What’s gone improper?
9 instances out of ten, the issue isn’t your web site. It’s your DNS. DNS, or the Area Identify System, is the web’s phonebook. It’s the system that interprets human-readable domains (like elementor.com) into computer-readable IP addresses (like 35.190.132.231). When your website doesn’t present up, it’s often as a result of the phonebook is pointing to the improper quantity.
How do you, an internet creator, diagnose this? You don’t should be a community engineer. You simply want one instrument: dig. This information will present you the best way to use the dig command to resolve your personal DNS issues and launch your web sites with confidence.
Key Takeaways
- dig is Your DNS X-Ray: dig (Area Data Groper) is a command-line instrument that allows you to search for any DNS document for any area. It’s the skilled’s alternative for troubleshooting.
- It Solves Actual-World Issues: Use dig to substantiate your ‘A’ document factors to your new host, your ‘www’ CNAME is about up, your ‘MX’ information are prepared in your electronic mail service, and your ‘TXT’ information are in place for area verification.
- Perceive the Output: The dig output will be intimidating, but it surely’s easy when you break it down into the QUESTION (what you requested) and ANSWER (what the server stated) sections.
- Grasp a Few “Recipes”: You don’t must be taught each choice. Instructions like dig mydomain.com, dig mydomain.com MX, and dig mydomain.com +quick will resolve 90% of your issues.
- Examine Completely different Servers: Querying a public server like Google (@8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (@1.1.1.1) allows you to bypass your native cache and see what the remainder of the world sees, serving to you examine in case your DNS adjustments have “propagated.”
What’s dig and Why Ought to Net Creators Care?
dig is a strong command-line instrument for querying the Area Identify System. It’s the fashionable, extra highly effective successor to older instruments like nslookup. Whilst you is likely to be aware of ping, which simply checks if a server at an IP tackle is on-line, dig does one thing rather more essential: it tells you what the DNS system thinks a couple of area.
As an internet creator, you’re not only a designer. You’re the architect and venture supervisor. When a website launch goes sideways, the consumer appears to be like to you. Having the ability to say, “I’ve checked the DNS, and the A document continues to be pointing to the previous server’s IP” is infinitely extra skilled than “I don’t know, let’s wait just a few extra hours.”
It is best to care about dig as a result of it helps you:
- Confirm Your Launch: Immediately affirm that your area’s A document is pointing to your new internet hosting supplier’s IP tackle.
- Troubleshoot E mail: Examine that your MX information are appropriately arrange for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or a transactional electronic mail service like Site Mailer by Elementor. In case your contact types are failing, it might be a DNS concern.
- Examine Subdomains: See in case your www CNAME is correctly aliased to your principal area or in case your store subdomain is pointing to the fitting platform.
- Debug Propagation: See if a DNS change you simply made is stay by asking totally different DNS servers all over the world.
- Confirm Area Possession: Verify that the TXT document you added for Google Search Console or a brand new advertising and marketing service is appropriate.
dig provides you the uncooked information straight from the supply, empowering you to resolve issues as an alternative of simply ready and guessing.
How one can Set up and Entry dig
The excellent news is that dig might be already in your pc.
On macOS
dig comes pre-installed on macOS. Simply open your Terminal (you could find it in Functions > Utilities or by looking out with Highlight) and sort dig -v. In the event you see a model quantity, you’re able to go.
On Linux
Nearly all Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and so forth.) include dig. If for some motive it’s lacking, you may set up it as a part of the dnsutils bundle. sudo apt-get set up dnsutils (for Debian/Ubuntu) sudo yum set up bind-utils (for CentOS/Fedora)
On Home windows
Home windows doesn’t embrace dig by default. You have got two principal choices:
- Use Home windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL): That is the very best trendy resolution. In case you have WSL put in (you may get it from the Microsoft Retailer), you may open a Linux terminal (like Ubuntu) and use dig simply as you’d on Linux.
- Obtain BIND Instruments: dig is a part of a software program suite referred to as BIND. You possibly can obtain pre-compiled Home windows variations from the Web Techniques Consortium (ISC), however that is usually extra trouble than it’s price.
- Use an On-line Software: In the event you’re on a locked-down machine or simply desire a fast examine, you should utilize a web-based dig instrument. Google’s Public DNS admin web page has an awesome one. Simply seek for “Google DNS dig” and also you’ll discover it. It is a nice technique to examine from a impartial third occasion.
