A simple guide to dns lookup.

What this tool tells you

DNS translates names into records. You can use it to find a website's address, a domain's mail servers, or verification text.

Try it in SiteTrace

1. Enter a domain without https://, such as example.com.
2. Choose a record type and resolver, then Preview records.
3. Compare the returned name, type, and value with the record you expected.

The current tool shows fixed mockup data—not a live check of the address you enter. The screenshot below is an example, not a diagnosis.

What your result looks like

How to read the information

A

An IPv4 address record. AAAA is the IPv6 equivalent.

Value

93.184.215.14 and .15 are illustrative addresses in the sample, not a current answer for example.com.

TTL: 300

A resolver may cache this answer for 300 seconds, or five minutes. Remaining TTL may decrease.

MX / TXT / CNAME

MX routes mail, TXT holds text such as verification records, and CNAME points one name to another.

What the example means

Two A records can be normal when traffic is shared across servers. A record existing does not prove the website is reachable.

On your Mac or Windows PC

Mac instructions

Open Terminal. Change A to MX or TXT for other records. A targeted query is more useful than ANY, which may return only a limited answer.

dig example.com A

A check from your computer reflects your own connection. It may differ from a remote test or the mockup shown here.

Keep this in mind

DNS records change and caches can differ. Check the correct hostname; example.com and www.example.com may have different records.