What is DNS?
DNS stands for **Domain Name System**. Think of it as the internet's phonebook. When you type a human-readable domain name like `google.com` into your browser, your computer needs to find its actual, numerical IP address (like `172.217.14.228`) to connect to the server. DNS handles this translation.
Our tool allows you to look up all the public DNS records for any domain, which is essential for troubleshooting website issues, setting up email, or just understanding how a domain is configured.
Common DNS Record Types Explained
- A Record: The "Address" record. It points a domain or subdomain to a specific IPv4 address (e.g., `123.45.67.89`).
- AAAA Record: Similar to an A record, but points to a more modern IPv6 address.
- CNAME Record: The "Canonical Name" record. It points one domain or subdomain to *another domain name* instead of an IP address. Used to alias one name to another.
- MX Record: The "Mail Exchanger" record. It specifies which mail servers are responsible for accepting email for the domain. It includes a priority number to tell mailers which server to try first.
- TXT Record: The "Text" record. This is a general-purpose record that can hold any arbitrary text. It's commonly used for email security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and verifying domain ownership with services like Google Search Console.
- NS Record: The "Name Server" record. It specifies which DNS servers are the authoritative servers for the domain (i.e., the servers that hold the official record).
- SOA Record: The "Start of Authority" record. This is a more complex record that contains administrative information about the domain, such as the primary name server, the email of the domain administrator, and timers for how often the zone should be refreshed.