Check the domain name first
The quickest and most common check is a typo. If the domain is one letter wrong, DNS correctly reports that the name does not exist. Check subdomains too: www.example.com and example.com can exist independently.
If the domain is correct
- Open another website. If other domains fail too, the issue is more likely local or at your DNS resolver.
- Temporarily disable your VPN or private DNS, if used, and compare the result.
- Reconnect your network or router when several domains are affected.
- If necessary, clear your local DNS cache—but only after confirming the public record is not genuinely missing.
- Compare a different public resolver. Differences can reveal stale caching or delegation problems.
If you own the domain
First run a DNS lookup and check A, AAAA, CNAME, NS and other relevant records. Confirm that the domain is active, nameservers are correctly delegated and the DNS zone contains the required records. After changes, old answers may remain until their TTL expires. DNS “propagation” is not one global moment; it reflects caching at different resolvers.
NXDOMAIN is not the same as an empty answer
If the domain exists but lacks a record of the requested type, the resolver may return NOERROR without a corresponding record. NXDOMAIN means that the requested DNS name itself does not exist. A missing AAAA record on an existing domain is not the same as a nonexistent domain.
What should you check after a migration?
- Does the registrar point to the correct authoritative nameservers?
- Was the new zone actually created on those nameservers?
- Does a record exist for the exact hostname you are opening?
- Does the DNSSEC delegation match the keys on the new nameservers?
- Is an old answer still cached until the previous TTL expires?
When does changing DNS servers help?
A different resolver may help if your current one returns stale or incorrect results. If the domain genuinely lacks valid records or has incorrect delegation, changing resolvers cannot create the missing configuration.
When is it only one device?
If the domain works on a phone over mobile data but not on your computer, compare the local DNS cache, VPN, private DNS, hosts file and security software. If it fails everywhere, public DNS or the domain itself is more likely to be responsible.
Frequently asked questions
Does NXDOMAIN mean my internet is down?
Not necessarily. Only one domain may fail.
Is my ISP always responsible?
No. The cause may be a wrong URL, local cache, DNS resolver or the domain's own DNS configuration.
Is NXDOMAIN the same as a missing A record?
No. A resolver may know the domain and return NOERROR without an A record. NXDOMAIN means the DNS name does not exist.
How long does DNS propagation take?
There is no single global interval. Resolvers cache old answers until TTL, while nameserver changes also involve delegation and caching at multiple levels.