Understanding the dig Command Syntax
The fundamental syntax for dig appears to be like like this:
dig [server] [domain] [record_type] [options]
Let’s break that down:
- [server] (Elective): That is the precise DNS server you need to ask. In the event you depart this out, dig will use your system’s default DNS resolver (often your router or ISP). To ask a particular server, you employ an @ image, like @8.8.8.8 (Google’s public DNS).
- [domain] (Required): That is the area identify you’re investigating, like elementor.com or my-new-client-site.com.
- [record_type] (Elective): That is the kind of DNS document you need to see. In the event you depart this clean, dig defaults to A (the IP tackle). Different widespread varieties are MX (mail), CNAME (aliases), TXT (textual content), NS (nameservers), and AAAA (IPv6).
- [options] (Elective): These are particular “flags” that change how dig behaves. The most typical one you’ll use is +quick, which supplies you simply the reply and nothing else.
For 90% of your work, your instructions will look so simple as:
- dig mywebsite.com
- dig mywebsite.com MX
- dig @1.1.1.1 www.mywebsite.com
- dig mywebsite.com +quick
Studying the Anatomy of dig Output (The “Wall of Textual content”)
The primary time you run dig, you’ll get a block of textual content that may be intimidating. Don’t fear. It’s logically divided into sections. Let’s run dig elementor.com and break down the response.
; <<>> DiG 9.11.3-1ubuntu1.1-Ubuntu <<>> elementor.com
;; international choices: +cmd
;; Received reply:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, standing: NOERROR, id: 48511
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1
;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: model: 0, flags:; udp: 65494
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;elementor.com. IN A
;; ANSWER SECTION:
elementor.com. 300 IN A 35.190.132.231
;; Question time: 12 msec
;; SERVER: 127.0.0.53#53(127.0.0.53)
;; WHEN: Thu Oct 30 11:50:00 2025
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 58
Right here’s what every half means.
The Header
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, standing: NOERROR, id: 48511
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1
A very powerful half right here is standing: NOERROR. This implies the DNS server discovered a solution. In the event you see standing: NXDOMAIN, it means “Non-Existent Area,” and the server is telling you that area doesn’t exist.
The flags are additionally helpful:
- qr: Question Response (this can be a response, not a question).
- rd: Recursion Desired (we requested the server to do a full lookup for us).
- ra: Recursion Obtainable (the server says it might probably do recursive lookups).
The Query Part
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;elementor.com. IN A
That is merely dig repeating your query again to you. It’s confirming, “You requested for the A document for elementor.com within the IN (Web) class.” That is helpful when you run a fancy question and need to double-check what you really requested.
The Reply Part
;; ANSWER SECTION:
elementor.com. 300 IN A 35.190.132.231
That is the gold. That is all the motive you ran the command. Let’s learn it from left to proper:
- elementor.com. The area you requested about.
- 300: That is the TTL (Time to Reside) in seconds. 300 seconds is 5 minutes. That is vital for internet creators. It’s the DNS server’s instruction to another resolver (like your ISP or your browser) telling it how lengthy to cache this reply. In case your TTL is 86400 (24 hours), any DNS adjustments you make might take as much as a day to point out up for everybody. A low TTL like 300 is nice for whenever you’re making adjustments.
- IN: Web class. You’ll at all times see this.
- A: The document kind, an A document.
- 35.190.132.231: The Reply. That is the IPv4 tackle for elementor.com. While you’re launching a website, that is the IP tackle you need to see match the one your internet host gave you.
The Authority and Extra Sections
(Not on this particular instance, however usually current)
- Authority Part: This part tells you who is the authoritative supply for this area’s DNS. It would listing the nameservers (NS) for the area.
- Extra Part: This part offers additional info, often the IP addresses of the nameservers listed within the Authority part.
The Stats Part
;; Question time: 12 msec
;; SERVER: 127.0.0.53#53(127.0.0.53)
;; WHEN: Thu Oct 30 11:50:00 2025
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 58
That is simply metadata concerning the question itself.
- Question time: How lengthy it took.
- SERVER: What server answered you. On this case, 127.0.0.53 is a neighborhood resolver on my Linux machine. In the event you used @8.8.8.8, it might say 8.8.8.8#53 right here.
- WHEN: A timestamp.
- MSG SIZE: Dimension of the response.
Sensible dig Recipes for Net Creators
That is the place the magic occurs. Listed below are the commonest, sensible instructions you’ll use, together with what the output means for you as an internet creator.
Recipe 1: The Easy Lookup (Discovering the IP Deal with)
That is your bread and butter. You simply purchased a brand new internet hosting plan, they usually gave you an IP tackle. You went to your area registrar, up to date your ‘A’ document, and now you need to see if it’s working.
