How do I perform a DNS lookup on a domain?

Enter a domain (example.com) and pick the record type — A (IPv4), AAAA (IPv6), MX (mail), CNAME (aliases), TXT (SPF/verification), NS (nameservers), SOA (authority) — or run ALL to see everything at once. The tool queries a DNS resolver over DNS-over-HTTPS and returns the records with TTL values, so you know how long they're cached. Useful for debugging email delivery, verifying SPF/DKIM, or confirming DNS propagation after a change.

Is the DNS lookup tool free?

Yes, fully free with no signup and no query cap. Look up any domain as often as you need — whether you're troubleshooting your own DNS, checking a competitor's setup, or verifying that a client's records have propagated after a migration. All PingThat network tools share the same open tier.

Does DNS lookup query external servers with my domain?

Yes, by necessity. DNS lookups need to hit an actual DNS resolver — the tool uses public DoH (DNS-over-HTTPS) endpoints like Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 or Google's 8.8.8.8 to resolve records. The domain you lookup is sent to those resolvers as part of the query; that's how DNS works. Your IP is not associated with the domain by PingThat, but the upstream resolver will see the query the same way it does for any DNS request.

Why don't I see the record I just updated?

DNS changes are cached at many levels — your OS, your ISP's resolver, and the public resolvers the tool uses. Each level honors the TTL value that was set on the old record, so a TTL of 3600 means waiting up to an hour. Lowering TTL before a planned change helps. Use the tool across multiple record types to see what cache is currently serving, and compare against your authoritative nameserver directly to confirm the change is live at the source.

DNS Lookup Online Free

DNS Query Tool — A, MX, TXT, NS Records & NSLookup

Enter a domain to query DNS records using Cloudflare's DNS-over-HTTPS. See A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, TXT, NS, and SOA records with TTL values.

How to do a DNS lookup

Enter a domain name and pick the record type (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS, SOA).
The tool queries a public DNS resolver and returns all matching records with TTLs.
Compare the result against what you expect — missing records or mismatched IPs point to a misconfiguration.
Use the TTL values to estimate how long a change will take to propagate globally.

Common use cases

Verifying a DNS change actually propagated by querying a neutral public resolver.
Debugging email delivery by inspecting MX, SPF (TXT) and DMARC (TXT) records.
Checking whether a CNAME points to the correct CDN endpoint after a migration.
Auditing the TTL settings of a production domain before scheduling a change.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I see stale records?

Your local ISP resolver may still be caching the old value. Use the public resolver option to bypass that cache and see the authoritative answer.

What is a TTL?

Time To Live in seconds. A record with TTL 300 says 'cache me for 5 minutes before re-asking'. Lower TTLs speed up propagation; higher TTLs reduce DNS traffic.

What does the SOA record tell me?

It identifies the primary nameserver, admin contact and propagation settings for the zone. Useful when debugging delegation or transfer issues.

Is my query logged?

No. Lookups run through the browser and results are not stored server-side.

DNS Query, NSLookup & DIG — A, MX, TXT Records

DNS translates domain names to IP addresses. This tool queries Cloudflare's public DNS resolver (1.1.1.1) via DNS-over-HTTPS for fast, private results.

A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, TXT, NS, SOA records
TTL display
Powered by Cloudflare DNS-over-HTTPS
No server needed — queries from your browser
Fast and private

Free. No signup. Browser tools (subnet, JWT, password strength) run locally; lookup tools query public APIs (Cloudflare DoH, RDAP, certificate logs). Full per-tool breakdown at /methodology/.

Sources (3)

Mockapetris, P. (1987). Domain Names — Implementation and Specification. RFC 1035, IETF.
Hoffman, P., & McManus, P. (2018). DNS Queries over HTTPS (DoH). RFC 8484, IETF.
Thomson, S., Huitema, C., Ksinant, V., & Souissi, M. (2003). DNS Extensions to Support IP Version 6. RFC 3596, IETF.

These are the IETF RFCs, NIST publications, and W3C standards the tool implements or queries. Locate them on the IETF Datatracker (datatracker.ietf.org) or the official standards body.

Related guides

By Marco B. · Last verified June 2026 — runs in your browser