A QUICK GUIDE TO DNS

Know what changed. See what answers.

DNS connects names to services. Zonebeam asks real probes in different places what their local resolvers return.

Check a change in three steps.

Enter the full domain or subdomain. Select the record type you changed.
Start a global check. The map shows locations returned by Globalping, our probe provider.
Compare the answers. If you know the expected records, enter the complete set under “Compare with a value”.

Results appear as probes report. A probe can fail, and some regions can have fewer available probes. Zonebeam shows actual coverage.

A match is a useful observation.

It is not proof that every DNS server has updated. Resolver caches keep old records until their TTL expires. Some services also return different addresses by location or network.

Without an expected value, Zonebeam compares each answer set with the most common set. A tie has no unique reference. TTL values do not affect record equality. A lower TTL does not by itself mean a newer answer.

Choose the right record.

A · IPv4 address

The IPv4 addresses used to reach this host.

AAAA · IPv6 address

The IPv6 addresses used to reach this host.

CNAME · Alias

An alias that points this name to another name.

MX · Mail servers

Servers that receive email. A lower priority number is preferred.

TXT · Text records

Text used for verification, SPF, and other settings. Copy the full value when you compare records.

NS · Name servers

The name servers responsible for this zone.

SOA · Zone details

The primary server, zone serial, and cache timing settings.

CAA · Certificates

Rules that control which certificate authorities can issue certificates.

SRV · Services

Service targets, ports, priorities, and weights. Enter the full service name.

PTR · Reverse DNS

A name associated with an IP address. Enter an IP address or its reverse DNS name.

Mail and subdomains

Use the full host name. Check _dmarc.example.com for DMARC. For DKIM, enter the domain and your provider’s selector under Options. A DNS lookup cannot list every subdomain or discover every DKIM selector.

What errors mean

NXDOMAIN: The resolver reports that the name does not exist. Check the full name.
No records: The query succeeded, but no record of this type was returned. Select another record type.
SERVFAIL: The resolver could not complete the query. Open the probe details for evidence.
Refused: The resolver declined the query.
No response: The probe did not return a usable DNS response. Inspect its raw evidence or retry later.

A two-minute check timeout means Zonebeam stopped waiting. It does not prove the domain is down. Stop waiting cancels local polling; it does not cancel the provider’s measurement. Use Resume results to read the same check without new probes.

Start a DNS check