🌐 DNS Propagation Checker

Query up to 200 domains across 8 global resolvers to extract structured A, MX, TXT, NS, and SOA records for bulk domain auditing and configuration monitoring. Managing large portfolios of websites requires robust tools to ensure fundamental infrastructure settings remain correct across all regions. This DNS propagation checker automates the process of validating nameserver updates across primary networks like Google (8.8.8.8), Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), and Quad9. Instead of performing tedious manual lookups in your browser or terminal, you can run automated jobs to scrape vital domain details and confirm that updates have successfully propagated worldwide. The tool is highly effective for identifying regional caching delays that might prevent users from accessing the latest deployment. By detecting inconsistencies in TTL values across different DNS servers, operations teams can confidently schedule runs to monitor nameserver changes during large-scale hosting migrations. Collect the exact data you need to verify global availability and maintain domain health. Easily track NS record shifts, validate A record IPs, and extract historical logs of your DNS states over time, ensuring your web properties are consistently accessible to all international traffic and preventing costly routing outages.

Store Quickstart

Start with the Quickstart template (3 domains, A records). For multi-record audits, use Full DNS Audit (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS).

Key Features

• 🌐 8 global DNS resolvers — Google, Cloudflare, Quad9, OpenDNS, Cisco Umbrella, Level3, Verisign, Dyn
• 📋 7 record types — A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS, SOA
• ⚠️ Inconsistency detection — Instantly spots resolvers that disagree
• ⏱️ TTL reporting — See caching behavior across resolvers
• 📦 Bulk domains — Check up to 200 domains per run
• 🔑 No API key needed — Uses Node.js built-in dns.Resolver

Use Cases

Who	Why
DNS administrators	Verify DNS changes propagated globally before changing URLs
Hosting migrations	Confirm nameserver switch completed at all resolvers
Email deliverability	Check MX, SPF, DKIM TXT records consistency
Security teams	Detect DNS hijacking via inconsistent resolver responses
DevOps teams	Pre-deploy DNS verification for production cutover

Input

Field	Type	Default	Description
domains	string[]	(required)	Domains to check (max 200)
recordTypes	string[]	["A"]	A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS, SOA

Input Example

{
  "domains": ["example.com", "api.example.com"],
  "recordTypes": ["A", "MX", "TXT"]
}

Input Examples

Example: Single domain global check

{
  "domains": [
    "example.com"
  ],
  "recordTypes": [
    "A",
    "AAAA"
  ]
}

Example: After-change propagation watch

{
  "domains": [
    "example.com"
  ],
  "recordTypes": [
    "A",
    "MX",
    "TXT"
  ],
  "waitForFullPropagation": true
}

Example: Multi-domain audit

{
  "domains": [
    "a.com",
    "b.com",
    "c.com"
  ],
  "recordTypes": [
    "A"
  ],
  "resolvers": [
    "cloudflare",
    "google",
    "quad9"
  ]
}

Output

Field	Type	Description
domain	string	Domain queried
recordType	string	DNS record type (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, NS)
resolver	string	DNS resolver IP used
values	string[]	Resolved values
ttl	integer	Time-to-live in seconds
queryTimeMs	integer	Query response time
error	string	null

Output Example

{
  "domain": "example.com",
  "recordType": "A",
  "resolvers": [
    {"name": "Google", "ip": "8.8.8.8", "values": ["93.184.216.34"], "ttl": 86400},
    {"name": "Cloudflare", "ip": "1.1.1.1", "values": ["93.184.216.34"], "ttl": 86400}
  ],
  "isConsistent": true,
  "inconsistencies": []
}

API Usage

Run this actor programmatically using the Apify API. Replace YOUR_API_TOKEN with your token from Apify Console → Settings → Integrations.

cURL

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/taroyamada~dns-propagation-checker/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "domains": ["example.com", "api.example.com"], "recordTypes": ["A", "MX", "TXT"] }'

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("taroyamada/dns-propagation-checker").call(run_input={
  "domains": ["example.com", "api.example.com"],
  "recordTypes": ["A", "MX", "TXT"]
})

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

JavaScript / Node.js

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' });
const run = await client.actor('taroyamada/dns-propagation-checker').call({
  "domains": ["example.com", "api.example.com"],
  "recordTypes": ["A", "MX", "TXT"]
});

const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

Security cluster — Adjacent actors

Most defensive-security audits cover multiple layers on the same domains. The actors below pair naturally with this one:

• dns-dmarc-security-checker — Verify email DNS records (DMARC / SPF / DKIM) propagated globally — audit + propagation pairing.
• ssl-certificate-monitor — Cert renewal propagation check on the same hostnames.
• security-headers-checker — After DNS-side changes are visible, audit HTTP security headers on the same hosts.

Tips & Limitations

• Compare results across resolvers (8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1, 208.67.222.222) to verify propagation.
• Use after a DNS change to confirm global rollout before pointing production traffic.
• Query MX + TXT records together to audit email configuration in one run.
• Low TTLs (<300s) propagate fast; high TTLs (>3600s) may take hours globally.

FAQ

Why use 8 resolvers?

DNS caching varies by resolver. Checking multiple reveals which have updated after a change.

What's a typical propagation time?

TTL-dependent. Most DNS changes propagate globally within 1-24 hours.

Does it check geographic propagation?

No — all resolvers queried are major public ones. For geographic checks, use specialized tools.

Can I check private DNS?

No, only public DNS. Internal/private domains return NXDOMAIN.

Does this support DNSSEC validation?

Not currently — DNSSEC chain verification is on the roadmap.

Why do different resolvers return different values?

DNS propagation isn't instant. Different resolvers cache records based on TTL.

Related Actors

DevOps & Tech Intel cluster — explore related Apify tools:

• 🔍 Subdomain Finder — Discover subdomains for any domain using Certificate Transparency logs (crt.
• 🧹 CSV Data Cleaner — Clean CSV data: trim whitespace, remove empty rows, deduplicate by columns, sort.
• 📦 NPM Package Analyzer — Analyze npm packages: download stats, dependencies, licenses, deprecation status.
• 💬 Reddit Scraper — Scrape Reddit posts and comments from any subreddit via official JSON API.
• GitHub Release & Changelog Monitor API — Track GitHub releases, tags, release notes, and changelog drift over time with one summary-first repository row per repo.
• Docs & Changelog Drift Monitor API — Monitor release notes, changelog pages, migration guides, and key docs pages with one summary-first target row per monitored repo, SDK, or product.
• Tech Events Calendar API | Conferences + CFP — Aggregate tech conferences and CFPs across multiple sources into a deduplicated event calendar for DevRel and recruiting workflows.
• 🔒 OSS Vulnerability Monitor — Monitor open-source packages for known security vulnerabilities using OSV and GitHub Security Advisories.

Cost

Pay Per Event:

• actor-start: $0.01 (flat fee per run)
• dataset-item: $0.005 per output item

Example: 1,000 items = $0.01 + (1,000 × $0.005) = $5.01

No subscription required — you only pay for what you use.

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