My DNS change isn’t showing up
Why a DNS change doesn’t show up immediately, how to check propagation and how to clear caches.
Troubleshooting · 2 min read
You changed a DNS record, but the site or email still goes to the old place. This is usually not a fault but simply how DNS works: records are cached on servers around the world and take time to refresh.
Why isn’t it instant?
- TTL: every record has a time to live (TTL). Until it expires, internet providers may keep the old value in cache.
- Nameserver change: after you change a domain’s nameservers, propagation can take 24–48 hours (see Nameservers).
- Local cache: your browser and operating system also keep DNS answers for a while.
1. Confirm you made the change in the right place
DNS records are edited wherever your domain’s nameservers point. If you edited the record in the wrong place (for example in the hosting panel while the nameservers are at another provider) it has no effect. To see the nameservers:
nslookup -type=ns yourdomain.com2. Query the authoritative server
Asking the authoritative nameserver directly shows whether the change was made, independent of caches:
dig @ns1.example.net yourdomain.com A +shortIf the authoritative server returns the new value, the change is right; you only have to wait for propagation.
3. Check propagation from different places
dig @8.8.8.8 yourdomain.com A +short
dig @1.1.1.1 yourdomain.com A +shortOnline “DNS propagation” tools also show results from servers in different parts of the world.
4. Clear the local cache
| System | Command |
|---|---|
| Windows | ipconfig /flushdns |
| macOS | sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder |
| Linux (systemd) | sudo resolvectl flush-caches |
Also clear the browser cache or try a private window.
5. Common mistakes
- Writing the domain twice in the record name (
www.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com). - Defining another record on the same name as a CNAME.
- Putting an IP address in an MX record: an MX must point to a hostname.
- Breaking a TXT value with quotes or extra spaces.
Next time
If you are planning a big move, lower the TTL to 300 seconds at least a day before the change; the switch is much quicker (see Moving your website).
If 48 hours have passed and the change still isn’t visible, open a ticket with your domain, the record you changed and the command output.