A DNS lookup is the process of querying the Domain Name System to retrieve information about a domain. The most common type is a forward lookup: finding the IP address (A or AAAA record) associated with a hostname. But DNS lookups can retrieve many other record types as well.
Types of DNS Lookups
| Lookup Type | What It Returns | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Forward (A record) | IPv4 address for a domain | example.com → 93.184.216.34 |
| Forward (AAAA record) | IPv6 address for a domain | example.com → 2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946 |
| Reverse (PTR record) | Domain name for an IP | 93.184.216.34 → example.com |
| MX record | Mail servers for a domain | Who handles email for example.com? |
| TXT record | Text data (SPF, DKIM, verification) | SPF record for sender verification |
| CNAME | Alias to another domain | www.example.com → example.com |
How to Perform a DNS Lookup
Use our DNS Lookup tool to query any domain for all its DNS records. You can also use command-line tools:
- Windows:
nslookup google.com - Mac/Linux:
dig google.comorhost google.com
What DNS Lookup Shows
A full DNS lookup returns the IP address(es) of the domain, the TTL (how long the record is cached), the authoritative nameserver, and any other records published for that domain. This is useful for troubleshooting email delivery, verifying DNS changes have propagated, and checking a domain's mail server setup.
People Also Ask
- What does the DNS lookup do?
- It translates a domain name into the information stored in its DNS records - most commonly, the IP address(es) needed to connect to that domain.
- What is an example of a DNS lookup?
- When you type "amazon.com" in your browser, a DNS lookup runs automatically to find Amazon's IP address (e.g., 176.32.103.205). Your browser then connects to that IP.
Related: What is DNS? | DNS record types | DNS Lookup tool