DNS Lookup Tool

Query DNS records via Cloudflare DNS-over-HTTPS (1.1.1.1). Results include TTL values.

Domain & Record Type
Quick Reference A — IPv4 address  |  AAAA — IPv6 address  |  CNAME — Canonical name alias  |  MX — Mail exchange  |  TXT — Text records (SPF, DKIM, verification)  |  NS — Name servers  |  SOA — Start of Authority  |  CAA — Certification Authority Authorization

What is DNS Propagation Checker?

DNS Propagation Checker queries your domain's DNS records from multiple global locations simultaneously to check if a recent DNS change has propagated worldwide. Enter a domain and record type (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, SOA) to see the current values as seen from servers in the US, EU, Asia, and other regions. Essential after changing DNS settings to verify the change has fully propagated.

DNS propagation refers to the time it takes for DNS record changes to spread across all DNS resolvers worldwide. When you change a DNS record, the change is immediate on your authoritative nameserver -- but resolvers worldwide cache the old value for the TTL (Time to Live) period. A TTL of 3600 (1 hour) means cached resolvers may serve the old record for up to 1 hour. Propagation is "complete" when all major resolvers worldwide return the new value.

DNS record types: A (IPv4 address), AAAA (IPv6 address), CNAME (canonical name alias), MX (mail server), TXT (text records -- used for SPF, DKIM, domain verification), NS (nameservers), SOA (start of authority), SRV (service location), CAA (Certificate Authority Authorization). TTL is set per-record -- lower TTL before a planned change (e.g., 300 seconds) to allow faster propagation, then raise it after the change is confirmed.

How to Use

  1. Enter the domain name you want to check (e.g., example.com or sub.example.com).
  2. Select the DNS record type (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS are most common).
  3. Click 'Check Propagation' to query from multiple global DNS servers.
  4. See the result from each location -- green means matching, red means old/different value.
  5. Use 'Compare' to see which regions have the new value vs the old value.

Examples

Check A record propagation

Result: example.com A -> US: 93.184.216.34 (new) / EU: 93.184.216.34 (new) / Asia: 192.0.2.1 (old -- not propagated)

Verify TXT record for email

Result: example.com TXT -> v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all (SPF record for Gmail)

Check MX records

Result: example.com MX -> 10 aspmx.l.google.com / 20 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does DNS propagation take?

DNS propagation time depends on the TTL (Time to Live) of the old record. If the previous TTL was 3600 (1 hour), propagation can take up to 1 hour -- resolvers cached the old value and won't re-query until TTL expires. If TTL was 86400 (24 hours), propagation can take up to 24 hours. Best practice: lower your TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) 24-48 hours before a planned DNS change, make the change, wait 5-10 minutes for propagation, then raise the TTL back. For same-day emergency changes: TTL is the bottleneck.

What is the difference between authoritative DNS and recursive DNS?

Authoritative DNS servers hold the actual records for a domain. When you update a DNS record in your domain registrar or DNS provider (Cloudflare, Route 53, Namecheap), you are updating the authoritative nameserver. Recursive (resolver) DNS servers are used by clients (your ISP's DNS, Google 8.8.8.8, Cloudflare 1.1.1.1). They cache authoritative answers for the TTL duration. The propagation delay is the time for cached records on resolvers worldwide to expire and be re-fetched from the authoritative server.

How do I check DNS from the command line?

dig (standard Unix tool): dig example.com A (query A record). dig @8.8.8.8 example.com A (query against a specific resolver). dig +short example.com A (just the value, no verbose output). dig example.com MX (mail records). dig example.com TXT (TXT records). nslookup (Windows/Unix): nslookup example.com (query default DNS). nslookup example.com 8.8.8.8 (query against Google DNS). host (Unix): host example.com (simple lookup). For authoritative check: dig +norec @ns1.example.com example.com A (query the authoritative nameserver directly).

What is a CNAME and when should I use it?

A CNAME (Canonical Name) record is an alias that points to another hostname. example.com CNAME -> host.other.com means queries for example.com resolve to whatever host.other.com resolves to. Use CNAME for: subdomains pointing to cloud services (app.mysite.com CNAME app.vercel.app), CDN domains (static.mysite.com CNAME mysite.cdn.com), email services. Restrictions: CNAME cannot coexist with other records at the same name -- you cannot add a CNAME and MX at the same level. The root domain (mysite.com, not sub.mysite.com) cannot use CNAME -- use an ALIAS or ANAME record (Cloudflare calls it 'Proxied A record' or CNAME flattening).

What is a TTL and how should I set it?

TTL (Time to Live) is a value in seconds that tells DNS resolvers how long to cache a record before re-querying. Common values: 300 (5 min -- fast propagation), 3600 (1 hour -- standard), 86400 (24 hours -- stable domains). Lower TTL = faster propagation but more DNS queries (slight latency increase). Higher TTL = slower propagation but better caching performance. Strategy for DNS changes: 24-48 hours before: lower TTL to 300. Day of change: make the DNS change. After confirming propagation: raise TTL back to 3600. Never use TTL=0 in production -- some resolvers ignore it and it causes excessive queries.

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