What is DNS lookup used for?

Use DNS lookup to inspect records, verify routing, troubleshoot mail, and compare public DNS visibility.

DNS lookupDNS recordsA recordMX lookupTXT lookup

When to use it

DNS lookup is the first check when a domain does not load, email delivery is failing, a new record was added, or a migration needs verification. It shows how public resolvers currently see the domain.

What to inspect

A and AAAA records show web routing, MX records show mail routing, NS records show authoritative DNS, TXT records often contain SPF, DMARC, DKIM, and ownership verification data, while SOA records expose zone metadata.

How to read results

A single missing record is not always an outage. Compare the requested record type, the resolver cache window, and whether the zone has recently changed. For migrations, check multiple record groups instead of only A records.

More SharkDNS Guides

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