The DevToolbox DNS Lookup Tool retrieves the public Domain Name System records associated with a domain. Enter a domain name to view the records used for website hosting, email delivery, domain verification and other online services.

Results are displayed in a table containing:

• Record type

• Record value

• Time to Live

• Priority, where applicable

The tool accepts a standard domain name such as example.com. If you enter a complete URL, it removes the protocol, www prefix and page path before performing the lookup.

1. Enter a domain name in the lookup field.

2. Click “Lookup” to retrieve its public DNS information.

3. Review the record type and corresponding value.

4. Check the TTL value to understand how long the record may be cached.

5. Review the priority column for records where priority is available.

If the domain has no available records or the lookup cannot be completed, the tool displays an error message.

The DNS Lookup Tool can display several commonly used record types, including:

• A

• AAAA

• CNAME

• MX

• NS

• TXT

The records returned depend on the DNS configuration of the domain. Not every domain will have every type of record.

An A record connects a domain or hostname to an IPv4 address.

For example:

example.com → 192.0.2.1

A records are commonly used to direct a website or subdomain to the server where it is hosted. If a website has moved to a new server, checking its A record can help confirm whether the domain points to the expected IPv4 address.

An AAAA record connects a domain or hostname to an IPv6 address.

IPv6 addresses are longer than IPv4 addresses and contain hexadecimal characters separated by colons. A domain may have an A record, an AAAA record or both, depending on the network configuration of its hosting provider.

A CNAME record points one hostname to another hostname instead of directly assigning an IP address.

For example:

www.example.com → example.com

CNAME records are often used for subdomains, content delivery networks, hosted applications and third-party services. The target shown in the lookup result is the hostname to which the alias points.

MX records identify the mail servers responsible for receiving email for a domain.

A domain can have more than one MX record. The priority value helps determine which mail server should be contacted first. A lower number generally represents a higher delivery preference.

Checking MX records can help confirm whether a domain is connected to the expected email provider.

NS records identify the authoritative nameservers responsible for a domain’s DNS configuration.

These records show which DNS provider manages the domain’s public records. NS lookups are useful when checking whether a domain has been connected to a new DNS service or whether a nameserver change is visible.

TXT records store text-based information in a domain’s DNS configuration. They are commonly used for:

• Domain ownership verification

• SPF email policies

• DKIM-related configuration

• DMARC policies

• Third-party service verification

• Application and security settings

A domain may contain several TXT records for different services.

TTL stands for Time to Live. It indicates how long a DNS resolver may cache a record before requesting an updated value.

TTL is usually displayed in seconds. For example, a TTL of 3600 means the record may be cached for one hour.

A DNS change may not appear everywhere immediately because different resolvers can continue using a previously cached value until its TTL expires.

A DNS lookup can help when you need to:

• Confirm the IP address connected to a domain

• Check whether a website points to the expected server

• Review IPv4 and IPv6 configuration

• Verify mail-server records

• Inspect nameserver settings

• Find domain-verification records

• Review TXT-based email policies

• Check the target of a CNAME record

• View TTL and MX priority values

• Investigate DNS configuration problems

The tool displays the records currently returned by the lookup. It does not edit or update a domain’s DNS settings.

• Retrieve multiple DNS record types in one lookup

• Check A and AAAA addresses

• Inspect CNAME targets

• Review MX servers and available priorities

• Check authoritative nameservers

• View TXT verification and policy records

• See TTL values for returned records

• Accept domain names or complete website URLs

• Use the tool without installing command-line software