DNS Propagation Checker
Check whether your DNS changes have propagated across Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, and OpenDNS resolvers worldwide.
What is DNS propagation?
When you update a DNS record — changing your A record to a new IP address, adding an MX record, or moving your nameservers — the change is immediately visible on your authoritative nameserver. However, the rest of the internet does not see it instantly.
Every DNS resolver on the internet maintains a local cache of recently queried records. When a resolver looked up your domain before you made the change, it stored the old record along with its TTL (Time To Live). Until that TTL countdown reaches zero, the resolver returns the cached old record to anyone who queries it.
Propagation is the gradual process of resolvers around the world expiring their cached copies and fetching the new record from your authoritative nameserver. During propagation, different users on different networks may see different results for the same domain — which is exactly what this tool checks.
Pro tip: Lower your DNS record TTL to 300 seconds at least 24 hours before a planned migration. This ensures caches expire within 5 minutes after the change, dramatically reducing propagation time. Raise the TTL again once the migration is confirmed successful.
Why do resolvers show different results?
Cache age differences
Each resolver caches DNS records independently. A resolver that was last asked about your domain two hours ago will continue serving the cached value for however long its TTL allows. A resolver queried for the first time after your change goes straight to the authoritative server and gets the new value.
Large public resolvers (Cloudflare, Google) receive enormous query volumes and may have pre-warmed caches. Smaller or regional resolvers may query authoritative servers more frequently.
Resolver policies
Quad9 and OpenDNS apply security filtering — they block domains associated with malware, phishing, and botnets. If your domain is on one of their blocklists, those resolvers return NXDOMAIN regardless of what your authoritative server says. This is not a propagation issue.
Geographic routing also plays a role: resolvers in different regions may query different anycast nodes of your authoritative nameserver, which could briefly return different values if your zone is not fully synchronised across all nodes.
Common DNS record types
| Type | Purpose | Example value | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | IPv4 address | 93.184.216.34 | Point a domain to a web server |
| AAAA | IPv6 address | 2606:2800:220:1::34 | IPv6 dual-stack hosting |
| CNAME | Alias / canonical name | example.com | www → root, CDN redirects |
| MX | Mail server | 10 mail.example.com | Email routing for a domain |
| TXT | Text data | v=spf1 ... | SPF, DKIM, domain verification |
| NS | Nameserver | ns1.example.com | Delegate DNS to a provider |
| SOA | Start of authority | ns1.ex. admin.ex. … | Zone metadata, serial numbers |
How long does DNS propagation take?
It depends on the TTL
Propagation time is determined almost entirely by the TTL of the record that was changed. Resolvers that cached the old record will continue serving it until the TTL expires. A record with a TTL of 300 (5 minutes) propagates in minutes. A record with a TTL of 86400 (24 hours) can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate.
The commonly cited "24–48 hours" figure is a worst-case assumption based on high TTL records and historically slow internet infrastructure. Modern DNS providers and low TTL settings can propagate changes within minutes.
Typical propagation timelines
- TTL 60–300s (1–5 min): propagation complete in 5–15 minutes
- TTL 900s (15 min): propagation complete in 15–30 minutes
- TTL 3600s (1 hour): propagation complete in 1–2 hours
- TTL 86400s (24 hours): propagation complete in up to 48 hours
- Nameserver (NS) changes: 12–48 hours regardless of TTL
Changing nameservers (NS records at the registrar) has its own propagation delay because the parent zone (e.g. `.com`) must update its delegation, which is independent of your zone TTL.
Frequently asked questions
What is DNS propagation?
DNS propagation is the time it takes for a DNS record change to become visible across all resolvers worldwide. When you update a record, your authoritative nameserver has the new value immediately. Other resolvers only pick it up when their cached copy expires (after the TTL) and they re-query the authoritative server.
How long does DNS propagation take?
Propagation time equals the TTL of the record being changed. If the old record had a TTL of 3600 (one hour), resolvers that cached it will serve the old value for up to an hour. Lower your TTL to 300 seconds at least 24 hours before a planned change to minimise propagation time.
Nameserver changes at the registrar level can take 12–48 hours regardless of your TTL, since the parent zone delegation is managed separately.
Why do different resolvers show different results?
Each resolver caches DNS records independently. A resolver that cached your old record before the change will continue serving it until the TTL expires. A resolver that queries your authoritative server after the change returns the new value immediately.
This is a normal part of how DNS works — not an error. The tool displays all four resolver views simultaneously so you can see exactly where propagation stands.
What does TTL mean in DNS?
TTL (Time To Live) is the number of seconds a resolver may cache a DNS record. When the TTL countdown reaches zero, the resolver discards the cached record and queries the authoritative server again. A TTL of 3600 = 1 hour cache. A TTL of 300 = 5 minute cache.
Setting a low TTL before a planned DNS change reduces how long the old record can remain cached, shortening propagation time.
Why does Quad9 or OpenDNS show "Not Found" for a domain that works elsewhere?
Both Quad9 and OpenDNS apply security filtering. Quad9 blocks domains associated with malware, phishing, and botnets. OpenDNS blocks phishing and malware by default. If your domain appears on one of their threat intelligence lists, those resolvers return NXDOMAIN even if the domain is perfectly valid. This is a security policy, not a propagation issue.
If you believe your domain is incorrectly blocked, you can submit a review request to Quad9 or OpenDNS directly.
What is the difference between a CNAME and an A record?
An A record maps a domain directly to an IPv4 address. A CNAME record maps a domain to another domain name (an alias). When a resolver looks up a CNAME, it follows the chain of aliases until it reaches an A or AAAA record.
Important: you cannot set a CNAME on a domain apex (e.g. example.com)
alongside other records like MX or NS. The apex domain must use A/AAAA records directly.
Some DNS providers work around this with CNAME flattening or ALIAS records.
How do I speed up DNS propagation?
The only reliable method is to lower your TTL before making the change. Set the affected record's TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) at least 24–48 hours before you plan to change it. Once the old high-TTL caches have expired, all new caches will only hold the record for 5 minutes, meaning propagation after your change completes in minutes rather than hours.
After the change is verified, raise the TTL back to a normal value (3600 or higher) to reduce query load on your authoritative nameserver.
How many resolvers does this tool check?
This tool queries four major public resolvers: Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), Google (8.8.8.8), Quad9 (9.9.9.9), and OpenDNS (208.67.222.222). These are among the most widely used public resolvers globally. However, the queries are all made from a single Cloudflare edge location — this is not a true worldwide geographic check.
For a broader geographic view across 20+ regions, tools like dnschecker.org or whatsmydns.net are more comprehensive. This tool is optimised for quick, fast, private lookups without third-party tracker dependencies.