Resolvers may cache DNS responses. After a change, different networks can therefore temporarily return different results.
Check that you changed the nameserver actually used by the domain, then inspect the record value and TTL. There is no guaranteed propagation time that applies to every change.
1. Check the actual DNS response
The following terminal queries can help. Replace example.com with your own domain. On Windows, you can also use nslookup example.com.
dig example.com NS +short
dig example.com A +short
dig example.com MX +short2. Distinguish cached responses
- DNS TTL controls how long a record is cached; an earlier response may still follow the old TTL.
- If DNS is correct but old content remains, also check browser, application and CDN caches.
- If the nameservers differ, first establish where the change was made. Waiting alone will not fix a record configured in the wrong place.
3. When to wait and when to fix
| Query result | Action |
|---|---|
| The authoritative nameserver also has an old or incorrect value | Correct the active zone; waiting will not fix it. |
| The authoritative nameserver is updated, but a resolver still has the old value | Inspect the resolver cache and the previous TTL. |
| The record is updated, but a different site appears | Virtual host assignment, proxy/CDN and application cache. |
| The record is correct, but HTTPS fails | Certificate, virtual host and IPv4/IPv6 targets. |
