A short command list is often enough to solve most DNS questions. Keep these examples handy during migrations and incidents.

Commands to use

dig example.com A
dig example.com AAAA
dig example.com MX
dig example.com TXT
dig example.com NS
dig example.com SOA
dig -x 203.0.113.10

Checklist

  1. A record: website IPv4.
  2. AAAA record: website IPv6.
  3. MX record: inbound email routing.
  4. TXT record: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, verification.
  5. NS record: delegation.
  6. SOA record: zone authority.
  7. PTR record: reverse DNS.

How to use the result

The DNS answer should be compared with the intended source of truth: registrar delegation, DNS provider zone, hosting target, email provider instructions, certificate authority challenge, or internal network documentation. If they do not match, fix the source record before troubleshooting higher layers.