An A record maps a hostname to an IPv4 address. It is the most direct way to point a domain to a server, a CDN edge, or a load balancer. A lookup is useful when a site is unreachable, a migration is in progress, or you want to confirm that the public address matches your host. For apex domains, a single A record is common, while www is often a CNAME or its own A record. When troubleshooting, always confirm which hostname is being queried and whether you are testing the correct environment (production vs staging).
Common A record issues include missing www records, pointing the apex to a parking IP, or leaving stale records after a DNS change. If you use a CDN, the A record may return the CDN edge IP rather than your origin. That is expected, but it can confuse comparisons with your server config. Another pitfall is TTL being too high during changes, which delays updates at resolvers. This lookup shows results per resolver so you can verify propagation and spot inconsistent answers early.
If you need related checks, try DNS propagation check lookup and AAAA record validator.
It is common to configure the apex and www differently. The apex often points to an A record, while www can be a CNAME to a CDN or a hosted platform. If you expect them to match, check both hostnames explicitly and confirm your DNS provider is not applying redirects or ALIAS records behind the scenes.
Many sites use a single A record, but multiple A records are valid for simple load distribution. The resolver may rotate or return all records. If you see multiple IPs, verify that all of them are live and serve the same content. A stale or broken IP in the set can cause intermittent failures.
During migrations, a lower TTL like 60 to 300 seconds can help updates propagate faster. After the change stabilizes, raising TTL to 3600 or more reduces resolver load. Remember that a lower TTL does not force instant updates; caches must still expire.
If you use a CDN, the A record typically points to the CDN edge or a load balancer. This is expected. To check the origin, look at the CDN settings, origin hostname, or use a direct origin hostname if provided.
Propagation depends on caching, resolver behavior, and TTL. Some resolvers cache longer than the TTL or use stale caches for resilience. Compare multiple public resolvers to confirm the change is spreading.
NXDOMAIN indicates the hostname does not exist in DNS. This usually means the record is missing or the domain is not delegated. Double check the exact hostname, and verify the authoritative name servers are correct at the registrar.