A Record Lookup

Lookup DNS A records for any hostname and verify IPv4 mapping for websites and services. Run fast checks, interpret results, and use related tools for…

Record Type

Focused record verification for targeted DNS troubleshooting.

Best Use

Migration + incident checks

Validate live DNS answers during change windows.

Operational Context

Use this page to validate live resolver output during DNS cutovers, outage triage, and post-change verification windows.

A Record Lookup — Start Here

Waiting for input

Enter a domain and run check

How to Use

Use A Record Lookup in 4 Steps

Enter domain

Input the target domain in clean hostname format (no path or query string).

Run A Record Lookup

Execute A Record Lookup to pull live resolver output for this record scope.

Compare expected vs live

Match returned values with your intended DNS configuration at the source.

Cross-check related tools

Validate adjacent DNS layers to isolate cache vs source problems.

What is A Record Lookup?

A records map a hostname to one or more IPv4 addresses. When a browser visits a domain, the resolver starts with an A record query. A records support multiple values for round-robin load balancing and are the foundation of almost every active DNS zone.

A records have a direct impact on website availability and email delivery. During infrastructure migrations, the A record TTL determines how long clients cache the old IP — setting it low before a cutover (300s) and restoring it after (3600s) is standard practice. CDNs like Cloudflare return multiple A records pointing to anycast IPs distributed globally.

Best Use

Confirming IP assignment after a server cutover, validating CDN origin IPs, and catching stale cache entries during migrations.

Common Mistake

Forgetting to lower the A record TTL before a planned migration. High TTLs (86400s) cause extended downtime during IP changes because clients continue hitting the old IP until the TTL expires.

Validation Path

Match the returned IP against your hosting provider's assigned IP, then verify no stale entries remain across multiple resolvers.

Quick Interpretation Table

Use this reference to diagnose common outcomes when running A Record Lookup.

Observed Result	Likely Cause	Next Step
A record missing	Domain unresolvable for web traffic	Add A record pointing to your server's public IPv4 address
Wrong IP returned	Cached stale value or misconfiguration	Flush resolver cache and check the authoritative zone at your DNS provider
Multiple IPs returned	Round-robin, CDN anycast, or load balancing	Expected for balanced sites — verify all returned IPs are active and reachable

CLI Examples

Run these commands directly from a terminal to verify A records without relying on a browser-based tool.

dig A example.com

Query A records using the default resolver

dig A example.com @8.8.8.8

Query A records from Google's public DNS — bypasses local cache

nslookup example.com

Cross-platform A record lookup via nslookup

dig A example.com +trace

Trace the full delegation path from root to authoritative nameserver

Troubleshooting Workflow

Run this record check first for a scoped signal on the target hostname.
Validate nameserver authority and SOA context if results are unexpected.
Use propagation checks when different regions return different values.
Re-run after applying fixes and compare values against your expected configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an A record?

An A record (Address record) maps a hostname to an IPv4 address. It's the most fundamental DNS record type — without it, browsers and email servers can't locate your server by name. Every active domain needs at least one A record to serve web traffic.

Can a domain have multiple A records?

Yes. Multiple A records for the same hostname enable round-robin load balancing — resolvers cycle through the returned IPs. CDNs like Cloudflare use multiple A records pointing to anycast IPs distributed globally, so users connect to the nearest point of presence.

What TTL should I set for A records?

For stable production servers, 3,600 seconds (1 hour) is standard. Before planned migrations, lower it to 300 seconds (5 minutes) 24–48 hours in advance so changes propagate quickly. Raise it back after the migration is complete to improve resolver performance.

Why do different DNS checkers show different A record values?

Resolver caches hold stale data until the TTL expires. Geographically distributed resolvers may also return different anycast IPs by design. Use an authoritative query (`dig A example.com +trace`) to see the source-of-truth value from the authoritative nameserver.

How is an A record different from a CNAME record?

An A record maps directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME record creates an alias that points to another hostname, which eventually resolves to an A record through a chain. You cannot use a CNAME at the zone apex (root domain like example.com) — use an A record there instead.