Understanding DNS Propagation
DNS propagation refers to the time it takes for DNS changes to be updated across all DNS servers globally. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours or more. Propagation delays depend on factors like TTL (Time-to-Live) values set in DNS records, caching on intermediate servers, and how often DNS resolvers refresh their cache.
Using Online DNS Propagation Checkers
You can check for yourself the status of your DNS propagated changes by using an online DNS Propagation Checker tool such as:
These tools allow you to see in what geographical areas your DNS changes have been effected. The time it takes for this to happen depends on your DNS provider.
Using the "Connected" status in the Dashboard.
Our platform automatically performs regular DNS connectivity checks for mapped domains and will display related warnings in the Website Overview section or in the mapped Domain Names list for each domain in the Dashboard.
Review the Status column for any warnings related to DNS connectivity status. Domains with a proper DNS setup should display Connected (green indicator).
Review the Domains and SSL section in Website Overview for any warnings related to the DNS connectivity status.
Using Command Line Tools
For more technical users, command-line tools are a fast and efficient way to check DNS propagation. These tools can directly query DNS servers and provide detailed output about the DNS records.
Using nslookup
nslookup is a built-in command line tool for querying DNS servers to obtain domain name or IP address mapping.
Steps:
Open a terminal (Command Prompt on Windows, Terminal on macOS or Linux).
Type the following command:
nslookup yourdomain.com
This will return the DNS record for your domain as seen by your system's default DNS server. To check from a specific DNS server, use:
nslookup yourdomain.com 8.8.8.8
(Replace 8.8.8.8 with any DNS server you want to query, like Google’s public DNS server or Cloudflare's public DNS server e.g. 1.1.1.1)
Using dig
dig (Domain Information Groper) is another command line tool that provides detailed DNS lookup information. It’s available on Linux and macOS, but it can also be installed on Windows.
Steps:
Open a terminal.
To check the DNS records for your domain, type:
dig yourdomain.com
For specific record types, use:
dig yourdomain.com A
dig yourdomain.com MX
dig youromain.com NS
To query a specific DNS resolver (e.g., Google DNS):
dig yourdomain.com @8.8.8.8
The output will provide details such as the DNS server's IP address, TTL values, and the resolved domain records.
Using host
The host command is another DNS lookup tool, often used on UNIX-based systems.
Steps:
Open a terminal.
To query your domain’s A record:
host yourdomain.com
For MX or CNAME records use :
host -t MX yourdomain.com
host -t CNAME yourdomain.com
Interpreting Results
After performing the checks, you’ll receive a variety of results depending on the tool and method you used. Here’s how to interpret them:
If the DNS record is found immediately on global checkers or your local queries, it means the changes have likely propagated fully.
If you see old or incorrect records, DNS propagation is still in progress. You may need to wait longer.
If you see no records or errors (e.g., NXDOMAIN), there might be an issue with your DNS settings, and you should verify your configuration with your hosting provider or domain registrar.
Tips
If you are unfamiliar with how DNS works our 2-minute DNS guide should be your starting point.
Clear your local DNS cache if you’re not seeing the expected changes:
On macOS:
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponderOn Windows:
ipconfig /flushdns
Check from multiple networks or devices to rule out local caching issues.
If using a CDN or reverse proxy (like Cloudflare), DNS may appear propagated even if the backend server is unreachable — verify both DNS and HTTP response.