CNAME Lookup
CNAME Lookup reveals the canonical name a hostname points to, following the alias so you can see the real target behind any subdomain.
About CNAME Lookup
A CNAME (canonical name) record makes one hostname an alias for another. When www.example.eu is a CNAME to example.eu, or a subdomain points to a hosted platform, resolvers follow the alias to the target's address records to finish the lookup. This tool queries the CNAME record of any hostname and shows the alias-to-target mapping together with its TTL.
CNAMEs are everywhere in modern hosting: CDNs, static-site platforms, marketing and email subdomains, and vendor domain-verification all rely on them. Two rules matter. A CNAME cannot coexist with other record types at the same name, and it must not sit at the zone apex (the bare domain), where the required SOA and NS records live. A CNAME may also point to another CNAME, forming a chain that resolvers follow hop by hop.
Because the lookup runs server-side from our European resolver and naturally surfaces the alias, you can confirm a subdomain is delegated to the right provider or catch a dangling CNAME that still references a decommissioned host. A stale target left in place is a common subdomain-takeover risk, so verifying where each alias actually points is worth doing periodically.
How to use it
- 1Enter the exact hostname you want to check, such as www.example.eu or cdn.example.eu, since CNAMEs live on subdomains rather than the bare domain.
- 2Run the lookup to see the canonical target the alias resolves to, along with its TTL.
- 3If the target is itself an alias, follow the chain through each hop to the final hostname.
- 4Cross-check the target against the value your CDN, SaaS platform or verification provider requires.
Common use cases
- -Confirm that a subdomain such as www, shop or docs points to the correct provider or CDN endpoint.
- -Verify vendor-required CNAMEs for domain verification, email tracking or CDN onboarding.
- -Detect dangling CNAMEs that still reference a deprovisioned service and pose a takeover risk.
- -Debug why a subdomain fails to resolve, whether from a broken chain or an apex CNAME mistake.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a CNAME record?
- A CNAME (canonical name) record maps one hostname to another, making the first an alias of the second. Resolvers follow the CNAME to the target's address records to complete the lookup.
- How do I look up a CNAME?
- Enter the specific hostname, such as www.example.eu, and run the lookup. The tool returns the canonical target the alias points to along with its TTL.
- Can a domain have a CNAME at its root?
- No. The DNS standard forbids a CNAME at the zone apex because it would conflict with the required SOA and NS records. Use an A or AAAA record there, or a provider's ALIAS/ANAME feature.
- What is a CNAME chain?
- A CNAME chain occurs when a CNAME points to a hostname that is itself a CNAME. Resolvers follow each hop to the final target, and long chains add lookups and latency, so they are best kept short.
- What is a dangling CNAME?
- A dangling CNAME points to a target that no longer exists, such as a removed cloud resource. It can leave a subdomain open to takeover if someone re-registers the target, so stale aliases should be removed.