Free tool
DNS and CNAME checker
Enter a hostname and see exactly what the public resolvers return right now — the same lookups our domain wizard runs when you connect a branded domain.
Why the records matter
A branded short domain is only as reliable as the two or three DNS records behind it. A CNAME pointing at the wrong target, an A record left over from an old host, or a proxy sitting in front of the certificate check will all produce the same symptom for a visitor: a link that used to work and now does not.
This tool reads the same record types the platform reads when it verifies a domain, and it reads them from a public resolver rather than your machine, so a stale local cache cannot mislead you. The CNAME guide explains what each record should contain.
About propagation
There is no global switch that flips. Every resolver caches an answer for the time-to-live of the record it received, so a change appears at different moments for different visitors. Lowering the TTL before a migration, rather than after, is what makes a cutover feel instant.
If this checker shows the new value but your browser still lands on the old destination, your operating system or your ISP is holding a cached answer. Wait out the previous TTL rather than changing the record again — see custom domains for the full connection flow.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my apex domain for short links?
Yes, but the mechanics differ. An apex domain cannot carry a plain CNAME record under the DNS specification, so it needs either a provider that offers ALIAS or ANAME flattening, or plain A records pointing at our ingress addresses. This tool tells you which of the two applies to your name by reading the nameservers of the zone.
How is this different from running dig myself?
It is the same query, asked from a neutral place. Your workstation may hold a cached answer, your corporate resolver may rewrite responses, and a VPN can send the query somewhere else entirely. This runs over DNS-over-HTTPS against a public resolver, which is also exactly how the platform checks a domain, so the answers match what the verification step will see.
What is the TXT record for?
Domain ownership. Before an apex domain is served, the platform asks you to publish a TXT record with a value only you could have been given, then confirms it is present. It is a one-off step: once verification succeeds the record can stay in place harmlessly, and it is what stops someone else from claiming a name they do not control.
How long until a change is live?
As long as the previous record's TTL, and no longer. If the old record had a one-hour TTL, resolvers that cached it will keep answering with the old value for up to an hour. Records that were never queried before appear almost immediately, which is why a brand new subdomain usually works within seconds.
Connect the domain properly
Automatic certificates, apex support and a wizard that checks every record for you.
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