How to Check Your DNS Records
Checking your DNS records confirms that the values you published are live and correct, whether you are verifying a new website, debugging email delivery, or auditing a domain. This guide covers the command-line tools every operating system ships with, online lookup tools, and how to query a specific record type.
Ways to check DNS records
There are three common ways to read a domain's DNS records, and they all return the same data:
- dig — the standard command-line tool on macOS and Linux, ideal for precise, scriptable queries.
- nslookup — built into Windows and available elsewhere, good for quick checks.
- Online lookup tools — query from a browser with nothing to install, handy when you are away from your own machine.
Whichever you use, the key is to name the record type you want, since a domain can hold many different records at once.
Using dig
On macOS or Linux, dig is the most reliable tool. Add +short to strip everything except the answer:
dig +short example.com AAAA
dig +short example.com MX
dig +short example.com TXT
dig +short example.com NS
To query a particular resolver, put @resolver before the name. This is useful for confirming a record against a public resolver rather than your local cache:
Using nslookup on Windows
Windows ships with nslookup. Use the -type flag to choose the record type:
nslookup -type=MX example.com
nslookup -type=TXT example.com
Add a resolver address as a second argument to query it specifically, for example nslookup -type=MX example.com 8.8.8.8.
Online tools
If you cannot run a command line, an online lookup is the fastest option. ZoneWatcher's free DNS record lookup tool queries any record type from your browser and shows the answer immediately, with no install required.
Online tools query a public resolver on your behalf, so they reflect what the wider internet sees rather than your local cache, which makes them a good cross-check against a dig result.
Checking a specific record type
Each record type serves a different purpose, so checking the right one matters. Address records point a name to a server, while MX records route your email and TXT records hold verification and policy data. If a service is misbehaving, query the exact type it depends on rather than assuming the whole zone is at fault.
A record may also look correct locally but be stale somewhere else while a change rolls out. To confirm a recent edit is live everywhere, follow our guide on how to check DNS propagation.