Command: dig my-new-site.com
What to search for: Look within the ANSWER SECTION for the A document.
;; ANSWER SECTION:
my-new-site.com. 3600 IN A 192.0.2.123
What this implies: The web’s phonebook says my-new-site.com is on the IP tackle 192.0.2.123. If this matches the IP your new host gave you, you’re good to go. If it nonetheless reveals your previous host’s IP, your change hasn’t propagated but (otherwise you made a mistake). Discover the TTL is 3600 (1 hour). This implies even after the change, it might take as much as an hour for some resolvers to ask for a brand new replace.
Recipe 2: Getting Simply the Reply
You don’t at all times need the entire “wall of textual content.” You simply need the IP tackle, quick. The +quick choice is your greatest buddy.
Command: dig my-new-site.com +quick
Output: 192.0.2.123
What this implies: That is excellent for fast checks. It provides you solely the reply. No header, no query, no stats. Simply the information.
Recipe 3: Checking Your “www” Subdomain (CNAME)
You’ve arrange my-new-site.com, however what occurs when somebody varieties www.my-new-site.com? Often, you set this up as a CNAME (Canonical Identify) document, which is an alias that factors to your principal area.
Command: dig www.my-new-site.com
What to search for: Search for a CNAME document within the ANSWER SECTION.
;; ANSWER SECTION:
[www.my-new-site.com](https://www.my-new-site.com). 3600 IN CNAME my-new-site.com.
my-new-site.com. 300 IN A 192.0.2.123
What this implies: This output is a two-parter.
- The primary line says www.my-new-site.com is an alias (CNAME) for my-new-site.com.
- dig is sensible, so it then does a second lookup for my-new-site.com and provides you its A document as effectively. It is a excellent, appropriate setup. In the event you run this command and get standing: NXDOMAIN, it means you forgot to create a document for www, and guests who kind it in will get an error.
Recipe 4: Verifying Your Mail Server (MX Information)
Your consumer says their contact types aren’t sending emails. You’re utilizing an Elementor Pro kind, and you observed the e-mail supply service isn’t arrange. It’s essential examine the MX (Mail Alternate) information.
Command: dig my-new-site.com MX
What to search for: The MX information within the ANSWER SECTION.
;; ANSWER SECTION:
my-new-site.com. 14400 IN MX 10 aspmx.l.google.com.
my-new-site.com. 14400 IN MX 20 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com.
What this implies: The MX information have two components: a precedence and a server.
- 10 and 20 are the priorities. The mail server will strive the bottom quantity first (10). If that fails, it is going to strive the following one.
- aspmx.l.google.com. is the mail server. This output clearly reveals the mail for my-new-site.com is dealt with by Google Workspace.
In the event you see this, however your consumer says they’re utilizing Microsoft 365, you’ve discovered the issue. They’ve the improper MX information. If this part is empty, it means no mail server is configured, which is a significant concern. That is essential for making certain the reliability of transactional emails out of your WordPress website.
Recipe 5: Checking Area Verification (TXT Information)
You’re making an attempt so as to add a website to Google Search Console, or arrange an electronic mail safety function like SPF. Each of those providers ask you so as to add a TXT document to your DNS to show you personal the area.
Command: dig my-new-site.com TXT
What to search for: The TXT information within the ANSWER SECTION.
;; ANSWER SECTION:
my-new-site.com. 3600 IN TXT “google-site-verification=abc123xyz789”
my-new-site.com. 3600 IN TXT “v=spf1 embrace:_spf.google.com ~all”
What this implies: This reveals two TXT information.
- The primary is a Google Search Console verification code. Now you can see if it matches what Google gave you.
- The second is an SPF document, which authorizes Google’s servers to ship electronic mail on behalf of my-new-site.com, lowering the possibility of your emails being marked as spam.
In the event you added a TXT document however Google gained’t confirm it, run this command. You may discover a typo, or that you simply forgot to save lots of the change.
Recipe 6: Checking Your IPv6 Deal with (AAAA Information)
In case your host helps trendy IPv6, you’ll have an AAAA document (additionally referred to as a “quad-A” document).
Command: dig my-new-site.com AAAA
What to search for: An AAAA document with an extended, advanced hexadecimal tackle.
;; ANSWER SECTION:
my-new-site.com. 3600 IN AAAA 2606:4700:3031::ac43:821b
What this implies: Your website is accessible over IPv6. That is good for future-proofing. If that is empty, it’s not an issue, but it surely’s good to know.
Recipe 7: Discovering the Authoritative Nameservers (NS Information)
You’re about to take over a consumer’s website, however you’re undecided the place their DNS is really managed. Is it at their registrar (like GoDaddy) or a third-party service (like Cloudflare)? The NS (Nameserver) document tells you.
