DNS Tools

SOA Record Lookup

Read a domain's SOA record - its primary nameserver, zone serial number and timing settings.

Not sure what to enter? Try an example: google.com

Free & instant No signup How to use FAQ

Enter a domain to see its Start of Authority record, which names the primary DNS server and shows the zone's serial number and timers.

What is an SOA record?

The SOA (Start of Authority) record holds a DNS zone's administrative settings: the primary nameserver, the responsible contact, the zone serial number and the refresh, retry, expire and minimum TTL timers that secondary nameservers and resolvers follow.

How to look up an SOA record

Enter the domain in the box above.
Click Look Up SOA.
Check the primary nameserver matches your DNS provider.
After editing the zone, the serial number should increase - if it does not, secondary servers may not pick up the change.

Related checks

To list the domain's nameservers, use the NS Record Lookup.
To see how long records are cached, use the TTL Checker.

The serial number above should go up every time the zone is edited - if it never changes, your secondary nameservers may be serving old data. JustChecker records DNS changes over time so you can see exactly when the zone was last updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

It goes up every time the zone changes. Secondary nameservers compare it to decide whether to copy the latest records, so a serial that never changes after an edit points to a DNS sync problem.

It sets how long resolvers remember that a record does not exist. A high value means a newly created record can take longer to appear for people who looked it up just before.

Rarely. Your DNS provider manages it automatically; it is mainly useful for diagnosing which provider is really in charge of a domain.

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