DNS

CNAME Record Lookup

Alias Resolution

DNS canonical name lookup

Enter a domain name to check its DNS CNAME records and analyze canonical name aliases and hosting services.

DNS Resolver

Most domains return the same records on every resolver — the choice matters during DNS propagation, or when a filtering resolver blocks a domain.

Tool features

Comprehensive CNAME record analysis with service detection and validation
4 checks

CNAME Resolution

Lookup and resolve DNS CNAME (Canonical Name) records

Redirect Detection

Identify domain aliases and redirections

Service Detection

Automatically detect CDN and hosting services

Fast Validation

Validate CNAME records for common configuration issues

What is a CNAME record & how it works

How a hostname becomes an alias for another

A CNAME (Canonical Name) record points one hostname at another, making it an alias. When a resolver looks up the alias, DNS follows the CNAME to the canonical target and resolves that instead — which is how www.example.com can transparently point at a CDN or hosting provider's hostname.

CNAMEs are widely used to delegate a subdomain to a service (a CDN, SaaS app or load balancer) without hard-coding its IPs. A key rule: a hostname with a CNAME cannot carry any other records, so the zone apex (the bare domain) can't use one. This lookup follows the alias chain and flags the target and any hosting service behind it.

CNAME
An alias record pointing one hostname at a canonical target hostname.
Canonical name
The real hostname a CNAME resolves to, whose A/AAAA records are used.
Apex restriction
The bare domain can’t use a CNAME — use A/ALIAS/ANAME there instead.

How to use this tool

Check a hostname's CNAME in four steps
1
Enter a hostname
Type a subdomain, e.g. www.example.com — CNAMEs live on subdomains, not the bare domain.
2
Pick a resolver (optional)
Open Advanced Settings to query a specific public resolver such as Google (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1).
3
Run the lookup
Click Check CNAME Records to resolve the alias and follow the canonical-name chain.
4
Review the target
See the canonical target, any detected hosting service, and the full resolution chain.

Related tools

Keep debugging with tools from the same suite
4 tools
DNS Lookup
Perform DNS queries for A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, and other DNS record types
All DNS Records
Check all DNS records for a domain in one comprehensive scan including all record types
SOA Lookup
Check Start of Authority (SOA) records for domain authority and DNS zone information
DNS Lookup
Perform DNS queries for A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, and other DNS record types

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about CNAME records
5 Q&A

A CNAME (Canonical Name) record makes one hostname an alias for another. DNS resolvers follow the CNAME to its target and resolve that hostname’s A/AAAA records instead.

No. The zone apex (the bare domain, e.g. example.com) must have SOA and NS records, and a hostname with a CNAME can’t hold any other records. Use an A record, or a provider’s ALIAS/ANAME/flattening feature, at the apex.

An A record maps a hostname directly to an IP address, while a CNAME maps a hostname to another hostname (an alias). CNAMEs are handy when the target’s IP may change, since you point at a name instead.

Technically yes — a CNAME can point to another CNAME — but each hop adds a lookup and latency, and long chains are discouraged. Keep aliases to a single hop where possible.

CNAMEs let you delegate a subdomain to a service (CDN, SaaS, load balancer) by name, so when the provider changes its IPs your record keeps working automatically without any edits on your side.