# DNS lookup

Look up the A, AAAA, MX, TXT, and other DNS records behind any domain.

Enter a domain and we query its live DNS and list every record we get back, grouped by type, so you can see exactly where the domain and its mail point.

## What we check

- Address records (A and AAAA) that tell browsers which server to connect to.
- Mail records (MX) and the text records (TXT) behind SPF, DKIM, and verification.
- Delegation and aliases (NS and CNAME), plus any other record types the domain publishes.
- The TTL on each record, which controls how long it is cached before a change takes effect.

## Why it matters

DNS is the switchboard for everything on a domain. A missing address record means the site will not load; a wrong MX or TXT record means email quietly fails or lands in spam. Because records are cached for their TTL, a mistake can linger for hours after you think you fixed it. Seeing the live records in one place is the fastest way to confirm a change took, or to spot the one that did not.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which DNS records does this show?

Every record type the domain publishes that its nameservers return, including A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, SOA, SRV, and CAA, each with its TTL.

### I changed a record but still see the old value. Why?

DNS is cached for the length of each record's TTL. Until that window passes, resolvers may keep serving the previous value. Lowering the TTL before a planned change makes future updates propagate faster.

### Can Ranetrace watch this for me?

Yes. Ranetrace snapshots your DNS and alerts you when a record changes, which is an early warning for both misconfiguration and hijacking.

## Run this check

Run it on your own domain here: https://ranetrace.com/tools/dns-lookup

## Related tools

- [SSL/TLS certificate checker](https://ranetrace.com/tools/ssl-checker.md)
- [Domain & WHOIS lookup](https://ranetrace.com/tools/domain-lookup.md)
- [HTTP status & speed check](https://ranetrace.com/tools/http-status.md)

This page is a one-time snapshot. Ranetrace monitors this continuously and warns you before it becomes a problem: https://ranetrace.com/pricing.md