Command: dig my-new-site.com NS
What to search for: The NS information within the ANSWER SECTION.
;; ANSWER SECTION:
my-new-site.com. 172800 IN NS ara.ns.cloudflare.com.
my-new-site.com. 172800 IN NS ben.ns.cloudflare.com.
What this implies: This area’s DNS is managed by Cloudflare. This tells you that that you must log in to Cloudflare—not GoDaddy—to make any A, CNAME, or MX document adjustments. This one command can prevent hours of confusion.
Recipe 8: Querying a Particular DNS Server (Checking Propagation)
You simply modified your ‘A’ document to level to your new Elementor Hosting IP. You run dig my-new-site.com however you nonetheless see the previous IP. Why?
Your pc is probably going utilizing a cached (saved) reply out of your native ISP’s DNS resolver. It’s essential bypass it and ask a giant, public server what it sees.
Command: dig @1.1.1.1 my-new-site.com
What this implies: The @1.1.1.1 tells dig to solely ask Cloudflare’s public DNS server. You may also use @8.8.8.8 (Google) or @208.67.222.222 (OpenDNS).
If dig @1.1.1.1 my-new-site.com reveals the new IP, however dig my-new-site.com (with out the @) reveals the previous IP, you’ve simply confirmed the change is stay on the web, however your native resolver is lagging. It is a propagation delay. You’re appropriate, and all you need to do is wait in your native cache to run out. Now you can confidently inform your consumer, “The change is stay. It might take an hour or two for it to be seen in every single place.”
Recipe 9: The “ANY” Question (Getting All Information)
It is a nice “shotgun” method to see every thing without delay.
Command: dig my-new-site.com ANY
What this implies: It will return all widespread information for the area: A, AAAA, NS, MX, TXT, and so forth. It’s a implausible overview of a website’s whole DNS setup. (Notice: Some servers are configured to disregard ANY queries for safety, but it surely works more often than not).
Recipe 10: Tracing the Full DNS Path (Hint)
That is the superior, pro-level command. It will present you each single step dig takes to seek out the reply, ranging from the web’s root servers.
Command: dig my-new-site.com +hint
What this implies: The output will likely be lengthy. It would first present dig asking the basis servers (the . servers) the place to seek out the .com servers. Then it is going to ask the .com servers the place to seek out the nameservers for my-new-site.com (e.g., ara.ns.cloudflare.com). Lastly, it is going to ask ara.ns.cloudflare.com for the ‘A’ document for my-new-site.com.
That is the final word instrument for diagnosing advanced issues, like when one particular nameserver is giving a nasty reply.
Skilled Suggestions from a Professional
As an internet professional who has launched numerous websites, I’ve discovered just a few issues. My colleague and fellow professional, Itamar Haim, usually emphasizes that “Understanding DNS is the distinction between an internet designer and an internet skilled.” Realizing the best way to use dig is a big a part of that.
Tip 1: Be Affected person with TTL
I discussed it earlier than, but it surely’s crucial idea. In case your dig question reveals a TTL of 7200 (2 hours), you should be affected person. Hitting refresh in your browser does nothing. Your ISP’s resolver will maintain onto that previous document for two hours. That is why, earlier than a giant website migration, it’s a greatest observe to log in 24 hours forward and decrease the TTL in your principal ‘A’ document to one thing quick, like 300 (5 minutes).
Tip 2: Flush Your Native DNS Cache
If dig @1.1.1.1 reveals the brand new IP however your native dig and browser present the previous one, your pc itself may need a neighborhood cache. You possibly can flush it:
- On macOS: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
- On Home windows: ipconfig /flushdns
- In Chrome: Go to chrome://net-internals/#dns and click on “Clear host cache.”
Tip 3: dig vs. ping – Know the Distinction
It is a traditional rookie mistake.
- ping my-new-site.com tells you: “Am I in a position to ship a packet to the server on the IP I assume my-new-site.com is at, and did it reply?”
- dig my-new-site.com tells you: “What IP does the DNS system say my-new-site.com belongs to?”
Your website will be completely on-line (ping works), however your DNS will be pointed to the improper server (dig reveals the improper IP). Or, your DNS will be appropriate (dig reveals the fitting IP), however your server is down (ping fails). They’re two totally different instruments for 2 totally different issues.
Frequent DNS Issues You Can Clear up with dig
Let’s put all of it collectively.
Downside: “I simply launched my website, however I nonetheless see my previous host.”
