DNS lookup
Enter a domain and this tool asks DNS for its A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS and TXT records and shows them together, with notes on common problems such as no mail servers or two SPF records.
It’s for anyone setting up a domain: pointing it at a new host, connecting an email service, or adding a verification record and wondering whether it has gone live.
Free with a ShipScroll account.
How to use the DNS Lookup
- Type a domain, such as example.com. You can paste a full URL and the tool will use its hostname.
- Press Look up. All six record types are requested at once.
- Compare the values with what your host or email provider told you to set.
- Just made a change? It can take time to spread, depending on the record’s TTL. Results here are also kept for ten minutes.
What each record type means
| Record | What it does | You’ll touch it when |
|---|---|---|
| A | Points a name at an IPv4 address | Connecting a domain to a server or host |
| AAAA | Points a name at an IPv6 address | Your host supports IPv6 |
| CNAME | Makes a name an alias of another name | Pointing www or a subdomain at a platform |
| MX | Lists the servers that receive email | Setting up an email provider |
| NS | Says which nameservers answer for the domain | Moving DNS to another provider |
| TXT | Holds text, such as SPF rules and ownership proofs | Verifying a domain or setting up sending |
Why two SPF records are a problem
SPF tells receiving mail servers who may send email for your domain, and it’s published as a TXT record. The SPF standard says a domain must not have more than one such record. It’s an easy mistake to make when you add a second email service and create a new record instead of editing the first, and it can make SPF checks fail. Merge them into one record that lists both senders.
Reading the results
- MX values start with a priority number. Lower numbers are tried first.
- A subdomain can have different records from the main domain, so look up the exact name you care about.
- A blank record type is normal. Most domains have no AAAA or CNAME at the root, for example.
- This tool looks up the name you enter, so DKIM records, which live on their own subdomains, need their full name.
Example: connecting a custom domain
Your host asks you to point www at a platform address. After adding the CNAME, look up www.yourdomain.com. If the CNAME shows the platform’s address, DNS is done and any remaining problem is on the host’s side. If it’s still blank, the change hasn’t spread yet, or it was saved in the wrong place. Checking the NS records tells you which provider is actually answering for your domain.
Questions
Why don’t I see the record I just added?
DNS answers are cached, so a change can take a while to appear depending on the record’s TTL, and results here are kept for ten minutes as well. Also check the NS records: if they point at another provider, your edit was made somewhere that isn’t answering for the domain.
Does a missing MX record mean email is broken?
For receiving email, usually yes: MX records tell other servers where to deliver it. A domain that only sends email, or isn’t used for email at all, may not need any. The tool flags it so you can decide which applies.
Can this tool find every subdomain?
No. DNS answers questions about a name you already know, and this tool doesn’t list a domain’s subdomains. Enter a specific subdomain to see its records.
Is a result the same everywhere in the world?
Not always. During a change, different resolvers can return old and new answers until their caches expire, and some services answer differently by location. This shows the answer our server received at that moment.
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