DNS Propagation Checker
Check DNS propagation worldwide and verify how A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA, PTR, SRV, and CAA records appear across global resolvers.
What Is DNS Propagation?
DNS propagation is the time it takes for DNS record changes to update across recursive resolvers and DNS caches around the world. After you change a DNS record, some resolvers will continue serving older cached answers until the TTL expires and a fresh lookup is performed.
Why Can DNS Propagation Results Differ?
TTL and Resolver Cache
Resolvers cache answers for the duration of a record’s TTL. Until that cache expires, some locations may still return the older DNS value.
Resolver Location
Resolvers in different regions may refresh caches at different times. That is why one country may show a new answer while another still shows the old one.
Traffic Steering or Stale Data
Some resolvers may return a different valid answer because of geo-routing, anycast infrastructure, DNS load balancing, or stale cache during propagation.
Supported DNS Record Types
IPv4 address records
IPv6 address records
Alias host records
Mail exchange records
Nameserver records
Text-based DNS records
Start of authority
Reverse DNS records
Service location records
Certificate authority policy
How DNS Resolution Works
Browser Request
Your device asks a recursive resolver for the DNS record you requested.
Root Query
If the answer is not cached, the resolver asks a root server where to find the correct TLD nameserver.
TLD Query
The resolver then asks the TLD nameserver where the domain’s authoritative nameservers are hosted.
Authoritative Answer
The authoritative nameserver returns the current DNS record data for the domain.
Cached and Returned
The resolver caches the answer for the TTL period and returns it to your device.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DNS propagation?
DNS propagation is the time it takes for DNS record changes to update across recursive resolvers and DNS caches around the world. Some servers refresh quickly, while others continue serving the cached answer until the TTL expires.
How long does DNS propagation take?
DNS propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours or longer depending on TTL values, resolver cache behavior, and the type of DNS change being made.
Why do some resolvers show different DNS answers?
Resolvers may show different answers because of TTL, stale cache, resolver location, DNS load balancing, traffic steering, or because some resolvers have refreshed more recently than others.
Why do some resolvers fail a DNS lookup?
Some public resolvers may be slow, filtered, rate-limited, temporarily unreachable, or unstable. A failed or unavailable resolver does not always mean your DNS records are wrong.
Which record types can I check?
You can check A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA, PTR, SRV, and CAA records using DNSLookup.ca's DNS propagation checker.
What does Matching mean in the results?
Matching means the resolver returned the same answer as the majority of responding resolvers. Different means it returned another answer, often because of caching, propagation delay, or location-specific DNS behavior.