Free DNS tool
DNS Lookup
Check the live DNS records for any domain: A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS, SOA and CAA, straight from public DNS.
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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 DNS lookup?
A DNS lookup asks the Domain Name System what records a domain has. Open a website or send an email and your device runs this query in the background without you noticing, turning a name like example.com into the addresses and instructions the internet needs to reach it. This DNS record lookup runs that same query on demand and hands you the answer.
The records originate at the domain authoritative name servers, and resolvers along the way cache them for the length of each record TTL. So a record you just changed can look different depending on who you ask. A public DNS checker is the quickest way to find out what the rest of the world actually sees right now.
How a DNS lookup works
Request a record and a resolver walks the DNS hierarchy on your behalf. First it asks a root server which name servers run the top-level domain. Then it asks those which servers are authoritative for the domain. Finally it asks the authoritative server for the record itself. Every answer gets cached for its TTL, which is what makes the next lookup faster.
This tool skips the walk and asks a public resolver over DNS-over-HTTPS, so the answer matches what a browser would get from outside your own network. Reach for it when you need to confirm an A record, read the MX records before you start debugging email, check an SPF or DMARC entry, or see which authorities a CAA record allows to issue your SSL certificate.
When to run a DNS lookup
Email stops arriving? Check the MX and TXT records. Moved a domain or switched hosts? Confirm the A, AAAA or CNAME records resolve to the new place. The SOA serial tells you whether the zone itself actually updated.
A missing or wrong A record is one of the usual suspects when a site looks down. Confirm it here first, then run an outside is-it-down check and read our error guides for the status codes behind the outage.
Look it up from the terminal
Prefer the command line? These return the same records this tool shows:
dig example.com ANY +noall +answer
nslookup -type=ANY 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
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What is a DNS lookup?
A DNS lookup queries the Domain Name System for the records attached to a domain: its A record (the IP address), its MX records (mail servers), its TXT records and the rest. This tool runs that query against public DNS and shows you the records the way resolvers around the world see them.
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What is a DNS record?
A DNS record is one entry in a domain zone, and it tells the internet how to handle the domain. Where the website lives (A and AAAA), which servers receive its email (MX), which authorities may issue its certificates (CAA), and so on. Every record carries a type, a name, a value and a TTL.
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What DNS record types can I look up?
The checker handles the common types: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, SOA and CAA. Narrow the query to a single type, or leave it on "All" to pull every common record in one go. Type in an IPv4 address instead and it runs a reverse DNS (PTR) lookup.
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What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME?
An A record points a name straight at an IPv4 address. A CNAME points a name at a second name, which then gets resolved to reach an address. Apex domains like example.com want an A record; aliases such as www are a good fit for a CNAME.
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What is a reverse DNS lookup?
A normal lookup turns a domain into its records. A reverse DNS lookup runs the other direction, taking an IP address and pulling the host name back out of its PTR record. Mail servers lean on reverse DNS to gauge whether a sender looks legitimate.
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Why are my DNS changes not showing yet?
Resolvers hold onto records for the length of their TTL, which is why a change might appear everywhere in a few minutes or take a couple of days. People call this DNS propagation. If you know a change is coming, drop the record TTL beforehand and the switch lands faster.
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Is this DNS lookup tool free?
Yes. There is no signup, no query limit and no cost. Every query runs in your browser over Google public DNS-over-HTTPS, falling back to Cloudflare if that fails, so nothing you type ever reaches Pulsetic.
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