A record lookup
See the IPv4 addresses a hostname points to, and how long resolvers will remember them.
What an A record is
An A (address) record maps a hostname to an IPv4 address, for example www.example.com to 203.0.113.10. When you open a website, your device asks DNS for that name's A record (and its AAAA record, for IPv6) and connects to the address that comes back.
A name can have several A records. Resolvers return them in rotating order, which spreads visitors over more than one server. This is called round robin. The lookup lists every record, so you can confirm that each server you expect is there.
How to find the IP address of a domain
- Enter the exact hostnameRecords belong to one name.
example.com,www.example.comandapp.example.comcan each point somewhere different, so check the one your visitors use. - Check that every address is yoursCompare each address with the servers you run. A leftover address from before a migration is the most common reason a site shows the wrong content.
- Note the TTLTTL (time to live) is how many seconds a resolver may keep the answer. A TTL of 3600 means one hour, so plan changes around it.
What the answer can tell you
- Several addresses. Normal for a site on more than one server or behind a load balancer. The order does not matter.
- A CNAME in the answer. The hostname is an alias, and the A records belong to the final target. See CNAME lookup.
- Different addresses from different resolvers. CDNs and geo-DNS (DNS that answers by location) hand out different addresses depending on who asks. That is by design, not a fault.
- A private address such as
10.x.x.xor192.168.x.x. Public DNS that points to a private address only works from inside that network. It is usually a leftover from an internal setup. 0.0.0.0or127.0.0.1. Blocklists and sinkholes use these, or they were set by mistake. Neither reaches your server.
Common problems and fixes
- The site still shows the old server after a move. The A record may be updated, but caches still hold the old value. Wait for the old TTL, or compare several resolvers with the DNS propagation checker.
- The root domain works, but
wwwdoes not. Each name needs its own record. Add an A record or a CNAME forwww. - No A record comes back. The name may only have an AAAA (IPv6) record, a CNAME to another name, or no records at all. Check the response code.
- You want a CNAME at the root. A root domain cannot be a CNAME. Use an A record, or the ALIAS or flattened CNAME feature of your DNS host.
- The address is wrong after you changed nameservers. The zone at the new DNS host may be missing records, or still hold old ones. Check the NS records first, then compare the A record on the old and new hosts.
How the lookup works
LookupOwl sends a DNS query of type A (type code 1) to the resolver or authoritative server you choose and lists every record in the answer with its TTL. If the name is an alias, the chain of CNAME records leading to the final addresses is shown too. Nothing connects to the address itself. To test the server, use the HTTP headers checker.
dig +short A example.com
nslookup -type=A example.com
host -t A example.comThe A record is defined in RFC 1035 (type 1). For IPv6, see RFC 3596 and the AAAA lookup.
Questions people ask
What is an A record?
An A record is a DNS record that points a hostname to an IPv4 address. It is how DNS tells a browser which server to contact when someone visits your site. The A stands for address. The record also carries a TTL that says how long the answer may be cached. IPv6 addresses use the AAAA record instead.
How do I find the IP address of a website?
Look up the A record of the website's hostname above, and the addresses in the answer are its IPv4 addresses. If the site sits behind a CDN or load balancer, those addresses belong to that service, not to the origin server that holds the files. For the owner and location of an address, try the IP WHOIS lookup.
What is the difference between an A record and a CNAME?
An A record holds an IP address, and a CNAME holds another hostname that is then looked up in turn. Use an A record when you control a fixed address. Use a CNAME when a provider manages the address and may change it. A plain CNAME is not allowed at the root of a domain, where you need A records or your host's ALIAS feature instead.
Can a hostname have more than one A record?
Yes, and many do. Resolvers return all of them, usually in rotated order, so visitors spread across the servers. If one server goes down, some clients try the next address, though not every client does. Extra A records are a simple way to share load, but they are not a replacement for a proper health-checked load balancer.
How long does an A record change take to show up?
The authoritative servers serve the new value straight away, but everyone else sees it only after the old TTL runs out. That can mean minutes or many hours, depending on the value. Lower the TTL a day before a planned move, then check progress with the DNS propagation checker.
Why does the A record look different on other tools?
The resolver, your location and caching all change what you see. Geo-DNS and CDNs deliberately hand out different addresses to different visitors, and a cached copy can be older than the live record. To see the source of truth, choose the authoritative servers under More options.
Use it from AI, the API or the command line
Every LookupOwl tool is also a free API and an MCP tool, with no key and no account. This one is dns_lookup. Please be kind to the rate limits.
curl "https://lookupowl.com/api/v1/tools/dns-lookup?q=example.com"claude mcp add --transport http lookupowl https://lookupowl.com/mcp