DNS & domain lookup

SOA Record Lookup

Look up the SOA (Start of Authority) record for any domain: primary nameserver, admin contact, serial and timers. Free SOA lookup over live DNS.

Look up SOA records

Enter a domain to resolve its SOA (start of authority) records over live DNS.

What this SOA record lookup does

Returns the zone's SOA record
Shows the serial number and timers
Confirms the primary nameserver and admin
One-click copy for any record value
Explains the records in plain English with AI

Common use cases

  1. 1Checking the zone serial after a change
  2. 2Verifying refresh and expire timers
  3. 3Confirming the primary nameserver
  4. 4Confirming DNS changes after an edit
  5. 5Auditing a domain you manage or are taking over

Related tools

NS Record LookupDNS Record LookupWHOIS LookupDNS Propagation CheckerDNS Health CheckerDNSSEC Validator

About SOA records

The SOA record holds administrative data for a DNS zone: the primary nameserver, the admin contact, a serial number that changes on every edit, and the refresh, retry, expire and minimum-TTL timers.

This lookup queries your SOA (start of authority) records in real time over DNS-over-HTTPS, so you see exactly what resolvers see right now — useful for verifying changes, auditing a setup, or troubleshooting.

More Free Tools Where This Came From

This utility is one of dozens of free, no-login tools for DNS, email, SEO and developers — all instant and private.

See All ToolsTalk to Our Team

HostCloud.in  ·  Pune, India  ·  Serving 34,987+ Websites Since 2020

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Got Questions? We Have Answers.

What is an SOA record?

The SOA (Start of Authority) record holds administrative data for a DNS zone: the primary nameserver, admin email, serial number and the refresh, retry, expire and minimum-TTL timers.

What is the serial number for?

The serial increases every time the zone changes. Secondary nameservers compare it to know when to pull an updated copy.

What do the timers mean?

Refresh and retry control how often secondaries check for updates, expire is how long they serve data if the primary is unreachable, and minimum sets negative-caching TTL.

Why does every domain have an SOA record?

The SOA defines the zone's authority and is required for a valid DNS zone. A missing SOA means the zone is misconfigured.

Is this lookup live?

Yes. The SOA record is resolved in real time over DNS-over-HTTPS.

How do I read the SOA fields?

The value lists the primary nameserver, admin contact, then serial, refresh, retry, expire and minimum in that order.