DNS Records & Propagation Checker
Compare public DNS records across Cloudflare and Google resolvers for A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and NS record types with TTL comparison.
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DNS Records & Public Resolver Comparison
Domain Name System (DNS) records translate human-friendly domain names into server IP addresses, mail exchange gateways, and cryptographic security policies. This tool performs live queries against two of the world's largest public DNS resolvers—Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8)—comparing answers, TTLs, and resolver agreement.
What this tool helps with
The DNS Records & Propagation Checker helps with inspecting live A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and NS records, comparing answers between Cloudflare and Google resolvers, and verifying email routing (MX) and basic sender authentication policies (SPF and DMARC).
How to use the result
- Enter your clean domain name (e.g. example.com) without protocols or paths.
- Select whether to inspect ALL record types or filter to a specific type such as MX or TXT.
- Review the resolver agreement percentage and side-by-side answers from Cloudflare and Google.
- Check TTL values and ensure recently updated records match expectations across both providers.
Best practices for stronger results
- Remember that DNS caching is normal; resolvers countdown TTLs independently.
- When updating DNS records, set low TTLs (e.g. 300 seconds) prior to migration to speed up worldwide adoption.
- Ensure your MX destination hostnames have corresponding A or AAAA records.
- Never create a CNAME record on a bare root domain (apex) unless your DNS provider supports CNAME flattening or ALIAS records.
Important: It does not perform intrusion testing, vulnerability exploitation, or a complete security certification.
Why resolver comparison is useful during DNS migrations
When you update nameservers or change DNS records, changes do not propagate instantaneously across the globe. Different recursive resolvers cache records according to their Time To Live (TTL) values.
By comparing Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 and Google 8.8.8.8, you can quickly see whether major public resolvers agree on your domain's current state or whether an active transition is still underway.
Understanding DNS record types and functions
A and AAAA records map your domain to IPv4 and IPv6 web server addresses. CNAME records create aliases pointing to another canonical hostname. MX records designate incoming email servers with assigned priority levels.
TXT records host machine-readable configuration strings including SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) to prevent email domain spoofing.
DNS Records & Propagation Checker FAQs
Answers to common questions before you use this free online tool.
Does this tool check global propagation across every country?
No. We truthfully disclose that this tool queries two major global resolvers (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 and Google 8.8.8.8). Full geographic propagation testing requires probes across hundreds of regional ISPs, which this tool does not claim to perform.
Why do Cloudflare and Google show different answers for my domain?
Temporary differences are common if records were recently modified or if one resolver is still serving cached data within its TTL countdown window. If differences persist beyond the TTL, check your authoritative nameserver configuration.
What is TTL in DNS records?
TTL (Time to Live) is the number of seconds that recursive resolvers and browsers are permitted to cache a DNS response before querying authoritative nameservers again.
Why does my bare root domain not have a CNAME record?
DNS specifications (RFC 1034/1035) prohibit CNAME records on the zone apex (root domain) because CNAME cannot coexist with mandatory SOA and NS records. Use an A record or a DNS provider with CNAME flattening (ALIAS/ANAME).