What it does |
|---|---|
| A | Points the domain to an IPv4 address, such as 203.0.113.10. |
| AAAA | Points the domain to an IPv6 address. |
| CNAME | Makes one name an alias of another, often used for www or for services like a CDN. |
| MX | Lists the mail servers that receive email for the domain, with a priority number (lower is tried first). |
| NS | The name servers that hold the domain’s DNS records, usually your registrar, host or Cloudflare. |
| TXT | Free text used for SPF, DMARC, DKIM and site verification (Google, Microsoft and others). |
| SOA | Start of authority: the primary name server and timing settings for the zone. |
| CAA | Lists which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates for the domain. |
SPF and DMARC check
SPF and DMARC protect your domain from email spoofing. SPF is a TXT record starting with v=spf1 that lists the servers allowed to send mail for your domain; a domain must have exactly one. DMARC is a TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com starting with v=DMARC1. Its policy tells receiving servers what to do with mail that fails the checks: p=none only monitors, p=quarantine sends it to spam and p=reject blocks it. Since 2024, Google and Yahoo require bulk senders to have SPF, DKIM and DMARC in place. DKIM keys live at selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com; type that full name with the TXT type to check one.
Why don’t my DNS changes show yet?
Every record has a TTL (time to live) in seconds, shown in the last column. Resolvers may keep the old answer until the TTL runs out, so a record with a TTL of 3600 can take up to an hour to update everywhere. If Google and Cloudflare show different answers, one of them is still serving a cached copy.
FAQ
How do I find a domain’s mail server?
Choose MX (mail) and look up the domain. The server with the lowest priority number receives mail first.
How do I check DNS propagation?
Look up the record with both resolvers and compare the answers and TTLs.
Can I look up a subdomain?
Yes. Enter it in full, such as www.example.com or mail.example.com.
What is my own IP address?
Use our what is my IP tool.
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