Question 1

Is this DNS lookup tool really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. No sign-up, no limits. Look up as many domains as you need, completely free on Linkrify.

Question 2

What is a DNS lookup?

Accepted Answer

A DNS lookup queries the Domain Name System to retrieve the DNS records associated with a domain name. DNS is the internet's phone book — it translates human-readable domain names like linkrify.co into IP addresses and other technical routing information that servers use to direct traffic, deliver email, and verify domain ownership.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

DNS lookup shows the technical records for a domain — IP addresses (A records), mail servers (MX records), aliases (CNAME), text verification records (TXT), and nameservers (NS). Whois lookup shows registration details — who owns the domain, which registrar it's registered with, when it was created, and when it expires. Use DNS lookup to troubleshoot technical issues and Whois to check domain ownership and expiry.

Question 4

What is an A record in DNS?

Accepted Answer

An A record (Address record) maps a domain name to an IPv4 address. For example, example.com pointing to 93.184.216.34. Every website needs an A record so browsers know which server to connect to. If your A record points to the wrong IP after a hosting migration, your site will not load for visitors.

Question 5

What is an MX record and how do I check it?

Accepted Answer

An MX record (Mail Exchange record) tells the internet which mail servers handle email for your domain. Each MX record has a priority number — lower numbers are tried first. If your emails are not being received, checking your MX records is the first diagnostic step. Use this DNS lookup tool, select MX from the record type dropdown, and verify the records point to your email provider's servers.

Question 6

What is a CNAME record?

Accepted Answer

A CNAME record (Canonical Name record) creates an alias from one domain name to another. For example, www.example.com pointing to example.com. CNAMEs are commonly used for subdomains — blog.example.com pointing to a hosting platform, or mail.example.com pointing to an email provider. You cannot use a CNAME on a root domain (example.com) — only on subdomains.

Question 7

What are TXT records used for?

Accepted Answer

TXT records store text information for a domain and are used for multiple purposes. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records specify which mail servers are authorized to send email for your domain. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records hold the public key for email signature verification. DMARC records define your policy for handling emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks. TXT records are also used for domain ownership verification by Google Search Console, Microsoft 365, and other platforms.

Question 8

What is an NS record?

Accepted Answer

NS records (Nameserver records) identify which DNS servers are authoritative for your domain — meaning which servers hold the official DNS records. When you switch hosting providers or move to Cloudflare, you update your NS records at your domain registrar. NS changes can take 24–48 hours to propagate globally.

Question 9

How long does DNS propagation take?

Accepted Answer

DNS propagation typically takes between 5 minutes and 48 hours depending on the TTL (Time To Live) of the record being changed. Most changes propagate within 1–2 hours. Full global propagation can take up to 48 hours in rare cases. To speed up propagation, lower your TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) at least 24 hours before making DNS changes.

Question 10

Why can I not see my new DNS record after updating it?

Accepted Answer

You are likely seeing a cached version of the old DNS record. DNS resolvers cache records for a period equal to the record's TTL value. This tool queries authoritative DNS servers directly, so it shows the current live record. If our tool shows the new record but your browser still loads the old site, your internet service provider's DNS resolver has not yet refreshed its cache. Wait for the TTL to expire or try flushing your local DNS cache.

Question 11

What is TTL in DNS and what value should I use?

Accepted Answer

TTL (Time To Live) is the number of seconds that DNS resolvers cache a record before checking for updates. A TTL of 300 means 5 minutes — good for frequent changes. A TTL of 3600 means 1 hour — suitable for most records. A TTL of 86400 means 24 hours — appropriate for stable records that rarely change. Before a planned DNS change like a hosting migration, lower your TTL to 300 at least 24 hours in advance to minimize the propagation window.

Question 12

Why do I see multiple A records for one domain?

Accepted Answer

Multiple A records for the same domain indicate round-robin DNS load balancing. The server rotates between multiple IP addresses to distribute traffic across several servers. This is common for large websites and CDN configurations. Each IP points to a different server, so if one goes down, traffic continues to route to the others.

Question 13

What is the difference between an A record and an AAAA record?

Accepted Answer

An A record maps a domain to an IPv4 address — a 32-bit address in the format 93.184.216.34. An AAAA record maps a domain to an IPv6 address — a 128-bit address in hexadecimal format like 2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946. IPv4 is still dominant but IPv6 adoption is growing. Most modern websites should have both A and AAAA records configured.

Question 14

Does this DNS lookup tool work for international domains?

Accepted Answer

Yes. DNS is a global system. This tool works for any registered domain regardless of country-code TLD — .co.uk, .de, .fr, .com.au, .in, and all other international domain extensions are fully supported.

Free DNS Lookup Tool — Check DNS Records for Any Domain

What Is DNS?

Common DNS Record Types

A Record (Address)

AAAA Record

CNAME (Alias)

MX (Mail Exchange)

TXT (Text)

NS (Nameserver)

DNS Propagation: Why Changes Take Time

Frequently Asked Questions

Check Your DNS Configuration