When should I use DNS lookup instead of the website checker?

Use DNS lookup when you need to see whether a name points anywhere, whether www and the apex differ, or whether mail records (MX, SPF, DMARC) exist. Use the website checker when you need HTTP status, TLS, headers, response time, or a live reachability probe. DNS can succeed while a website is still down.

Why might these records differ from what I see on my computer?

This tool queries public resolvers (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 and Google 8.8.8.8) over DNS-over-HTTPS. Your ISP, office network, or a local hosts file can still serve a cached or different answer until the previous TTL expires.

What does TTL mean for DNS changes?

TTL is how long other resolvers may cache this answer, in seconds. After you change a record, wait at least the old TTL before expecting the internet to see the new value. A 3600-second TTL can mean up to an hour of mixed answers.

Is the homepage preview proof the site is up?

No. The preview is a screenshot of https://hostname from WordPress mShots. It is not an HTTP status check from your network. Use the website checker for reachability, TLS, and response time.

Does this mean a site is down for everyone?

No. This is one public resolver at one moment. A missing A record, NXDOMAIN, or a stale cache is not a confirmed global outage. Cite the live tool URL; do not treat a one-off lookup as stored status.

Do you store the hostname I look up?

No. The lookup is used only to show you this page. Individual DNS results are not stored or indexed.

Not as a guessed selector. DKIM lives at selector._domainkey.example.com, and selectors vary by mail provider. If you know the selector, look up that hostname’s TXT record. We do look up SPF, _dmarc, and _mta-sts automatically.

DNS lookup

Look up A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, SPF, DMARC, and DNSSEC for a public hostname, with a homepage preview and approximate location of the resolved address. Individual lookups are not stored.

Look up DNS records

Public hostname or IP. Records come from live public DNS. A homepage preview is loaded for names that exist; it is not a reachability check.

How to use this DNS lookup

Use this when you need the published records for a name. The homepage preview is a screenshot of https://hostname, not proof the site is up from your network.

Best uses

Confirm whether a name has A or AAAA records after a DNS change.
Compare apex and www — they can point at different addresses.
Inspect MX, SPF, DMARC, and MTA-STS without fetching mail or HTTP.
See TTL and DNSSEC as returned by public resolvers.
Paste a public IP for reverse DNS and an approximate map location.

Skip this tool when

You need HTTP status, TLS, or headers — use the website checker.
You want bandwidth or ping — use the internet speed test.
You need your own address — use What Is My IP.
You want proof a site is down for everyone — check current outages. This is one public resolver at one moment.

Answers come from Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 and Google 8.8.8.8 over DNS-over-HTTPS. Location is from the resolved address, approximate, and not stored.

How this DNS lookup works

This tool queries public DNS over HTTPS. It does not fetch the website except for an optional homepage screenshot. A successful DNS answer is not proof the site is up, and a failure here is not a confirmed global outage.

Step 1
Open the DNS lookup tool.
Step 2
Enter a public hostname such as example.com, or a public IP for reverse DNS.
Step 3
Read addresses, mail records, DNSSEC, TTL, and the homepage or map preview.

For HTTP status, TLS, and response time, use the website checker. For live outages, see current outages.

Frequently asked questions

When should I use DNS lookup instead of the website checker?: Use DNS lookup when you need to see whether a name points anywhere, whether www and the apex differ, or whether mail records (MX, SPF, DMARC) exist. Use the website checker when you need HTTP status, TLS, headers, response time, or a live reachability probe. DNS can succeed while a website is still down.
Why might these records differ from what I see on my computer?: This tool queries public resolvers (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 and Google 8.8.8.8) over DNS-over-HTTPS. Your ISP, office network, or a local hosts file can still serve a cached or different answer until the previous TTL expires.
What does TTL mean for DNS changes?: TTL is how long other resolvers may cache this answer, in seconds. After you change a record, wait at least the old TTL before expecting the internet to see the new value. A 3600-second TTL can mean up to an hour of mixed answers.
Is the homepage preview proof the site is up?: No. The preview is a screenshot of https://hostname from WordPress mShots. It is not an HTTP status check from your network. Use the website checker for reachability, TLS, and response time.
Does this mean a site is down for everyone?: No. This is one public resolver at one moment. A missing A record, NXDOMAIN, or a stale cache is not a confirmed global outage. Cite the live tool URL; do not treat a one-off lookup as stored status.
Do you store the hostname I look up?: No. The lookup is used only to show you this page. Individual DNS results are not stored or indexed.
Can I look up DKIM?: Not as a guessed selector. DKIM lives at selector._domainkey.example.com, and selectors vary by mail provider. If you know the selector, look up that hostname’s TXT record. We do look up SPF, _dmarc, and _mta-sts automatically.