- Run: dig my-new-site.com +quick
- Analyze: Does it present the previous IP or the brand new IP?
- If Outdated IP: Run dig @1.1.1.1 my-new-site.com +quick.
- If @1.1.1.1 reveals New IP: The change is stay. Your native cache is stale. Watch for the TTL to run out, or flush your cache.
- If @1.1.1.1 reveals Outdated IP: The change has not propagated, otherwise you made a mistake at your registrar. Double-check your ‘A’ document settings.
Downside: “My web site works, however www.my-new-site.com doesn’t.”
- Run: dig www.my-new-site.com
- Analyze: Take a look at the ANSWER SECTION.
- If standing: NXDOMAIN: You forgot to create a DNS document for www. Go to your DNS supervisor and add a CNAME document for www that factors to my-new-site.com.
- If it reveals an A document with the improper IP: You have got an previous, stale document. Replace it to a CNAME.
Downside: “My contact kind emails are going to spam or not arriving.”
- Run: dig my-new-site.com MX +quick
- Analyze: Does this listing the mail servers you anticipate? (e.g., Google, Microsoft, SendGrid). If it’s empty, you haven’t any MX information.
- Run: dig my-new-site.com TXT
- Analyze: Do you see an spf document (e.g., “v=spf1 …”)? If not, unauthorized emails out of your area usually tend to be marked as spam. It’s essential add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC information.
Downside: “Google Search Console can’t confirm my area.”
- Run: dig my-new-site.com TXT
- Analyze: Search for the google-site-verification= document within the reply.
- Answer: Rigorously examine the worth with what Google gave you. It’s widespread to have a typo or to have forgotten the quotes. dig will present you precisely what the world sees.
dig and the Trendy Net Creator
On this planet of internet creation, it’s straightforward to give attention to the visible. Platforms like Elementor have made the design and construct course of extra intuitive and highly effective than ever, particularly with built-in instruments like Elementor AI to assist write content material and construct layouts.
However launching a website is a technical occasion. dig is the bridge between your inventive work and the stay, public web. It’s not some “scary” instrument for community engineers. It’s your private x-ray machine for wanting “below the hood” of the web.
Studying to make use of these easy dig “recipes” will elevate you from a designer to a real internet skilled. You’ll be capable of diagnose launch-day issues in seconds, talk with shoppers and hosts with authority, and take full, end-to-end possession of your initiatives.
Continuously Requested Questions (FAQ)
1. What does dig stand for? dig stands for “Area Data Groper.”
2. What’s the distinction between dig and nslookup? nslookup is an older, now-deprecated instrument. dig is the fashionable normal, is extra highly effective, and offers extra detailed, easier-to-read output. Whereas nslookup nonetheless works for primary queries, all professionals choose dig.
3. What’s dig +quick? It’s an choice that tells dig to solely output the direct reply to your question (e.g., simply the IP tackle or simply the mail server) and skip all of the headers and stats.
4. How do I examine my mail (MX) information with dig? Use the command dig yourdomain.com MX. The ANSWER SECTION will present you the precedence quantity and the identify of your mail servers.
5. What does standing: NXDOMAIN imply? NXDOMAIN stands for “Non-Existent Area.” It’s the DNS system’s method of claiming, “I’ve no document of that area identify.” It means you both have a typo in your command or the area doesn’t exist (or at the least, isn’t identified to that server).
6. What’s a TTL in DNS? TTL stands for “Time to Reside.” It’s a quantity (in seconds) in a DNS document that tells resolvers how lengthy they need to “cache” (retailer) that reply earlier than asking for a contemporary copy. A TTL of 3600 means 3600 seconds, or 1 hour.
7. Why would I question a particular DNS server (like @8.8.8.8)? You do that to bypass your native (ISP or router) DNS cache. It helps you identify if a DNS change you simply made is stay on the general public web, or when you’re simply seeing a stale, cached document domestically.
8. How can dig assist me with my new WordPress web site? While you launch a brand new WordPress website, you’re pointing a website to a brand new host. dig is the instrument you employ to substantiate that your area’s ‘A’ document is pointing to your new WordPress host’s IP tackle.
9. Does dig work on Home windows? Not natively. One of the best ways to make use of dig on Home windows 10 or 11 is to put in Home windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and run it from a Linux terminal. Alternatively, you should utilize a web-based dig instrument.
10. What does +hint do in a dig command? dig yourdomain.com +hint performs a full hint of the DNS question from the web’s root servers. It would present you each step: from the basis (.) to the TLD (.com) to your area’s authoritative nameserver, and eventually to the reply. It’s a complicated command for deep troubleshooting.
