What is a DNS Lookup?
A DNS (Domain Name System) lookup is the process of querying the internet's "phonebook" to find the IP address associated with a domain name. When you type a website like "www.google.com" into your browser, your computer performs a **DNS lookup** to find its corresponding IP address (e.g., 172.217.14.228) so it knows where to send the request. Our **free DNS checker tool** lets you perform this lookup manually for any domain and check all its important records.
Understanding Different DNS Records
Our tool can check various types of DNS records, each serving a different purpose for domain health and configuration:
- A Record: The most basic DNS record. It maps a domain name to an IPv4 address. This is essential for website accessibility.
- AAAA Record: Similar to an A record, but it maps a domain to a more modern IPv6 address.
- CNAME Record: A Canonical Name record forwards one domain to another. For example, `www.example.com` is often a CNAME pointing to `example.com`.
- MX Record: A Mail Exchanger record directs a domain's email to the servers that host its email accounts. This record is crucial for email deliverability.
- NS Record: A Name Server record indicates which DNS servers are authoritative for the domain, meaning they hold the actual DNS records.
- TXT Record: Allows domain administrators to store text notes. Commonly used for email security verification (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and domain ownership verification.
- SOA Record: The Start of Authority record contains important administrative information about the domain, like the primary name server and an email address for the domain administrator.
Why Use a DNS Lookup Tool?
- **Technical SEO:** SEO professionals use a **DNS checker** to diagnose technical issues, verify domain configurations, check for proper redirections, and analyze competitor setups.
- **Troubleshooting:** If a website or email service is down, a **DNS lookup** can help you quickly determine if the problem is with its DNS configuration.
- **Email Configuration:** When setting up a new email service (like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365), you must verify that your MX and TXT records are pointing correctly to ensure you can send and receive emails.