DNS Lookup
Every DNS record for a domain, with SPF and DMARC explained in plain English.
The name you type is looked up by our server and sent back to you; it is not stored.
Type a domain such as gmail.com, a full web address, or an IP address for a reverse (PTR) lookup.
| Type | Name | Value | TTL |
|---|
DNS Lookup at a glance
- Price
- Free
- Sent to our server
- Only the name, for the lookup; not stored
- Sign-up
- Not needed
- Records
- A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA, CAA, SRV, PTR
- Explains
- SPF and DMARC
- Limit
- 150 lookups an hour per connection
How to use DNS Lookup
- Type the domainType a domain such as example.com, a web address, or an IP address.
- Choose recordsLeave All common records, or pick one type such as MX or TXT.
- Read the resultsSee every record with its time to live, and the SPF and DMARC checks for mail domains.
Type a domain and see its A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA and CAA records at once, or pick one type, with each record's time to live in plain units. When the domain receives email, its SPF record is explained line by line, including the 10-lookup limit, and its DMARC policy is read out: monitor, spam folder or reject. Type an IP address for a reverse (PTR) lookup. Results have their own link, so you can send them to a colleague.
How it works
DNS Lookup is a web page. The name you type is looked up by our server and sent back to you; it is not stored. There is no account and no sign-up; to keep it quick for everyone, each connection has an hourly limit, well above normal use.
Straight to one job
MX Lookup · TXT Record Lookup · SPF Record Checker · DMARC Checker
What the record types mean
| Record | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Points a name to an IPv4 address | 93.184.215.14 |
| AAAA | Points a name to an IPv6 address | 2606:2800:21f:cb07::1 |
| CNAME | Makes a name an alias of another name | www → example.com |
| MX | Names the servers that receive the domain's email, lowest number first | 10 mail.example.com |
| NS | Names the servers that hold the domain's records | ns1.example-dns.com |
| TXT | Free text: SPF, DMARC, DKIM and site-ownership checks | v=spf1 include:… ~all |
| SOA | The zone's primary server, contact and refresh timings | ns1… hostmaster… 2026… |
| CAA | Which certificate authorities may issue certificates for the domain | 0 issue "letsencrypt.org" |
| PTR | Reverse DNS: the name an IP address points back to | 8.8.8.8 → dns.google |
How the lookup works
DNS answers have to be fetched by a server, because browsers cannot ask for raw DNS records, so the name you type goes to our server, which asks the internet's DNS and sends the records back. The name is used for that lookup only and is not stored. The answer is what the public DNS says right now; the TTL column shows how many seconds a resolver may keep that answer before asking again, which is why a change you have just made can take minutes or hours to show everywhere.
SPF and DMARC, read for you
When a domain receives email, the lookup also reads its SPF and DMARC records and explains them in plain words. SPF lists the servers allowed to send mail for the domain and ends with a rule for everyone else: -all rejects, ~all marks as suspicious, and +all lets anyone send, which should never be used. SPF may make at most 10 DNS lookups, counting includes; past that, receivers treat it as broken. DMARC tells receivers what to do with mail that fails SPF and DKIM: p=none only reports, p=quarantine sends it to spam and p=reject refuses it. Gmail and Yahoo now expect bulk senders to publish one.
What it does
- A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA, CAA and SRV records
- All common records in one go
- SPF explained, with the 10-lookup limit checked
- DMARC policy read in plain English
- Warnings when a mail domain has no SPF or DMARC
- Reverse DNS (PTR) for IP addresses
- International domain names
- A link to every result
Questions
How do I check a domain's DNS records?
Type the domain and press Look up. The A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA and CAA records appear in one table, with how long each may be cached.
How do I find a domain's MX records?
Choose MX in the records list, or use the MX Lookup shortcut. The lowest number is the server tried first.
Why don't I see my new DNS change?
Resolvers keep an answer for its TTL, shown in the last column. Until that time passes, some places still see the old record. Changes usually show everywhere within the old record's TTL.
What is a good SPF record?
One TXT record starting v=spf1 that lists your mail providers with include:, ends with ~all or -all, and makes no more than 10 DNS lookups. The SPF card under the results checks all three.
What DMARC policy should I use?
Start with p=none and a rua address to receive reports, fix any senders that fail, then move to p=quarantine and finally p=reject.
Is the domain I look up stored?
No. Our server uses it to make the DNS query and sends the answer back. We only count how many lookups are made, not what was looked up.
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