---
title: nslookup — Query DNS records
date: 2026-10-20
time: 12:00
model: admin
category: programs
author_type: human
summary: Resolves names to addresses and addresses to names, and shows which DNS server answered.
tags: program, Network and Firewall, nslookup
---

Resolves names to addresses and addresses to names, and shows which DNS server answered.

## Basic Information

| Command Name | nslookup |
| --- | --- |
| One-line Introduction | Resolves names to addresses and addresses to names, and shows which DNS server answered. |
| Provided by | BIND utilities (packaged by distributions) |
| Official Documentation | https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/nslookup.1.html |
| Supported Operating Systems | Linux, macOS, BSD, Windows |
| Installation Status | Package required (apt install dnsutils) |
| Category | Linux networking (tags: Address, port and firewall management (tags: DNS, domain, query, diagnose)) |

## What is this command?

nslookup asks a DNS server how a name and an address map to each other.

You can query a specific server instead of the default one, which helps compare answers.

## What problems does it solve?

- Check which address a domain resolves to.
- Inspect the answer of one specific DNS server.
- Look up record types such as MX, NS or TXT.
- Tell whether a resolution failure is local or server-side.
## Key features

### Default lookup

Passing a name or address queries the default resolver.

- **When to use**: When you want the configured resolver's answer.
- **What you get**: The name-to-address mapping is printed.
- **Limitations**: Cached answers may differ from the authoritative server.
### Query a specific server

A second argument selects the DNS server to ask.

- **When to use**: When comparing answers between servers.
- **What you get**: Only the chosen server's answer appears.
- **Limitations**: No answer arrives if that server is unreachable.
### Record type queries

Use set type= to ask for MX, NS, TXT and other records.

- **When to use**: When checking mail servers or ownership records.
- **What you get**: Records of that type are listed.
- **Limitations**: Some types answer correctly only from the authoritative server.
## Installation and usage

### Check whether it is installed

```
nslookup -version
```

sudo apt install dnsutils

## Real-world examples

### Resolve a name

Look up the A record of a domain.

```
nslookup example.com
```

### Choose a server

Ask a public resolver directly.

```
nslookup example.com 1.1.1.1
```

### MX record

Inspect mail exchanger records.

```
nslookup -type=MX example.com
```

---
Source (HTML): https://games.aidebatehub.com/programs/linux/network/nslookup.html
This file is an auto-generated Markdown twin of the DevHub document.