codynet

DNS

Online NSLookup Tool

Free online nslookup tool. Run DNS queries for A, AAAA, CNAME, NS, MX, and TXT records straight from your browser — same answers as the nslookup command, clean readable output.

Run NSLookup

Resolve common NSLookup record types using the shared DNS service.

Results come from deterministic DNS APIs or HTTPS RDAP endpoints.

Results

Sample Live example: the A record for codynet.com. Run your own lookup above to replace it.

codynet.comA21 ms
"20.118.138.147"

Continue investigating

Hand a value from this result to another tool — the lookup is prefilled for you.

Practical guide

How to use the NSLookup tool

NSLookup is the lookup most administrators learn first because it ships with Windows and macOS. This page gives you the same workflow without a terminal: pick a record type, enter a name, and read the answer.

What this tool checks

NSLookup resolves the most common DNS record types — A (IPv4 address), AAAA (IPv6 address), CNAME (alias), NS (nameserver), MX (mail exchanger), and TXT (text records such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) — and returns a clean answer that mirrors what you would see in a terminal. It is the fastest way to check whether a domain points where you think it points.

When to use it

Use NSLookup for the everyday cases: confirming a website points at the right IP, checking which nameservers a domain delegates to, verifying a CNAME points at a hosted service, or sharing a quick lookup result with a colleague. For deeper DNS troubleshooting — flags, response codes, TTLs, signatures — switch to the DIG tool.

How to read the result

An A record will show one or more IPv4 addresses, AAAA shows IPv6 addresses, CNAME shows the canonical (real) hostname an alias points to, and NS shows the list of authoritative nameservers for the domain. If a CNAME is present, every other record type for that name is effectively answered from the target name. NSLookup will follow the chain for you.

Common errors and what they mean

NXDOMAIN means the name does not exist — usually a typo or an unregistered domain. SERVFAIL means the resolver could not complete the query, often a DNSSEC problem on the authoritative side. An empty answer with no error means the name exists but has no record of the requested type — for example, looking up an AAAA record on an IPv4-only host.

Record types you can look up

These are the record types this tool resolves and what each one answers.

TypeAnswers the questionTypical value
AWhat IPv4 address does this name use?93.184.216.34
AAAAWhat IPv6 address does this name use?2606:2800:220:1::1946
CNAMEIs this name an alias, and for what?target.hosted-service.net
NSWhich nameservers are authoritative?ns1.example.net
MXWhich servers receive mail for this domain?10 mail.example.net
TXTWhat text records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) exist?v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

Field notes

Most "DNS is broken" reports that reach me are really a CNAME surprise: a name is an alias, so its A, MX, or TXT answers actually come from the target. When a record looks missing, check for a CNAME first. And if a desktop nslookup disagrees with this page, you are almost always comparing two different resolvers — pin both to the same resolver before assuming the record itself is wrong.

Example NSLookup query

Example input
example.com (type: A, resolver: Cloudflare)
Example result
Name:    example.com
Address: 93.184.216.34

An A record is a name-to-IPv4 mapping. If you wanted the IPv6 equivalent, switch the record type to AAAA. The 'Non-authoritative answer' line you see in a terminal is omitted here for clarity.

Related tools

DIG Lookup

When you need the protocol-level detail nslookup hides.

Open tool

DNS Lookup

Clean structured output for A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, SOA, TXT, and CAA.

Open tool

Multi-Resolver Compare

Same query against Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, and OpenDNS side by side.

Open tool

Related guides

nslookup vs dig

Why nslookup is great for a quick check but dig is the tool for troubleshooting.

Read guide

DNS Records Explained

Background on the A, AAAA, CNAME, and NS record types this lookup returns.

Read guide

NXDOMAIN vs SERVFAIL

When nslookup says 'non-existent domain' versus 'server failed', here is what each one actually means and how to fix it.

Read guide

FAQ

Why does nslookup show different results than dig?
nslookup is older and historically shipped with Windows; dig is the modern troubleshooting tool. They can return slightly different formats and may use different default resolvers. The actual DNS answer should be the same — if it is not, the two tools are talking to different resolvers. Use this NSLookup tool and the DIG tool against the same resolver to compare directly.
What does 'Non-authoritative answer' mean?
It means the answer came from a recursive resolver's cache, not directly from the domain's authoritative nameservers. This is normal and expected for almost every lookup you run. You only see authoritative answers when you query the nameservers themselves with a tool like dig.
How do I look up an MX record with nslookup?
On a desktop, you would run 'nslookup -type=MX example.com'. Here, switch the record type in the form to MX and submit. Switch to TXT for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, or NS to list a domain's nameservers.
Why am I getting 'server can't find example.com: NXDOMAIN'?
NXDOMAIN is the DNS code for 'this name does not exist'. Check the spelling, including the TLD. If the name is correct, the domain may genuinely not be registered, or the authoritative nameservers may be broken. Read 'NXDOMAIN vs SERVFAIL' for the difference between the two most common DNS errors.
Can I use NSLookup to test a specific nameserver?
On the command line you would run 'nslookup example.com 8.8.8.8' to query Google's resolver. Here, use the resolver picker to choose Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, or OpenDNS. For testing one specific authoritative server (not a recursive resolver), use the DIG tool which exposes that level of control.
Can I look up an IP address with nslookup (reverse DNS)?
Yes. Running nslookup on an IP address performs a reverse (PTR) lookup that returns the hostname assigned to it. For a dedicated reverse-DNS view with IPv4 and IPv6 support, use the Reverse DNS (PTR) Lookup tool, which builds the in-addr.arpa or ip6.arpa query for you.
Why does nslookup return more than one IP address for a domain?
Large sites publish several A or AAAA records so traffic spreads across multiple servers or CDN edges. nslookup lists every address the resolver returned; clients pick one, often round-robin. Seeing several addresses is normal and is not an error.

Last reviewed: 2026-06-25.