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DNS Lookup

Every DNS record for any domain

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What is a DNS lookup?

A DNS lookup queries the Domain Name System to reveal how a domain is configured: the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses it points to (A/AAAA), the servers that handle its email (MX), its authoritative name servers (NS), and the text records (TXT) used for verification, SPF, and DKIM. IPeek asks every authoritative nameserver for all supported record types at once, live, and shows whether they agree.

How a DNS lookup resolves a domain

A DNS lookup walks the resolution chain from the root servers to the top-level-domain servers to the domain's authoritative name servers, which hold the actual records. A recursive resolver does this legwork and returns the final answer. Each record carries a TTL (time to live) in seconds that tells resolvers how long to cache it. IPeek queries the authoritative servers for every supported type in one pass, so you see A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, and more together instead of running separate lookups.

How to read your DNS lookup results

Results are grouped by record type. A and AAAA rows show the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses a hostname resolves to. MX rows list mail servers with a priority number, where lower wins. NS rows name the authoritative servers for the zone. TXT rows hold free-form text such as an SPF policy (v=spf1 ...) or a domain-verification token. Each row shows its TTL; a value like 3600 means resolvers may cache that record for one hour before re-querying.

When you need a full DNS lookup

Run a full DNS lookup when you migrate hosting, change email providers, or debug why a site or service is unreachable. It confirms that A/AAAA records point to the right server, that MX records send mail to the correct provider, and that NS records match your registrar's delegation. After a change, a full lookup verifies propagation. Because IPeek asks the authoritative servers directly, you see a change the moment it is published, without waiting for resolver caches to expire.

Frequently asked questions

What does a DNS lookup show?

A DNS lookup shows every public record a domain publishes: A and AAAA records for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, MX records for mail servers, NS records for authoritative name servers, and TXT records for SPF, DKIM, and verification tokens. IPeek queries all supported types at once, so you get a complete picture of how the domain is configured in a single result.

How long does DNS propagation take?

DNS propagation usually completes within a few minutes to 48 hours, governed by each record's TTL. A record with a TTL of 3600 may be cached by resolvers for up to an hour after a change. Lowering the TTL before a migration speeds propagation. IPeek reads the authoritative servers directly, so it shows the new value immediately even while resolvers still serve the old one.

What is the difference between a DNS lookup and a WHOIS lookup?

A DNS lookup returns a domain's technical records, the IP addresses, mail servers, and name servers that route traffic and email. A WHOIS lookup returns registration data instead: the registrar, creation and expiry dates, and contact details. Use DNS to see how a domain works and WHOIS to see who registered it and when.

Why is my DNS lookup returning no records?

An empty DNS lookup usually means the record type does not exist for that hostname, the domain is misconfigured, or delegation is broken at the registrar. Check that your NS records match the name servers set at your registrar. A domain with no A record will not load a website, and one with no MX record cannot receive email at that domain.

What is a TTL in DNS?

TTL (time to live) is the number of seconds a DNS record may be cached by resolvers before they re-query the authoritative servers. A TTL of 300 means five minutes; 86400 means one day. Lower TTLs make changes propagate faster but increase query volume. Lower the TTL a day before a planned migration so updates take effect quickly.