Free CNAME Record Lookup
Look up CNAME records for any domain. Follows the full resolution chain, detects the hosting service (AWS, Cloudflare, Vercel, Shopify, etc.), and shows associated A/AAAA records.
Check CNAME records and follow the resolution chain for any domain
Enter a hostname like blog.example.com, www.example.com, or cdn.example.com. CNAME records are typically on subdomains, not root domains.
What Is a CNAME Record?
A CNAME (Canonical Name) record is a type of DNS record that maps one domain name to another. Think of it as an alias — when you visit blog.example.com, the CNAME record says "actually, go look at example.wordpress.com instead."
CNAME records are one of the most commonly used DNS record types because they let you point subdomains to external services without managing IP addresses directly. When the service changes its IP address, your DNS automatically follows.
; Example CNAME record
blog.example.com. IN CNAME example.wordpress.com.
shop.example.com. IN CNAME shops.myshopify.com.
cdn.example.com. IN CNAME d1234.cloudfront.net.
CNAME vs A Record: When to Use Each
| Feature | CNAME Record | A Record |
|---|---|---|
| Points to | Another domain name | An IP address (IPv4) |
| Root domain? | No (RFC restriction) | Yes |
| Subdomains? | Yes (most common use) | Yes |
| IP changes | Automatic (follows target) | Manual update required |
| Speed | Slightly slower (extra DNS hop) | Direct (one lookup) |
| Best for | External services, CDNs, SaaS platforms | Root domain, servers you control |
Common CNAME Use Cases
www.example.comexample.com or CDNThe most common CNAME — pointing www to the root domain or a CDN. Ensures www.example.com and example.com serve the same content.
blog.example.comWordPress, Ghost, or WebflowPoint your blog subdomain to a hosted blogging platform. The platform handles hosting; you keep your brand domain.
shop.example.comShopify, BigCommerceE-commerce stores on external platforms. Your store looks like it's on your domain even though Shopify hosts it.
cdn.example.comCloudFront, Cloudflare, FastlyServe static assets (images, CSS, JS) from a CDN. Faster loading for users worldwide.
mail.example.comEmail providerSome email setups use CNAME for webmail access. Also used for DKIM and email authentication records.
em1234._domainkey.example.comEmail service providerDKIM authentication for email marketing. Required by services like SendGrid, Mailgun, and Sequenzy to verify you own the domain.
status.example.comStatuspage, Instatus, BetteruptimeBranded status page hosted by a monitoring service. Keeps your status page on-brand without self-hosting.
docs.example.comGitBook, ReadMe, MintlifyDocumentation hosted on a docs platform but accessible via your brand domain.
CNAME Rules & Restrictions
No CNAME on root domain
The DNS specification (RFC 1034) prohibits CNAME records on the root domain (example.com). CNAME can only be used on subdomains (www.example.com, blog.example.com). Some DNS providers offer 'CNAME flattening' or 'ALIAS' records as a workaround.
CNAME cannot coexist with other records
If a subdomain has a CNAME record, it cannot have any other record types (A, MX, TXT) on the same name. This is why CNAME on root domains is banned — root domains need MX records for email.
CNAME chains should be short
A CNAME can point to another CNAME, which can point to another. But long chains add latency (each hop requires a DNS query). Best practice: keep chains to 1-2 hops maximum.
TTL affects propagation speed
When you change a CNAME record, the old value may be cached by DNS resolvers. Lower TTL (e.g., 300 seconds) means faster propagation but more DNS queries. Higher TTL (e.g., 86400 seconds) means slower changes but less DNS overhead.
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About this tool
A CNAME (Canonical Name) record is one of the most important DNS record types. It's essentially an alias — it points one domain name to another, allowing you to use subdomains like blog.example.com or shop.example.com while the actual hosting is handled by a third-party service.
This tool looks up the CNAME record for any hostname, follows the resolution chain (CNAME → CNAME → final IP), and identifies the underlying service. Enter a subdomain to see if it's pointing to Cloudflare, AWS, Shopify, Vercel, or any other platform.
CNAME records are crucial for email authentication too. When you set up email marketing with services like Sequenzy, you'll add CNAME records for DKIM authentication. Our DKIM checker verifies these records are set up correctly, and our MX record lookup checks your mail server configuration.
For a broader view of your DNS setup, also check our SPF checker and DMARC checker to make sure your domain's email authentication is properly configured.
Frequently Asked Questions
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