> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.noxity.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Track DNS

> Look up DNS records for any hostname or trace the route a query takes through the DNS hierarchy. Useful for debugging propagation and email delivery.

Track DNS is a small wrapper around the standard DNS lookup utilities. Two tools on one page: a record lookup (like `nslookup`) and a route trace (like a poor man's `dig +trace`).

<Frame caption="cPanel home → Advanced → Track DNS">
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/noxity/images/cpanel/advanced/track-dns/page-light.png" alt="Track DNS page with Domain Lookup and Trace tabs" className="block dark:hidden" />

  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/noxity/images/cpanel/advanced/track-dns/page-dark.png" alt="Track DNS page with Domain Lookup and Trace tabs" className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

## Domain Lookup

Type a hostname, hit lookup, see the records. The query runs from the cPanel server (not from your browser), so it shows what *the server* sees.

Useful for:

* "Did my A record actually update?" Type your domain, see the IP.
* "Are my MX records pointing where I think?" Switch the record type to MX.
* "Why is mail rejecting?" Look up SPF (TXT), DKIM (TXT at `selector._domainkey.domain.com`), DMARC (TXT at `_dmarc.domain.com`).

## Trace

Trace shows the chain of nameservers the query walks through to resolve a name. It starts at the root, hops to the TLD nameserver, then to the domain's authoritative nameserver, then asks for the actual record.

Useful for:

* Confirming nameserver delegation: "Is my registrar pointing at the right NS?" Trace stops at the level that's broken.
* Diagnosing slow DNS: each hop's response time is shown.

## When to use it

Most users never need this page. Open it when:

* You just changed an A or MX record and want to verify it's live.
* Your email is bouncing and you suspect SPF/DKIM/DMARC misconfiguration.
* A site is loading on one network but not another (DNS propagation).

For "is propagation done?" outside your network, use a public tool like `https://dnschecker.org` instead. Track DNS only shows what the cPanel server sees.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The lookup shows the old IP even though I just changed the record">
    DNS responses are cached server-side based on the record's TTL. The cPanel server might still hold a fresh-from-the-old-record cached answer. Wait the TTL out (default is often 300-3600 seconds) or query a specific external resolver from a real shell:

    ```bash theme={}
    dig @8.8.8.8 mydomain.com +short
    ```

    `8.8.8.8` is Google's resolver; `1.1.1.1` is Cloudflare's. Different resolvers cache independently.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Track DNS shows the right record, but my visitors still see the old site">
    Their DNS resolver (their ISP's, their browser's local cache, or their device) is caching the old record. Time fixes it. To check from a visitor's perspective, ask them to flush their DNS cache and retry, or test from a different network.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Looking up MX records for my domain returns nothing">
    Either the records aren't published yet, or the domain's nameservers don't have an MX record at all (which means the server defaults are used, or mail rejects). Check [Zone Editor](/web-hosting/cpanel/domain-management/zone-editor) for what's actually configured on Noxity-hosted domains; for domains hosted elsewhere, check the registrar/DNS provider.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Trace stops at the TLD with no answer">
    Means the registrar's NS records aren't pointing at a working authoritative nameserver. Either the nameserver is down, or the registrar still has stale NS values from a previous host. Fix at the registrar's domain panel.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Need a hand?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Open a ticket" icon="life-ring" href="https://members.noxity.io/submitticket.php">
    Best for anything that needs an account check or a config change on our end.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Live chat" icon="messages" href="https://noxity.io/contact">
    Faster for quick questions during business hours.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>