🔗 DNS CNAME Record Lookup

Query DNS CNAME records to find canonical name aliases that point subdomains to other domains.

Enter Domain Name:

💡 Tip: Enter a domain and click "Lookup CNAME Records" to retrieve canonical name aliases.

Enter a domain name and click "Lookup CNAME Records" to view results.

How an alias resolves

A CNAME says “this name is really that name”. The resolver drops the name it was asked about and starts again on the target, so the address it finally returns belongs to the target:

www.example.com.    CNAME  shop.hosting.net.
shop.hosting.net.   A      203.0.113.10

Ask this tool about www.example.com and it reports the alias. The query is made by SimpleMoney's server, not by your browser, so what comes back is the alias as the wider internet sees it — useful when a host swears they have changed a CNAME and your own machine still resolves the old target from cache.

The rules that trip people up

One only. A name may have a single CNAME, and no other record beside it. That is why a nameserver refuses to add an A record to a name that already has one.
Never at the apex. example.com must hold NS and SOA, so it cannot be a CNAME. Providers work around this with ALIAS or ANAME records, which look like a CNAME but resolve at the server.
Chains are allowed but cost you. Each hop is another lookup before the page can load.

A CNAME points DNS somewhere else; it does not redirect a URL. The address bar keeps your hostname, so the target server still has to recognise it and hold a certificate covering it, or visitors get a name mismatch warning.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the lookup return nothing for my root domain?

Because a root domain is not allowed to have a CNAME. Query a subdomain such as www.example.com, or check the A records at the apex instead.

Does a CNAME redirect visitors to the other domain?

No. Nothing in the browser changes — no redirect, and the URL stays as typed. Only the address lookup is handed off. For an actual redirect you need the web server or a redirect service to send a 301.

Can two names point to the same target?

Yes, and that is the normal use. Any number of aliases may share one canonical name; the limit is one CNAME per name, not one per target.