DNS Propagation Checker

Run a DNS propagation check to see whether a change has reached the internet: compare any record across 12 public DNS resolvers and the domain's own nameserver.

Queries 12 public DNS resolvers and the domain's own authoritative nameserver at the same moment, then compares the answers.

What the DNS propagation checker shows

After you change a DNS record, it doesn't update everywhere at once. Thousands of DNS resolvers around the internet keep a cached copy until it expires. This DNS propagation checker asks 12 well-known public resolvers and the domain's own authoritative nameserver for the same record at the same moment, then compares the answers.

  • Authoritative answer: the current, correct value, read straight from the nameserver that holds your DNS zone. Every other answer is compared against it.
  • Matches authoritative: that resolver already has the new value.
  • Different answer: that resolver still has an older cached value, or the domain gives location-based answers (common with CDNs).
  • Cache TTL: how many more seconds the resolver may keep its cached copy. Once it reaches zero, the resolver fetches the record again.

Add your new value in the Expected value box, such as a new IP address or mail server, and each resolver is marked as having it or not.

Why DNS changes take time to spread

"Propagation" is really caching. When a resolver looks up a record, it keeps the answer for the record's TTL (time to live). If your A record had a TTL of 3600 seconds when you changed it, resolvers that cached it just before the change may keep serving the old address for up to an hour. Nothing is pushed out. Each cache simply expires and fetches the new value.

Two common situations take longer:

  • Changing nameservers. The NS records at the parent zone (for example, the .com registry) often have a TTL of 48 hours, so moving to a new DNS provider can take up to two days to be seen everywhere.
  • Negative caching. If someone looked up a record before it existed, resolvers may cache the "does not exist" answer for the zone's SOA minimum TTL, often 5 minutes to an hour.

How to make DNS changes propagate faster

  1. Lower the TTL in advance. A day before a planned change, reduce the record's TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes). Once the old, longer TTL has expired everywhere, make the change, and it will be picked up within about five minutes.
  2. Make the change at the right provider. Check the authoritative answer above. If it still shows the old value, the change hasn't been saved at the DNS provider your domain actually uses. The NS Lookup shows which provider that is.
  3. Raise the TTL again once everything matches, to reduce DNS traffic and improve resilience.
  4. Clear local caches when testing on your own computer: your browser, operating system and router may each hold a cached copy.

About the resolvers tested

The list includes Google Public DNS, Cloudflare, Quad9, OpenDNS, Control D, AdGuard, Hurricane Electric, Comodo, DNS.SB, UltraDNS, Gcore and KT (Korea Telecom). Most are anycast networks with servers in many countries. Each answer comes from the operator's location nearest to our server, so it shows that provider's cache rather than one fixed city. A resolver occasionally doesn't respond, for example because of rate limiting; that's shown as "No response" instead of being hidden. Some security-filtering resolvers may also block domains they consider harmful.

Checking propagation from your own computer

dig @8.8.8.8 example.com A +short
dig @1.1.1.1 example.com A +short
dig example.com A +trace          # follow the delegation to the authoritative server

Frequently asked questions

How long does DNS propagation take?

For an ordinary record change, up to the record's previous TTL, often between 5 minutes and a few hours. For a nameserver change at the registrar, allow up to 48 hours.

The authoritative answer is still the old value. Why?

The change hasn't been saved at the DNS provider that actually hosts your zone. You may have edited records at a registrar or host that isn't your active DNS provider. The NS Lookup shows which nameservers are in charge.

Why do big websites show "different answer" everywhere?

Large sites and CDNs return different IP addresses depending on where the request comes from, to send visitors to a nearby server. Different answers are expected there and don't mean anything is wrong.

Can I force all resolvers to update immediately?

No. Each resolver keeps its copy until the TTL runs out. Some resolvers, such as Google and Cloudflare, offer a public "purge cache" page you can use for their service, but there is no global reset.