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DNSSEC Checker

Enter a domain to check if DNSSEC is enabled, protecting against DNS spoofing attacks.

DNSSEC checks run server-side via Google and Cloudflare resolvers.

How to use DNSSEC Checker

The DNSSEC checker inspects whether a domain has DNS Security Extensions enabled and whether its chain of trust validates correctly, examining the DNSKEY, DS and RRSIG records involved. DNSSEC adds cryptographic signatures to DNS answers so resolvers can detect tampering and cache-poisoning attacks that would otherwise redirect users to malicious servers without any visible sign. Use this tool to confirm DNSSEC is active for your domain, to verify the DS record at the registrar matches your zone, or to diagnose the validation failures that can make a signed domain unreachable.

  1. Enter the domain you want to check for DNSSEC.
  2. Click Check to query its DNSKEY, DS and signature records.
  3. Confirm whether DNSSEC is enabled and validating.
  4. Verify the DS record at the parent matches the zone’s key.
  5. Investigate any chain-of-trust break the tool reports.

How the chain of trust works

DNSSEC builds a chain from the root zone down to your domain. Your zone signs its records with a key whose fingerprint is published as a DS record in the parent zone; the parent in turn is signed by its parent, all the way to the trusted root. A resolver validates each link in this chain. If any link is broken — most commonly a DS record at the registrar that no longer matches the zone’s active key after a key rollover — validation fails and security-aware resolvers return errors instead of answers, making the domain appear down.

Benefits and operational care

When it validates, DNSSEC guarantees the DNS answers a user receives are exactly what the domain owner published, defeating cache poisoning and many man-in-the-middle redirects. The trade-off is operational: signed zones must be maintained carefully, and key rollovers must be coordinated with the DS record at the registrar or the domain breaks for everyone using a validating resolver. Because such failures are all-or-nothing and hard to spot from an unvalidating client, periodic checks like this one are the best early warning.

DNSSEC records
RecordRole
DNSKEYThe public keys that sign the zone
DSA key fingerprint held by the parent zone
RRSIGThe signatures over each record set

Glossary

DNSSEC
DNS Security Extensions that cryptographically sign DNS records.
DNSKEY
A record holding the public keys used to sign a zone.
DS record
A delegation signer record in the parent zone that anchors trust.
RRSIG
A signature record proving a record set is authentic.
Chain of trust
The linked signatures from the root zone down to a domain.

Related reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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Why use DNSSEC Checker?

  • Real-time DNS lookups using live resolver queries
  • Supports IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
  • No software to install — runs entirely in the browser
  • Results include TTL values and record priority

Common use cases

  • Verify DNS propagation after updating nameservers
  • Check MX records when troubleshooting email delivery
  • Look up SPF/DKIM/DMARC records for email security audits
  • Test whether a SSL certificate is valid and up to date
  • Find the IP address behind a domain name

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