Free DNS Lookup Tool

Query any DNS record type for any domain: A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS, SOA, and PTR.

Check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to diagnose email authentication and deliverability issues.

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Built with ♥ by Henry Timmes · Named contributor to RFC 7489 (DMARC)

DNS Records and Email Deliverability

DNS is the address book of the internet. Every domain has a set of records that control where its website lives, which servers handle its email, and what security policies it enforces. For email marketers and deliverability engineers, three record types matter most: MX records that route incoming mail, TXT records that carry SPF and DMARC policies, and the selector TXT records that carry DKIM public keys.

When email authentication breaks, the cause is almost always a misconfigured DNS record. This tool lets you query any record type directly so you can verify what's actually published versus what your ESP or mail server expects to find.

DNS Record Types and What They Do

TXT Record

Stores text-based data for a domain. Used to publish SPF policies (which servers can send on your behalf), DMARC policies (what to do with failing mail), and DKIM public keys (at selector subdomains). If email authentication is broken, start here.

MX Record

Identifies which mail servers accept incoming email for a domain. The priority value determines which server is tried first. Checking MX records tells you which inbox provider a domain uses, whether that's Gmail, Microsoft 365, or a corporate mail gateway.

A / AAAA Record

Maps a domain name to an IP address. A records use IPv4; AAAA records use IPv6. Used to verify where a domain's web or mail server is hosted, or to check the IP behind a sending domain when investigating deliverability.

PTR Record

The reverse of an A record. Maps an IP address back to a hostname. Inbox providers check PTR records as part of reputation scoring. A sending IP with no PTR record or one that doesn't match the sending domain is a common trigger for spam filtering.

CNAME Record

Creates an alias from one domain name to another. ESPs often use CNAME records to delegate SPF or DKIM signing to their infrastructure, so you point a subdomain at their servers rather than managing the records directly.

NS Record

Lists the authoritative nameservers for a domain. Useful when troubleshooting DNS propagation issues or verifying that a domain's DNS is being managed by the expected registrar or hosting provider.

Tip for email deliverability: To check your DMARC record, enter _dmarc.yourdomain.com and select TXT. To check DKIM, enter selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com (replace "selector" with your ESP's DKIM selector). SPF is a TXT record on the root domain itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

A DNS lookup queries the Domain Name System to retrieve records associated with a domain. These records control where the domain's website is hosted, which servers handle its email, and what security policies it publishes. For email senders, the most relevant records are TXT (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and MX.

SPF records are TXT records on the root domain. Enter your domain name, select TXT as the record type, and click Query DNS. Look for a result that starts with v=spf1. That record lists the IP addresses and sending services authorized to send email on your domain's behalf.

DMARC records are TXT records at _dmarc.yourdomain.com. Enter that subdomain in the domain field, select TXT, and query. A valid DMARC record starts with v=DMARC1 and specifies a policy of none, quarantine, or reject. If you get no result, your domain has no DMARC record published.

DKIM records are TXT records published at selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com. You need to know the selector your ESP uses (common selectors include "google", "s1", "k1", or a platform-specific string). Enter the full subdomain, select TXT, and query. A valid result contains a public key starting with v=DKIM1.

An MX record tells the internet which mail server handles incoming email for a domain. When someone sends an email to user@company.com, the sending server queries the MX record to find where to deliver it. Querying MX records also tells you which inbox provider a domain uses, such as Microsoft 365, Gmail, or a third-party gateway like Proofpoint.

A PTR record (reverse DNS) maps a sending IP address back to a hostname. Inbox providers check PTR records as part of reputation scoring. If your sending IP has no PTR record, or if the PTR hostname does not match your sending domain, some providers will treat the email as suspicious or reject it outright. This is a common issue for organizations managing their own mail servers.

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