How to Check DNS Records

Checking DNS records is one of the most fundamental tasks in domain management. Whether you are verifying a recent change, troubleshooting a connectivity issue, or auditing your domain configuration, knowing how to look up DNS records quickly and accurately is essential.

This guide covers every practical method for checking DNS records, from command-line utilities to web-based tools and automated monitoring platforms.

Why Check DNS Records?

DNS records are the configuration layer that connects your domain name to the servers, services, and policies behind it. Checking them helps you:

Verify changes after updating records at your registrar or DNS provider
Troubleshoot issues when a website, email, or service stops working
Audit security by confirming SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are in place
Investigate domains you are acquiring or integrating with

Understanding DNS Record Types

Before you start querying, it helps to know what each record type tells you.

A / AAAA Records

Map a domain to an IPv4 (A) or IPv6 (AAAA) address. These are the most basic records — they tell browsers where to find your server.

CNAME Records

Create an alias from one domain to another. Often used for subdomains like www that point to a hosting provider's canonical hostname.

MX Records

Define mail servers responsible for receiving email for the domain. Include priority values that determine fallback order.

TXT Records

Store arbitrary text data. Commonly used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and domain verification tokens for services like Google and Microsoft.

NS Records

Identify the authoritative nameservers for the domain. These determine which DNS provider controls the zone.

SOA Record

Contains administrative metadata about the zone, including the primary nameserver, admin email, serial number, and refresh intervals.

Method 1: Command-Line Tools

Command-line DNS lookups give you the most control and the rawest data. Two tools dominate: dig and nslookup.

Using dig

dig is the standard DNS query tool on Linux and macOS. It is also available on Windows through WSL or BIND installations.

# Query A records
dig example.com A

# Query MX records
dig example.com MX

# Query all record types
dig example.com ANY

# Query a specific nameserver
dig @8.8.8.8 example.com A

# Get a short answer only
dig example.com A +short

The output includes the question section, answer section, authority section, and timing information. The answer section contains the actual records you are looking for.

Using nslookup

nslookup is available on all major platforms out of the box, making it the more accessible option for Windows users.

# Basic lookup
nslookup example.com

# Query a specific record type
nslookup -type=MX example.com

# Use a specific DNS server
nslookup example.com 8.8.8.8

Which tool should you use?

Use dig when you need detailed output with TTL values, flags, and authority information. Use nslookup when you need a quick answer on any platform without installing additional software.

Method 2: Web-Based DNS Lookup Tools

If you prefer a visual interface or need to check records from multiple global locations simultaneously, web-based tools are the way to go.

Popular options include Google's DNS lookup (dns.google), MXToolbox, DNSChecker.org, and whatsmydns.net. These tools let you enter a domain, select a record type, and instantly see results from servers around the world.

Web-based tools are particularly useful for:

Checking DNS propagation across multiple regions
Sharing results with team members who are not comfortable with the command line
Getting a second opinion when local results seem incorrect due to caching

Method 3: Automated DNS Monitoring

Manual checks are reactive. You only look when something breaks. Automated DNS monitoring flips this around by continuously watching your records and alerting you when something changes.

Automate Your DNS Checks

DNS Monitor watches your records around the clock and alerts you the moment something changes unexpectedly.

Comparing DNS Check Methods

Method	Best For	Speed	Global Coverage	Automation
dig / nslookup	Detailed debugging	Instant	Single server per query	None (manual)
Web-based tools	Propagation checks	Fast	Multiple global locations	None (manual)
DNS monitoring	Ongoing verification	Continuous	Multiple global locations	Full alerting

Step-by-Step: Check All DNS Records for a Domain

Start with NS records

Query the NS records to confirm which nameservers are authoritative for the domain. This tells you where the zone is hosted and which provider controls changes.

Check A and AAAA records

Verify that the domain resolves to the correct IP addresses. Compare the results against your expected server IPs.

Verify MX records

Confirm that mail exchanger records are present and point to the correct email provider. Check priority values to ensure proper failover order.

Review TXT records

Look for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Also check for any domain verification TXT records that may be outdated and should be removed.

Check CNAME records for subdomains

Query key subdomains like www, mail, api, and any others specific to your setup. Verify they point to the correct targets.

Cross-reference with a second DNS server

Repeat your critical checks against a different resolver (like 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1) to rule out caching issues.

Common Pitfalls When Checking DNS

Beware of cached results

Your local DNS resolver caches responses based on TTL values. If you recently made a change and still see old data, you may be hitting a cached response. Use dig @8.8.8.8 to query a public resolver directly, or flush your local DNS cache.

Querying the wrong record type: If your subdomain uses a CNAME, querying for an A record will return the resolved IP, not the CNAME target. Query CNAME explicitly to see the alias.
Forgetting the trailing dot: In DNS, example.com. (with trailing dot) is the fully qualified domain name. Most tools handle this automatically, but some configurations require it.
Ignoring TTL values: The TTL tells you how long a record is cached. A high TTL means changes will take longer to propagate. Always check TTL when planning changes.
Assuming ANY returns everything: The ANY query type does not guarantee all records are returned. Some DNS providers restrict ANY queries for security reasons. Query each type individually for complete results.

When to Check DNS Records

Regular DNS checks should be part of your operational routine:

After any DNS change: Verify the change took effect and propagated correctly
When troubleshooting outages: DNS misconfiguration is a common root cause for website and email downtime
During domain migrations: Before, during, and after moving to a new registrar or DNS provider
Periodically as an audit: Stale or incorrect records can create security vulnerabilities and operational issues

Knowing how to check DNS records is the foundation of effective domain management. Whether you use command-line tools for quick debugging or monitoring platforms for continuous verification, the key is to check proactively rather than only when something breaks.

Stop Checking Manually

DNS Monitor continuously verifies your records and sends alerts when anything changes. Set it up once and never miss an unexpected DNS modification.

How to Check DNS Records for Any Domain