DNS Lookup: How to Check DNS Records for Any Domain

A DNS lookup queries the DNS system to retrieve the records associated with a domain. You can check any domain — your own, a competitor's, or any public domain.

How to Look Up DNS Records

Using ElasticDomain

1. Add the domain to your dashboard and run a Full Scan (250 credits) — this retrieves all DNS record types at once.
2. For individual record type lookups, use the DNS Propagation Checker at Tools → DNS Propagation Checker.
3. Via the API: GET /api/v1/tools/dns?domain=example.com&type=A (1 credit per lookup).

ElasticDomain uses Google (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) as resolvers, plus queries authoritative nameservers directly for comparison.

DNS Record Types Explained

A Record (IPv4 Address)

Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address. This is where your web server is. Example: example.com → 203.0.113.10

AAAA Record (IPv6 Address)

Same as A but for IPv6. Example: example.com → 2001:db8::1

MX Record (Mail Exchanger)

Specifies which servers handle email for the domain. MX records have a priority number — lower = higher priority. Example: example.com MX 10 mail.example.com

If MX records are missing or wrong, email delivery fails.

TXT Record (Text)

General-purpose text records. Used for:

• SPF: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all (authorizes email senders)
• DKIM: Public key at selector._domainkey (signs outbound email)
• DMARC: Policy at _dmarc (what to do with failed authentication)
• Domain verification: google-site-verification=..., ms=...

NS Record (Nameserver)

Specifies the authoritative nameservers for the domain. These are the servers that hold all the DNS records. Example: example.com NS ns1.cloudflare.com example.com NS ns2.cloudflare.com

NS changes mean DNS control has moved to a different provider.

CNAME Record (Canonical Name / Alias)

Points one hostname to another. Example: www.example.com CNAME example.com

CNAME records cannot exist at the zone root (example.com itself) — only on subdomains.

SOA Record (Start of Authority)

Contains zone metadata including the primary nameserver, admin email, and the serial number. The serial number increments on every DNS change — useful for verifying when the zone was last modified.

CAA Record (Certification Authority Authorization)

Specifies which CAs can issue SSL certificates for the domain. Example: example.com CAA 0 issue "letsencrypt.org"

If a CA not listed attempts to issue a certificate, Certificate Transparency logs will flag it.

Common DNS Troubleshooting Scenarios

Website not loading after DNS change

Check the A record is pointing to the correct IP. Use the DNS Propagation Checker to see if propagation is complete globally. If some resolvers still show the old IP, wait for the TTL to expire.

Email not delivering

Check MX records are present and point to valid mail server hostnames. Verify the hostnames themselves resolve (they should have A records). Check SPF and DKIM TXT records for your email provider.

Subdomain not resolving

Check if the subdomain has an A or CNAME record in your DNS provider. Verify the record exists with a direct DNS lookup for that specific subdomain.

DNS propagation taking too long

You likely had a high TTL (86400 = 24 hours) on the record before changing it. Reduce TTL 24 hours before planned changes to speed future propagation.

Monitoring DNS Changes

For production domains, DNS record changes should alert you immediately. Set up a DNS change alert in ElasticDomain:

1. Domain detail → Alerts → Create Alert Rule
2. Trigger: DNS Record Changed
3. Save

Any addition, removal, or modification to DNS records triggers the alert.