A record lookup
Enter a domain or subdomain to see which IPv4 addresses it points to right now. The lookup asks four public resolvers and the domain's own nameserver, so you can tell a finished change from one that is still spreading.
What an A record is
An A record (address record) maps a hostname to an IPv4 address, the four-number format like 192.0.2.10. When a browser needs to reach example.com, it asks a resolver for the A record and then opens a connection to the address that comes back. Every name is looked up separately: example.com and www.example.com each need their own A record, or www needs a CNAME that leads to one.
A name can hold several A records at once. Resolvers return all of them, and clients pick one, which spreads visitors across servers and gives them somewhere else to go if one address stops answering. Each record carries a TTL, the number of seconds resolvers may cache it. That number decides how long an old address can keep receiving traffic after you change it.
Example A records
example.com. 3600 IN A 192.0.2.10The bare domain points to a single server at 192.0.2.10, and resolvers may cache that answer for up to an hour.
www.example.com. 300 IN A 198.51.100.4 www.example.com. 300 IN A 198.51.100.5Two addresses for www with a five-minute TTL: visitors are split between two servers, and a change takes effect within minutes.
example.com. 300 IN A 10.0.0.15A private-range address. It only works inside one local network, so visitors on the public internet cannot connect.
How to read your result
- The addresses column
- Each row lists the IPv4 addresses that resolver returned for the name you entered. Several addresses per row is normal for load-balanced sites and CDNs. Addresses are sorted before they are compared, so a different order between resolvers does not count as a mismatch.
- Different addresses on a CDN-fronted site
- If your site sits behind a CDN or a geo-routed load balancer, resolvers in different locations can legitimately receive different addresses, each pointing to a nearby edge. In that case a mismatch is how the CDN routes traffic, not a sign that a change is still spreading. Check whether all the addresses belong to the same provider.
- The source-of-truth row
- This row shows the address your DNS provider is serving right now. After a hosting move, it should show the new server's IP. If it still shows the old one, the edit was never saved or was made at a provider your domain does not use, and waiting will not fix it.
- The IPv6 note
- When the A lookup finds IPv4 addresses but no AAAA record, an informational note appears. It is not an error. It means the name is reachable over IPv4 only, which is still common.
Common A record problems
- Still pointing at the old server
- After a hosting migration, the A record keeps the previous host's IP until you change it, so visitors keep landing on the old copy of the site. Update the record at whichever provider your nameservers point to, and check both the bare domain and www, because each is a separate record.
- A leftover second address
- Adding the new IP without deleting the old one leaves two A records. Clients choose between them, so some visitors see the new site and others the old one, or an error if the old server is gone. Delete every address that should no longer receive traffic.
- Bare domain or www missing
- If only www.example.com has an address, typing example.com fails, and the reverse is just as common. Give the missing name its own A record, or a CNAME for www, and redirect one version to the other on the web server.
- Private or placeholder address
- Addresses starting with 10., 192.168., or 172.16 to 172.31 only work inside a local network, and 127.0.0.1 points every visitor back at their own machine. Replace them with the server's public IP from your hosting control panel.
Other record lookups
Frequently asked questions
How do I check the A record of a domain?
Enter the domain above with A selected. You will see the IPv4 addresses each public resolver returns, the TTL, and the answer from the domain's own nameserver. Look up www separately if you use it, since it has its own record.
Can a domain have more than one A record?
Yes. A name can have several A records, and resolvers return all of them. Clients pick one address, which spreads load and gives them a fallback. Every address listed has to be a working server for the site, though, because any visitor may be sent to any of them.
Can an A record point to a domain name instead of an IP?
No. An A record only holds an IPv4 address. To make one name follow another, use a CNAME on a subdomain. For the bare domain, use your DNS provider's ALIAS, ANAME, or CNAME-flattening feature if it has one.
Why does my A record show a different IP than my hosting server?
If your site is proxied through a CDN or a security service, the public A record points to that service's addresses, not to your server, and the service forwards traffic to your origin. If nothing like that is in front of your site, the record is probably outdated or was edited at the wrong DNS provider.
Do I need an A record for www?
www needs some record that leads to an address. That can be its own A record or a CNAME pointing to the bare domain or to your host. Without either, www.example.com does not resolve, and visitors who type it get an error.