Linux dig Command: Simple DNS Lookup Examples

The dig (Domain Information Groper) command helps developers check DNS records and troubleshoot domain resolution on Linux. It is one of the first tools to reach for when a domain isn't behaving the way you expect.

1. Install dig

On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems, dig ships in the dnsutils package:

sudo apt update sudo apt install dnsutils 

2. Find a Domain's IP Address

dig safal.me +short 

The +short flag trims the output down to just the IP addresses found in the DNS response.

3. Check DNS Records

Pass a record type after the domain name:

dig safal.me A dig safal.me AAAA dig safal.me MX dig safal.me NS dig safal.me TXT 

4. Query a Specific DNS Server

dig @8.8.8.8 safal.me 

This sends the query to Google's public DNS resolver instead of your system default, which is handy for checking whether a problem is local to your resolver.

5. Trace DNS Resolution

dig safal.me +trace 

This shows the delegation process step by step, from the root servers down to the domain's authoritative name servers.

Conclusion

The dig command is a useful tool for developers and DevOps engineers troubleshooting DNS issues. Once you know these few flags, most DNS debugging becomes quick and predictable.

Next: Linux nslookup Command: Simple Examples.

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I'm Safal Bhattarai, a Tech Lead, Full Stack Developer, and DevOps Engineer.

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