After making DNS changes, systematically verifying everything is correctly configured catches issues before they cause real problems for users or email delivery. This guide covers a complete verification checklist.
Step 1 — Verify Nameserver Delegation
dig yourdomain.com NSConfirm the returned nameservers match exactly what's configured at your domain registrar — a mismatch here undermines everything else.
Step 2 — Verify A/AAAA Records Point to the Correct Server
dig yourdomain.com A
dig yourdomain.com AAAAStep 3 — Verify www Subdomain (If Applicable)
dig www.yourdomain.comConfirm it either has its own correct record or properly redirects/CNAMEs to the main domain, depending on your intended configuration.
Step 4 — Verify Email-Related Records
dig yourdomain.com MX
dig yourdomain.com TXTCheck MX records point to the correct mail server, and TXT records include correctly-formatted SPF/DKIM/DMARC entries if you're sending email from this domain.
Step 5 — Verify from Multiple External Resolvers
dig @8.8.8.8 yourdomain.com
dig @1.1.1.1 yourdomain.comConfirm consistent results across different public resolvers, not just your own local/ISP resolver which might have stale cached data.
Step 6 — Check DNSSEC Validation (If Enabled)
dig +dnssec yourdomain.comSee How to Set Up DNSSEC for Your Domain for interpreting results if you've enabled DNSSEC.
Step 7 — Verify SSL Certificate Matches Your DNS-Resolved Domain
curl -I https://yourdomain.comConfirm the site actually loads correctly over HTTPS at the domain your DNS now points to.
Step 8 — Test Email Deliverability End-to-End
Send an actual test email and verify it delivers correctly, in addition to just checking the DNS records look syntactically correct — DNS records existing doesn't guarantee they're functionally correct for actual mail flow.
Step 9 — Use a Comprehensive DNS Health Check Tool
Several online DNS health-check tools test many aspects of your configuration simultaneously (delegation, common misconfigurations, SPF/DKIM syntax) — useful as a broad sanity check beyond manual individual queries.
Step 10 — Document Your DNS Configuration
Keep a record of your intended DNS configuration (what each record should be) separate from the live DNS provider interface — useful for quickly spotting drift or unauthorized changes, and for disaster recovery if you ever need to rebuild your DNS zone from scratch.
Creating a Repeatable Verification Checklist
For domains you manage regularly, consider scripting these checks (using dig in a simple shell script) to quickly re-verify configuration after any change, rather than manually re-running each command individually every time.
Continue Reading
- How to Use dig and nslookup for DNS Troubleshooting
- Common DNS Errors and How to Fix Them
- How to Set Up DNSSEC for Your Domain
Browse more articles in Networking & DNS.
