Free DNS tool
CNAME Lookup
See the alias a host name points to, follow the chain to its real address, and confirm a SaaS or CDN target resolves.
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 a CNAME record?
A CNAME (canonical name) record makes one host name an alias for another. When you look up www.example.com and it returns a CNAME to example.com, the resolver then looks up example.com to get the actual address. CNAMEs are how most SaaS and CDN setups point your subdomain at their infrastructure.
A CNAME cannot coexist with other records on the same name, which is why you cannot put one on a bare apex domain like example.com (it already has SOA and NS records). Use an A record, or your provider ALIAS or ANAME feature, at the apex instead.
How to read CNAME lookup results
The result shows the target the alias points at. If you run the All lookup, you may see the CNAME followed by the A or AAAA record of its target, which is the full chain a browser follows.
Long CNAME chains add a small delay to every request, and a single broken link breaks the whole name, so keep aliases shallow and check that the final target actually resolves.
Look it up from the terminal
Prefer the command line? These return the same records this tool shows:
dig www.example.com CNAME +short
nslookup -type=CNAME www.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 a CNAME record?
A CNAME record points one host name at another name rather than at an IP address. The resolver then looks up that target to find the address, which makes CNAMEs ideal for aliasing a subdomain to a SaaS, CDN or load balancer host.
-
What is the difference between a CNAME and an A record?
An A record points a name straight at an IPv4 address; a CNAME points it at another name that is resolved in turn. Use an A record at an apex domain and a CNAME for aliases like www that should follow another host.
-
Why can I not add a CNAME on my root domain?
A CNAME cannot share a name with any other record, and the apex already carries mandatory SOA and NS records. Use an A record, or an ALIAS or ANAME record if your DNS provider offers one, at the root instead.
-
Why does my CNAME lookup return an IP address too?
Because resolvers follow the chain. The CNAME points at a target name, and the lookup continues to that target A or AAAA record, so an all-records view shows both the alias and the address it ends at.
-
Watch every host your domain depends on
2-minute setup · Cancel any time
-
No credit card needed
ChatGPT
Claude
Cloudflare
GitHub
Shopify
Slack
Stripe
Supabase