Introduction
When it comes to DNS troubleshooting and querying DNS records directly from the command line, the dig (Domain Information Groper) command is an essential tool for system administrators, network engineers, and penetration testers.
This cheat sheet provides quick, practical examples so you can retrieve the exact DNS data you need without wading through manuals.
Installation
# Ubuntu/Debian sudo apt update sudo apt install dnsutils # Fedora / Red Hat / CentOS / Rocky Linux / AlmaLinux sudo dnf install bind-utils
Basic Syntax
dig [@server] [name] [type]
- @server – Optional DNS server to query (e.g.,@8.8.8.8). - name – The domain name (e.g.,example.com). - type – DNS record type (A,AAAA,MX,NS,TXT, etc.).
Common Use Cases
# Lookup an A Record (IPv4) dig example.com A # Lookup an AAAA Record (IPv6) dig example.com AAAA # Find Mail Servers (MX) dig example.com MX # Retrieve Name Servers (NS) dig example.com NS # Get TXT Records (SPF, DKIM, etc.) dig example.com TXT # Specify a Custom DNS Server dig @1.1.1.1 example.com A dig @8.8.8.8 example.com A # Query All Records (Some DNS servers restrict ANY queries.) dig example.com ANY # Perform a Reverse DNS Lookup dig -x 8.8.8.8 # Check SOA Record dig example.com SOA # Trace the DNS Resolution Path dig +trace example.com # Short Answer Mode (No Extra Info) dig +short example.com # Get Query Time & Stats dig example.com A +stats # Suppress All Comments (Clean Output) dig example.com +noall +answer # Save Output to a File dig example.com A > result.txt
Pro Tips
💡 Use +short for scripting – Perfect for automation pipelines.
💡 Combine with grep – Filter only what you need:
dig example.com MX +short | grep mail
💡 Test multiple DNS servers – Quickly compare results across 8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1, or your local resolver.
💡 DNSSEC Verification – Ensure records are signed:
dig example.com +dnssec
💡 Check Multiple Record Types and Save to File – Great for documentation:
dig example.com A MX NS TXT > dns_report.txt
💡 Minimal Clean Output (Automation Friendly) – Show only the IP:
dig example.com A +noall +answer | awk '{print $5}'
💡 Filter Results with grep – For example, only list IPv4 addresses:
dig example.com A +short | grep -E '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$'
Final Thoughts
The dig command is a Swiss Army knife for DNS lookups. Whether you’re diagnosing connectivity issues, verifying records after a DNS change, or automating checks in scripts, having this cheat sheet on hand will keep your workflow fast and efficient.
