No DNS record

“No DNS record” means a DNS lookup did not return a record of the requested type for the name that was checked. It does not always mean the domain name itself does not exist. A name can exist in DNS while having no record for one particular purpose.

How is no record different from NXDOMAIN?

If a lookup asks for an A record and the domain exists but has no A record, the DNS response can indicate that the name exists but the requested data is absent. This is often called NODATA. NXDOMAIN means the queried name does not exist. The distinction matters because a domain can have MX or TXT records for email while having no A record for a website.

For example, example.com might receive mail but have no website address record at the domain name itself. A request for its A record could therefore return no A data even though the domain and its mail service exist. A tool that reports only “no record” should identify which name and record type it checked.

Could a missing record be temporary?

Yes. The record may not have been configured, may have been changed recently, or a DNS lookup service (a resolver) may still have a saved answer saying that the name or record was missing. A DNS lookup can also fail for other reasons, such as timeout or server failure. These outcomes are different from a valid response saying the requested record is absent.

Related terms

• NXDOMAIN — says the name does not exist
• Timeout — no answer arrived in time
• DNS record — general record concept
• Incomplete check result — a check may not establish the final state