DNS Lookup

Diagnose common DNS errors

Before a browser can load a site, it asks DNS for the domain's IP address. When that fails, Chrome shows "This site can't be reached" with an error code underneath. Every DNS error comes down to one question this tool answers first: does the domain resolve? It asks public DNS, which gets its answer from the domain's own (authoritative) nameservers, so your device's cache and settings play no part.

• Domain does not resolve: the domain isn't registered, has expired, has no nameservers, or the name you typed (often a subdomain or the www version) has no record. Everyone sees the error, and only the domain's owner can fix it.
• Domain resolves: DNS is fine everywhere else, so your DNS cache, DNS server, VPN, browser or hosts file gave your device a wrong answer. Only you see the error, and the device fixes below clear it.

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

NXDOMAIN ("non-existent domain") is the DNS answer that says a name doesn't exist, and DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN is how Chrome and Edge report it. Firefox says "Hmm. We're having trouble finding that site." Look the domain up above:

• If it says Domain does not resolve, check the spelling first. Then, if the domain is new or its nameservers just changed, give DNS propagation time (up to 24-48 hours) and check again. If it still fails, check at the registrar that the domain is active and that its nameservers are set to your DNS host's. The domain fixes below cover each cause.
• If it says Domain resolves, the domain is fine. Work through the device fixes, starting with clearing your DNS cache.

For example, looking up a subdomain that was never created, nope.frostrank.com, gives this (copied with the "Copy results" button):

DNS lookup for nope.frostrank.com
Status: NXDOMAIN
frostrank.com exists, but nope.frostrank.com has no DNS records (NXDOMAIN)
The main domain is fine, but this name was never set up. Add an A record (or a CNAME) for it at the DNS provider for frostrank.com.

The main domain answers normally, so the fix is a missing DNS record, not anything on the visitor's computer.

ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED

ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED means the browser couldn't turn the domain into an IP address. It's the same family as DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN; Chrome shows it when it couldn't confirm the exact reason, often on Android or when the DNS server didn't answer at all. Diagnose it the same way: if the lookup above says the domain resolves, the cause is your device or network, so start with the device fixes, especially changing your DNS server. If it doesn't resolve, the domain needs fixing.

"This site can't be reached"

This is Chrome's heading for any connection failure, so read the error code underneath it. A DNS code (DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN, ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED, DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG) means a DNS problem, which this tool diagnoses. A connection code such as ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED or ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT means DNS worked and found the server, but the server didn't respond; check it with the HTTP Header Checker instead. To see who hosts the address a domain points to, use the IP Address Lookup.

How to fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN on your device

Use these when the lookup above says the domain resolves. Try them in order and reload the site after each one:

1. Check the address for typos, including the www part. Retype it rather than reusing an old bookmark.
2. Clear Chrome's DNS cache: open chrome://net-internals/#dns and click "Clear host cache".
3. Flush your device's DNS cache: on Windows run ipconfig /flushdns in Command Prompt; on a Mac run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder in Terminal; on a phone, turn airplane mode on and off.
4. Switch off any VPN, proxy or ad-blocking DNS app, since these use their own DNS servers.
5. Change your DNS server to a public one such as Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 or Google's 8.8.8.8, in your network settings or router.
6. Check your hosts file for an entry for the domain: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts on Windows, /etc/hosts on a Mac.
7. Restart your router, which clears its own DNS cache.

Fixes when the domain is the problem

• Typo: check the spelling and the ending (.com, .co, .net) before anything else.
• Still propagating: a newly registered domain or a nameserver change can take up to 24-48 hours to reach every resolver. Check again later; a changed record usually updates once its TTL (shown next to each record above) runs out.
• Not registered or expired: check the domain's status with your registrar and renew it.
• No nameservers: at the registrar, set the nameservers your DNS host gave you, like Cloudflare's or your web host's.
• Missing subdomain or www: add an A record (or a CNAME) for that name at your DNS provider. A common miss is the www version, so add www as a CNAME to the main domain.
• CNAME pointing nowhere: the alias targets a deleted site or service. Update or remove it.
• SERVFAIL: the nameservers don't answer correctly, often after moving DNS hosts with DNSSEC still switched on. Remove or update the DS record at the registrar.

DNS record types this tool checks

How to use this tool

1. 1
   Enter the domain

   Type or paste the domain that shows the error, like example.com. A full URL or www. address works too.

2. 2
   Run the lookup

   Click "Look up DNS". The tool asks public DNS for every record type at once.

3. 3
   Read the verdict

   The verdict says whether the domain resolves, and if not, why: not registered, a missing subdomain, a CNAME pointing nowhere, no IP address, or broken nameservers.

4. 4
   Follow the fix

   The steps under the verdict match the cause: fixes for your device when the domain works, or the DNS change the domain owner needs to make.

5. 5
   Check the records

   Review the A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT, SOA and CAA records with their TTLs, and copy them to share with your host or registrar.

Frequently asked questions