CNAME Checker Tool

Check CNAMEs in seconds & protect your deliverability.

CNAME Checker by

What Are CNAME Records?

A CNAME (Canonical Name) record is a fundamental DNS record type that creates an alias from one domain name to another. Think of it as a forwarding address that points your subdomain to another domain. When a DNS lookup encounters a CNAME record, it restarts the query using the target domain name, making it particularly useful for services that require specific subdomain configurations, such as content delivery networks (CDNs) or third-party hosting providers.

Common Implementation Scenarios

CNAME records are extensively used in modern web infrastructure for various purposes. The most common use case is setting up subdomains for third-party services, such as email providers, website builders, or cloud services. For example, if you're using a website builder that requires pointing blog.yoursite.com to their servers, a CNAME record would be the proper solution. They're also crucial for implementing CDNs, where your content needs to be served from the closest geographic server to your users.

Best Practices and Limitations

While CNAME records are versatile, they come with important limitations and best practices to consider. First, they cannot be used on root domains (apex domains) - you can't create a CNAME record for example.com, only for subdomains like www.example.com. Additionally, a hostname with a CNAME record cannot have any other DNS records. To optimize performance, it's recommended to avoid CNAME chains (multiple CNAME records pointing to each other) as they can increase DNS lookup times and potentially impact your website's loading speed.

Security Considerations and Monitoring

Security is paramount when working with CNAME records, as they can potentially be exploited for DNS-based attacks. Regular monitoring of your CNAME configurations is essential to ensure they're pointing to legitimate destinations and haven't been tampered with. Implementing DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) can provide additional security by digitally signing your DNS records, including CNAMEs, to prevent tampering and spoofing attempts. It's also important to regularly audit your CNAME records and remove any that are no longer needed to minimize potential security vulnerabilities.

What Is A CNAME Record Checker?

A CNAME Record Checker is a tool used to validate the configuration and status of CNAME (Canonical Name) DNS records. These records map one domain name to another, allowing you to use multiple domain names for the same destination. Using our CNAME Record Checker can help you simplify and speed up the process of confirming that your DNS records are working as intended, helping to maintain website and service reliability.

How Does A CNAME Record Checker Work?

A CNAME Record Checker by Salesforge works by querying the Domain Name System (DNS) to retrieve the details of a CNAME (Canonical Name) record for a specific domain or subdomain.

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Here’s how it works step-by-step:

Input the Domain or Subdomain: You provide the domain or subdomain you want to check, such as subdomain.example.com.
Query the DNS: The tool sends a query to the DNS server hosting the records for the provided domain. It specifically looks for CNAME records.
Fetch the CNAME Record: The checker retrieves the target domain (the canonical name) that the CNAME record points to.

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With Salesforge's CNAME Record Checker, you can quickly validate your DNS setup, troubleshoot errors, and ensure that your domains and subdomains function seamlessly.

Why Do I Need To Check My CNAME Records?

For email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, CNAME records often play a role in verifying your domain with third-party email platforms. Accurate records are critical to ensuring your emails avoid spam folders. Misconfigured CNAME records can also lead to website downtime, email delivery problems, or failure of third-party integrations. Regular checks help diagnose and resolve such issues quickly.

Is The CNAME Record Checker Free?

Yes! Using Salesforge’s CNAME Record Checker is completely free.