Free tool
DNS propagation checker
Pick a record type and enter a domain. We ask 6 public DNS resolvers over HTTPS at the same moment and show whether their answers match. Free, no signup.
Results for
A gmail.com
Needs attention
Resolvers return different answers
The resolvers return 6 different answers for gmail.com. A recent change is usually still in their caches; each one updates when the old record's TTL runs out.
Warning
| Resolver | Answer | TTL (s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Public DNS |
| 300 | Different |
| Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 |
| 39 | Different |
| Quad9 (unfiltered) |
| 136 | Different |
| AdGuard DNS (unfiltered) |
| 300 | Different |
| Control D (unfiltered) |
| 130 | Different |
| DNS.SB |
| 295 | Different |
What DNS propagation means
Nothing is pushed around the internet when you change a record. Your DNS host serves the new value at once, but every resolver that looked up the old value keeps it in its cache until the record's TTL (time to live) runs out. Propagation is the time it takes for those caches to expire.
So the TTL of the old record decides how long a change takes. A record with a TTL of 3600 can stay stale for up to an hour at a resolver that cached it just before you changed it. Lowering the TTL a day before a planned move makes the switch faster.
How this check works
The checker sends the same question at the same moment to Google Public DNS, Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Quad9 (unfiltered), AdGuard DNS (unfiltered), Control D (unfiltered) and DNS.SB, using DNS over HTTPS (RFC 8484). Each one answers from its own cache, so the table shows what different parts of the internet currently see, with the seconds left on each cached answer.
We picked public resolvers that document their endpoint and do not filter domains, because a resolver that blocks a name would look like one that has not updated. The checker only ever contacts those resolvers. It never connects to the domain you enter or to any server you name.
Reading the results
Matching answers mean the change has reached every resolver we asked. A resolver with a different answer usually still holds the old record and will switch when its TTL reaches zero. If all of them show the old value, check that you edited the right zone and that the domain uses the name servers you think it does: query the NS record.
Different A or AAAA answers are not always a problem. Large sites and CDNs give each resolver the address of a server near it, so those answers differ by design. Compare MX, TXT, CNAME and NS records, which should be the same everywhere.
Moving your email
After you change MX records for a new mail provider, run this check for MX until every resolver returns the new hosts, then confirm the provider with the email provider lookup. Keep the old mailbox open until then, because senders that cached the old records still deliver there.
How long does DNS propagation take?
As long as the TTL of the record you replaced, counted from when each resolver last cached it. The results table shows how many seconds each resolver will keep its current answer.
Can I make DNS propagate faster?
Not after the change. Before it, lower the record's TTL to a few minutes and wait for the old TTL to pass, then make the change. Raise the TTL again once everything works.
Why does my computer still show the old record when the checker shows the new one?
Your computer, browser and router keep their own caches, and your internet provider's resolver is another one. They update on the same TTL rules, or sooner if you flush them.
Which record types can I check?
A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME and NS, for a domain or host name. An SPF record is a TXT record on the domain itself. DKIM and DMARC records sit at names that start with an underscore, so check those with the DKIM and DMARC checkers.
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