Online Tool Store
DNS Lookup
Look up the record types (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS) a domain would return and see a clear explanation of what each one means, with a realistic sample lookup shown by default.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server.
This browser-only tool doesn't connect to live DNS resolvers — try "example.com" to see a full sample lookup, or any other domain to see the record types explained without live data.
How DNS Lookup works
- Enter a domain and click "Look up."
- For the bundled sample domain, a full set of A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and NS records is shown with realistic example values.
- For any other domain, the same six record types are explained in plain language, since this tool doesn't connect to a live DNS resolver — it's an honest client-only reference, not a working nslookup replacement.
The six record types explained
A and AAAA records map a name to an IPv4 or IPv6 address respectively. CNAME aliases one name to another, which is resolved in turn. MX records list which mail servers accept email for the domain, in priority order. TXT records hold arbitrary text, most often used for domain-ownership verification and email authentication policies like SPF. NS records name the authoritative servers responsible for answering DNS queries about the domain in the first place.
FAQ
Does this perform a real, live DNS query?
No — this is a client-only, browser-based tool with no server behind it, and a real DNS query needs to actually reach a resolver over the network. It shows a full worked example for "example.com" and, for any other domain, explains what each record type means without fabricating live results.
What's the difference between an A record and a CNAME record?
An A record points a name directly at an IPv4 address. A CNAME record instead points a name at another domain name, which is then resolved in turn — commonly used for subdomains like www that should always match whatever the main domain resolves to.
Why would a domain have multiple MX records?
Multiple MX records provide mail delivery redundancy: each one has a priority number, and a sending mail server tries the lowest-priority (most preferred) server first, falling back to the next one if it's unreachable.
How we compare
| Feature | Online Tool Store | The nslookup / dig command line | A generic DNS checker site |
|---|---|---|---|
| No file upload — runs in your browser | ✓ | N/A | ✗ |
| No sign-up required | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free, no watermark | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
dig and nslookup give you live, authoritative answers but require a terminal and knowing the flags. For learning what each record type actually means before you go run a real lookup, DNS Lookup's plain-language explanations are the quicker starting point.