Free DNS tool
DNS A Record Lookup
Find the IPv4 address any domain points to, confirm a server move has propagated, and rule DNS out when a site looks down.
Try , ,
Lookups run in your browser over Google public DNS-over-HTTPS (Cloudflare as fallback). Nothing you enter is sent to Pulsetic.
DNS decides where your domain and email actually go. Pulsetic watches your domain and SSL certificate around the clock.
What is an A record?
An A (address) record maps a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address, the number a browser actually connects to. It is the most fundamental DNS record: without it, a name has nowhere to send traffic. The IPv6 equivalent is the AAAA record.
A single name can have several A records pointing at different IPs, which spreads traffic across servers and provides basic failover. The record TTL controls how long resolvers cache the address before checking again.
When to run an A record lookup
Run one after pointing a domain at a new server or host to confirm the A record now shows the right IP everywhere. Because resolvers cache the old value for the length of its TTL, a fresh lookup tells you whether the change has propagated.
It is also the first check when a site looks down: if the A record is missing or points at an old IP, the browser never reaches your server. Confirm the record here, then run an outside is-it-down check.
Look it up from the terminal
Prefer the command line? These return the same records this tool shows:
dig example.com A +short
nslookup -type=A example.com
Every DNS record type
What each record does. Each one has a dedicated lookup in the tabs above.
| Record | What it does | Example value |
|---|---|---|
| A | Maps a domain to an IPv4 address. | example.com → 93.184.216.34 |
| AAAA | Maps a domain to an IPv6 address. | example.com → 2606:2800:220:1:: |
| CNAME | Points one name at another name, as an alias. | www → example.com |
| MX | Names the mail servers that accept email for the domain, each with a priority. | 10 mail.example.com |
| TXT | Holds free-form text, used for SPF, DKIM, DMARC and domain verification. | v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all |
| NS | Lists the authoritative name servers for the domain. | ns1.example.com |
| SOA | Start of authority: the primary name server and the zone refresh, retry and expiry timers. | ns1.example.com . 2026010101 |
| PTR | Reverse record: maps an IP address back to a host name. | 34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa |
| SRV | Locates the host and port for a specific service. | _sip._tcp → 5060 sip.example.com |
| CAA | States which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates for the domain. | 0 issue "letsencrypt.org" |
Frequently asked questions
-
What is an A record?
An A record maps a host name to an IPv4 address. It is what turns example.com into the numeric address a browser connects to, so it is the most basic and most common DNS record.
-
What is the difference between an A record and an AAAA record?
They do the same job for different address families: an A record holds an IPv4 address, while an AAAA record holds an IPv6 address. A domain can and often does have both.
-
Can a domain have multiple A records?
Yes. Several A records on one name return several IPs, which resolvers rotate between to balance load and provide simple redundancy if one server is unreachable.
-
My A record looks right but the site is still down, why?
DNS is only the first step. A correct A record means the name resolves, but the server at that IP still has to be up and serving. Confirm the address here, then test reachability with an is-it-down check.
-
Know the second your A record stops responding
2-minute setup · Cancel any time
-
No credit card needed
ChatGPT
Claude
Cloudflare
GitHub
Shopify
Slack
Stripe
Supabase