🌐 DNS Propagation Checker
Check DNS records across 10 global resolvers — Google, Cloudflare, Quad9, OpenDNS and more.
What is DNS propagation?
When you update a DNS record — changing your A record to a new server IP, adding an MX record for a new mail provider, or verifying domain ownership with a TXT record — the change doesn't instantly appear everywhere. Each resolver worldwide caches your record for its TTL (Time To Live) duration. Until that cache expires, old values persist.
This tool queries 10 major public resolvers directly and shows you which have your latest record and which are still returning old or missing data.
How to speed up DNS propagation
Lower your TTL before making changes. Set your TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) at least 24 hours before you plan to switch. Once all resolvers have refreshed to the lower TTL, make your change. Propagation then completes in 5–10 minutes instead of hours.
After confirming propagation is complete, raise the TTL back to 3600 (1 hour) or higher to reduce DNS query load.
Common DNS record types explained
A record — Maps domain to an IPv4 address. The most common record type.
AAAA record — Maps domain to an IPv6 address.
MX record — Specifies mail servers for the domain. Includes priority (lower = higher priority).
CNAME record — Aliases one domain to another. Cannot coexist with other records on the same name.
TXT record — Free-form text. Used for SPF, DKIM, domain verification (Google Search Console, etc.).
NS record — Lists authoritative nameservers for the domain.
SOA record — Start of Authority — contains admin info and serial number for the zone.
Frequently Asked Questions
DNS propagation is the time it takes for DNS record changes to spread across all resolvers worldwide. When you update a DNS record, your registrar publishes the change, but cached entries on resolvers around the world expire at different times based on the TTL (Time To Live) value of the record. Full propagation typically takes 1–48 hours.
Each resolver caches DNS records independently. A resolver that recently cached your old record will continue returning it until the TTL expires. This is why you might see your new IP address on Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) but still see the old one on a regional ISP resolver.
TTL (Time To Live) is measured in seconds and tells resolvers how long to cache a record before re-querying. A TTL of 3600 means the record is cached for 1 hour. Lowering your TTL to 300 (5 minutes) before making a DNS change speeds up propagation significantly.
An A record maps a domain name to an IPv4 address. It is the most common DNS record type — when someone types your domain into a browser, their resolver looks up your A record to find the IP address of your server.
An MX (Mail Exchanger) record specifies the mail server responsible for accepting emails for your domain. It includes a priority value — lower numbers are tried first. If your MX records are not propagated, email delivery will fail.
Most DNS changes propagate within 1–4 hours for major resolvers like Google and Cloudflare. Full global propagation can take up to 48 hours for resolvers with high TTL caches. Setting a low TTL (300s) before your change reduces this significantly.