NSLookup Online: nslookup in Your Browser
No command prompt handy, or just not in the mood to open one? This page asks DNS the same questions nslookup does. Type a domain, pick a record type, read the answer. Further down you'll find each nslookup command next to the matching option here, plus what its output actually means.
nslookup commands and the matching option here
| Command | What it asks for | In this tool |
|---|---|---|
| nslookup example.com | The A and AAAA records (IP addresses) | A or AAAA |
| nslookup -type=mx example.com | The mail servers | MX |
| nslookup -type=ns example.com | The authoritative nameservers | NS |
| nslookup -type=txt example.com | Text records such as SPF | TXT |
| nslookup -type=cname www.example.com | The alias a name points to | CNAME |
| nslookup -type=soa example.com | Zone authority and timers | SOA |
| nslookup 8.8.8.8 | The hostname behind an IP address (reverse lookup) | Reverse DNS Lookup tool |
| nslookup example.com 1.1.1.1 | The same query, sent to a resolver you choose | Uses public resolvers |
What nslookup output looks like
On Linux and macOS a plain lookup prints something like this (the address is a documentation example):
- Server and Address at the top show which resolver answered. It's usually your router, which is why results can differ from a public resolver.
- Non-authoritative answer means the reply came from a resolver, often from its cache, rather than straight from the domain's own nameserver. That's normal for everyday lookups.
- A name listed more than once has several addresses.
- NXDOMAIN or Non-existent domain means the name isn't registered or has no records. A timeout means no answer arrived in time, often because a firewall is blocking DNS.
$ nslookup example.com Server: 192.168.1.1 Address: 192.168.1.1#53 Non-authoritative answer: Name: example.com Address: 203.0.113.10
Running nslookup on Windows, macOS and Linux
It's already installed. On Windows open Command Prompt or PowerShell, on macOS open Terminal, and type nslookup followed by a name. Type nslookup on its own to enter interactive mode, then use set type=mx and a name to change the record type, and exit to leave.
Many administrators on Linux and macOS prefer dig because it prints more detail and is easier to script. Both ask the same questions of the same DNS system, so the answers match.
When your nslookup and this page disagree
It happens, and it's usually one of four things. Your resolver is holding an older answer than the public ones. You're on a VPN or a company network whose DNS returns different answers for internal names. A hosts file entry overrides DNS for your computer only, and nslookup ignores it while your browser doesn't. Or the domain uses geographic DNS and hands out different addresses depending on where you ask from.