---
title: "Free DNS lookup"
description: "Look up the DNS records of any domain at once. See its A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA and CAA records from public resolvers, without installing anything."
canonical_url: "https://dnsense.io/dns-lookup"
---

> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://dnsense.io/llms.txt)

<key-visual-subpage description="Every common DNS record of a domain in one lookup: addresses, mail servers, name servers, text records and more. Answers come from public resolvers." highlight="DNS lookup" imageAlt="Screenshot of DNS records in the DNSense DNS manager" imageUrl="spf-checker-hero.webp" title="DNS lookup">



</key-visual-subpage>

<dns-lookup decorativeShape="top-right" highlight="DNS records" label="Free DNS tool" title="Look up the DNS records of a domain">



</dns-lookup>

<text-content highlight="DNS records" label="Guide" title="Which DNS records a domain has">

Every domain name is backed by DNS records that say where its website, mail and other services live. This lookup asks public resolvers for the types you will need most.

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Type
    </th>
    
    <th>
      What it holds
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        A
      </code>
      
      , <code>
        AAAA
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The IPv4 and IPv6 addresses of the domain.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        CNAME
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      An alias to another name.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        MX
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The mail servers, with a priority. See the <a href="/mx-lookup">
        MX lookup
      </a>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        NS
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The name servers that answer for the domain.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        TXT
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Free text, used for <a href="/spf-checker">
        SPF
      </a>
      
      , <a href="/dkim-checker">
        DKIM
      </a>
      
      , <a href="/dmarc-checker">
        DMARC
      </a>
      
       and domain verification.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        SOA
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The zone's primary name server, contact and timers.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        CAA
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The certificate authorities allowed to issue certificates.
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

The answers come from public resolvers, so they can still show an old value until the TTL of the previous record has passed. See [how long DNS changes take](https://dnsense.io/learn/how-long-do-dns-changes-take).

To change records, edit them in your DNS zone. With DNSense you can do that for every provider from [one table](https://dnsense.io/dns-manager).

</text-content>

<faq :faqs="[{"question":"What is a DNS lookup?","answer":"A DNS lookup asks a DNS server for the records of a domain name, such as the IP address of its website or the servers that receive its mail."},{"question":"Which record types does this lookup show?","answer":"A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA and CAA. Types the domain does not have are left out."},{"question":"Why do I see an old value after changing a record?","answer":"Resolvers cache an answer until its TTL runs out. Wait for the TTL of the old record to pass, then look it up again."},{"question":"Why does a domain have no records?","answer":"The domain may not exist or may not be registered, or its name servers are not set up for it. Check the registration and the name servers at your registrar."},{"question":"Can a CNAME exist next to other records?","answer":"No. A name with a CNAME cannot have other record types, which is why you cannot put a CNAME on the root of a domain."},{"question":"Do you store the domains I look up?","answer":"No. The lookup reads public DNS records for the domain you enter and shows the result."}]" decorativeShape="bottom-left" label="Questions" title="Frequently asked questions about DNS lookups">



</faq>

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://dnsense.io/sitemap.md) for all pages.