DNS Lookup

DNS Lookup and DNS Records Checker

OpenRDAP checks domain DNS records in your browser and combines DNS context with WHOIS-style RDAP domain intelligence. Look up A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, CAA, and SOA records without creating an account or routing the lookup through an OpenRDAP backend proxy.

Run a domain report WHOIS domain lookup

Browser-Based DNS Lookup for Domain Intelligence

A DNS lookup checks the public Domain Name System records associated with a domain name. DNS records explain where a domain points, which mail servers receive email, which nameservers are authoritative, and which policies are published for email authentication or certificate issuance. OpenRDAP adds DNS records to its domain report so a single lookup can show both public registration data from RDAP and live DNS data from DNS-over-HTTPS.

This page targets users who search for DNS lookup, DNS checker, DNS records lookup, domain DNS lookup, MX record lookup, TXT record lookup, nameserver lookup, CAA lookup, and SOA lookup. The interactive report runs in the browser. OpenRDAP serves the static application, then your browser requests RDAP data from public RDAP servers and DNS answers from the configured DNS-over-HTTPS provider.

What DNS Records Can Show

A Records

A records map a domain name to IPv4 addresses. They are commonly used to find where a website or service points on IPv4 networks.

AAAA Records

AAAA records map a domain to IPv6 addresses. They help confirm whether a domain supports modern IPv6 connectivity.

MX Records

MX records identify the mail exchangers that receive email for a domain. They are important for email setup and deliverability.

NS Records

NS records show the authoritative nameservers for a domain. They are useful when checking delegation and DNS provider changes.

TXT Records

TXT records publish arbitrary text values. They often contain SPF, verification, security, and service configuration data.

CAA and SOA Records

CAA records indicate which certificate authorities may issue certificates. SOA records provide zone authority and timing data.

DNS Lookup vs WHOIS and RDAP Lookup

DNS lookup, WHOIS lookup, and RDAP lookup answer different questions. DNS shows how a domain resolves and routes traffic. WHOIS-style RDAP lookup shows public registration data such as registrar, registration events, domain status, and nameservers published by the registry or registrar. A complete domain intelligence workflow often needs both.

Lookup type Primary question OpenRDAP usage
DNS lookup Where does the domain resolve and what records exist? Check A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, CAA, and SOA records.
WHOIS-style RDAP lookup What public registration data is published? Review registrar, status, events, notices, and raw RDAP JSON.
Nameserver lookup Which DNS servers are authoritative? Compare DNS NS records with nameservers in RDAP results.
Email domain check Is the domain configured to receive or authenticate email? Review MX and TXT records as a first DNS health signal.

How OpenRDAP Runs DNS Lookups

  1. Normalize the domain name entered in the lookup field.
  2. Run the existing RDAP lookup for public registration data.
  3. Query DNS-over-HTTPS for common record types from the browser.
  4. Check DMARC at _dmarc.example.com when possible.
  5. Group DNS answers by record type in the domain report.
  6. Show a DNS health summary and keep raw RDAP JSON visible for technical review.

DNS-over-HTTPS lets browsers query DNS data over HTTPS. OpenRDAP uses this to avoid adding a backend DNS proxy. That keeps the application lightweight and reduces centralized lookup logging, but it also means the selected DNS-over-HTTPS provider can see the domain being queried.

DNS Health Checks in the Domain Report

OpenRDAP turns DNS answers into a concise DNS health summary so users do not need to interpret every record manually. The report identifies whether website records are present, whether mail routing is configured with MX records, whether SPF and DMARC TXT policies are published, whether CAA records exist, and whether authoritative NS records are visible from the selected resolver.

These checks are intentionally informational rather than a numeric score. A missing record can be normal for parked domains, redirect-only domains, domains that do not send email, or internal infrastructure. OpenRDAP shows found, missing, or unknown states to help developers, security teams, site owners, and support teams decide what to inspect next.

DNS Provider Privacy and Choice

Most users can keep the default DNS-over-HTTPS provider and run a domain report immediately. Users who prefer another resolver can open the small DNS provider settings control in the app and choose a supported provider. The setting is stored locally in the browser and is used for future DNS lookups.

Changing DNS providers can change the answers shown in a DNS lookup because resolvers may have different cache state, filtering policy, DNSSEC behavior, or routing behavior. For investigations, it can be useful to compare answers from more than one provider.

Common DNS Lookup Use Cases

Website and infrastructure checks

Site operators use DNS record lookups to confirm that a domain points to the expected IP addresses, that nameserver changes have propagated, and that zone configuration matches operational expectations.

Email setup and troubleshooting

MX and TXT record lookups help teams review mail routing, SPF records, DMARC records, service verification records, and other email-related DNS values. A DNS lookup does not replace a full email deliverability audit, but it is a fast first step.

Security and abuse investigations

Security teams often compare registration data, nameservers, DNS records, and infrastructure patterns when reviewing suspicious domains. Combining DNS records with WHOIS-style RDAP data makes that triage faster and easier to document.

Developer workflows

Developers use DNS lookups to debug deployments, verify custom domain setup, inspect TXT verification records, and compare live DNS answers with registrar or hosting configuration.

Privacy and Limitations

OpenRDAP does not proxy DNS lookups through its own Worker. The static app runs in your browser, and your browser sends DNS-over-HTTPS requests directly to the DNS provider. This avoids backend lookup load for OpenRDAP and keeps the design consistent with the existing client-side RDAP implementation.

DNS answers can vary by resolver, network, cache state, DNSSEC validation, geographic routing, and record TTL. OpenRDAP shows the DNS answers returned by the selected provider at lookup time. It does not guarantee that every resolver on the internet will return identical answers.

Related Lookup Intents

If your goal is domain registration research, use the WHOIS domain lookup page or read the RDAP lookup guide. If your goal is to understand the difference between legacy WHOIS and modern RDAP, read RDAP vs WHOIS. The homepage search brings these workflows together as a private, browser-based WHOIS and domain intelligence report powered by RDAP and DNS.