dig

Dig, short for Domain Information Groper, is a command-line utility used to query DNS name servers for information about domain names and the DNS records associated with them. It is part of the BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain) DNS software suite and is maintained by the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC). Dig is widely available on Unix-like systems and is also provided on other platforms through BIND packages or compatible DNS tools.

Typical usage is: dig [@server] name [type], where the optional @server specifies a specific DNS server and the type indicates the DNS record to query (for example A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, SOA, or CNAME). If type is omitted, A is assumed for IPv4 or the DNS resolver's default behavior. The command supports numerous options, such as +short to show only the answer, +trace to follow the delegation path from the root, and +time=seconds to set a timeout.

Output typically includes several sections: a header, QUESTION, ANSWER, AUTHORITY, and ADDITIONAL, with additional details like TTLs and response codes. Dig is valued for its scriptability and precise control over queries, making it a standard tool for diagnosing DNS problems, verifying zone configurations, and inspecting DNSSEC status when supported by the resolver.

Related tools include nslookup and host. Dig is a diagnostic utility rather than a web search tool; some servers may limit certain query types due to abuse or performance concerns.