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How-to guide

How to Check DNS Records

To check DNS records, enter a domain into a DNS lookup tool and choose a record type — A for the IPv4 address, MX for mail servers, TXT for verification and SPF entries, NS for nameservers. The tool queries a resolver and returns the records with their TTL values. Because the lookup happens on our server, results reflect that resolver rather than your own network.

DNS Lookup

Query A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, CNAME, SOA and SRV records.

Open the tool

Most DNS questions come in one of three forms: where does this domain point, why is mail not arriving, and why has my change not taken effect yet. Each maps to a record type and to the TTL value returned alongside it.

The TTL is the part people skip and then get caught by. It is the number of seconds a resolver is permitted to cache the answer. A record with a TTL of 86400 can keep serving a stale value for a full day after you change it, no matter how correct the new record is.

Step by step

  1. Enter the domain

    Use the bare domain, without a scheme or path — example.com rather than https://example.com/page. Include the subdomain if that is what you are checking, such as mail.example.com.

  2. Pick the record type

    A for IPv4, AAAA for IPv6, MX for mail routing, TXT for SPF, DKIM and domain verification, NS for the authoritative nameservers, CNAME for aliases, SOA for the zone metadata.

  3. Read the TTL

    The TTL is how long resolvers may cache this answer, in seconds. 300 is five minutes; 86400 is a day. Lower it well before a planned migration so the change can take effect quickly when you make it.

  4. Check MX priority when debugging mail

    MX records carry a priority number, and lower means preferred. Mail goes to the lowest-numbered reachable host. Two records with the same priority share the load between them.

  5. Compare against your own resolver

    Our server queries its own resolver, so a fresh change may appear here before your ISP shows it, or vice versa. A difference between the two is propagation, not an error.

Example

MX records for a domain. The lower priority number is the preferred mail host.

Query

example.com  MX

Result

Priority  Host                    TTL
10        mail1.example.com.      3600
20        mail2.example.com.      3600

Frequently asked questions

Why does my new record not show up?
Almost always caching. Resolvers hold the previous answer for the length of its TTL, so a record with a TTL of 86400 can serve the old value for up to a day. Lower the TTL in advance of a planned change.
Why do the results differ from my own machine?
This lookup runs on our server and uses its resolver. Your ISP or corporate resolver has its own cache and may be ahead of or behind it. Both answers are real; the difference is propagation in progress.
What is the difference between A and CNAME?
An A record maps a name directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME makes one name an alias for another, and the resolver then looks that one up. A CNAME cannot coexist with other records at the same name, which is why it is not allowed at a zone apex.
Which record type holds SPF?
TXT. There was once a dedicated SPF record type but it was deprecated, and SPF policies now live in a TXT record beginning v=spf1. DKIM and domain verification tokens also live in TXT records.
Does this run in my browser?
No. Browsers cannot make DNS queries, so the lookup runs on our server and the request is made by Delimiter.live on your behalf. The page carries a server-side processing badge for that reason.

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