What Is dig?

dig is a command-line tool used for querying the Domain Name System (DNS). It stands for Domain Information Groper. It’s a powerful utility for diagnosing DNS issues and gathering information about DNS records.

dig gives you a direct window into the DNS. It lets you ask a DNS server specific questions about a domain and returns a detailed response, which can be invaluable for troubleshooting problems like incorrect IP addresses, email delivery issues, or domain delegation errors.

How dig works

When you run a dig command, you instruct your computer to perform a direct query against a DNS server. The command allows you to specify exactly what information you’re looking for, such as the record type (A, CNAME, MX, etc.) and the specific DNS server you want to query.

For example, a command like dig dnsimple.com will perform a standard lookup for the domain’s A record. The output is highly detailed, showing you the final answer (the IP address) along with the entire query process, including which server answered the query, the time it took, and the various sections of the DNS response.

dig’s role in troubleshooting

The detailed output of dig provides the following key information:

• The answer: Shows the actual DNS records returned, such as IP addresses or mail server hostnames.
• The authority: Displays the authoritative name servers for the domain, confirming who is responsible for the zone.
• Query time: Tells you how long the query took, which helps in diagnosing performance issues.
• Status codes: Provides a status (e.g., NOERROR, NXDOMAIN) that tells you whether the query was successful, if the domain doesn’t exist, or if there was a server error.

Analyzing this information lets you pinpoint exactly where a DNS problem lies—whether it’s an incorrect record, an unresponsive name server, or a caching issue.

You can learn more about using dig in How to Use dig. A quick reference for dig is available in our dig Reference Guide.

Have more questions?

If you have additional questions or need any assistance troubleshooting your DNS, just contact support, and we’ll be happy to help.