Enter a hostname to see whether it is an alias and follow its full CNAME chain, hop by hop, to the final IP addresses. Each target is matched to the CDN or hosting platform behind it, and broken or dangling aliases are flagged.
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Enter a hostname such as www.example.com and click Find CNAME chain to follow every alias to the final IP addresses.
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How to use the CNAME Lookup
Type a hostname such as www.example.com, or paste a full URL; the host name is taken from it.
Click Find CNAME chain or press Enter.
Follow the chain from the queried name through each alias to the final name and its IP addresses.
Check the platform tags to see which CDN or service each alias belongs to.
Act on warnings: remove dangling CNAMEs, break loops, or replace an apex CNAME with your DNS host's ALIAS record.
Common CNAME targets and what they mean
The end of a CNAME chain often reveals which service hosts a site. These target patterns are typical; the exact names are assigned by each provider.
CNAME target ends with
Service
Typical use
.cloudfront.net
Amazon CloudFront
CDN in front of S3, load balancers or apps
.edgekey.net, .akamaiedge.net
Akamai
Enterprise CDN and security
.fastly.net
Fastly
CDN and edge compute
.azureedge.net, .azurefd.net
Azure CDN / Front Door
Microsoft cloud delivery
.trafficmanager.net
Azure Traffic Manager
DNS-based failover and geo routing
.github.io
GitHub Pages
Static project and documentation sites
.netlify.app, cname.vercel-dns.com
Netlify, Vercel
Jamstack and front-end hosting
shops.myshopify.com
Shopify
Online stores on a custom domain
ghs.googlehosted.com
Google
Google Sites, Blogger and other Google services
CNAME rules worth knowing
One record only. A name with a CNAME cannot also have A, MX, TXT or other records. That is why email and verification records go on the root domain or another name, not on an alias.
Never on the apex. example.com itself needs SOA and NS records, so it cannot be a CNAME. Use your DNS host's ALIAS, ANAME or flattening feature, or plain A records.
MX and NS must not point to a CNAME. RFC 2181 requires their targets to be real host names. Check them with the MX Lookup and NS Lookup.
Clean up when you leave a platform. Delete the CNAME before or right after deleting the app, bucket or site it points to, to avoid dangling records and subdomain takeovers.
TTL controls switching speed. Lower the TTL of an alias before moving it to a new provider, then raise it again once the change has spread. Watch it with the DNS Propagation Checker.
Frequently asked questions
What is a CNAME record?
A CNAME (canonical name) record makes one hostname an alias of another. When a resolver looks up www.example.com and finds a CNAME to example.netlify.app, it starts again with the target name and returns that name's addresses. It lets a service provider change its IP addresses without you editing your DNS.
What is a CNAME chain?
A chain forms when a CNAME target is itself a CNAME. CDNs and cloud platforms often use two to four aliases, for example your name to a customer-specific name, then to a regional edge name. Resolvers follow the whole chain automatically, but each hop adds lookup time, and the shortest TTL in the chain decides how long the answer is cached.
Can I put a CNAME on my root domain?
Not in standard DNS. RFC 1034 says a name with a CNAME cannot have any other records, but the root (apex) of a zone must have SOA and NS records. Many DNS hosts work around this with CNAME flattening, ALIAS or ANAME records, which look up the target and publish its addresses as ordinary A and AAAA records.
What is a dangling CNAME?
A CNAME whose target no longer exists, usually because a cloud app, storage bucket or SaaS page was deleted while the DNS record stayed. Besides breaking the site, it can allow a subdomain takeover: someone registers the same target name on that platform and serves their content on your hostname. Delete unused CNAMEs promptly.
Why does the lookup show no CNAME?
The hostname has its own A or AAAA records, so it is not an alias. Root domains never have CNAMEs, and if your DNS host uses CNAME flattening, the alias is resolved on the server side and only the final addresses are visible from outside.
Can a CNAME exist with MX or TXT records on the same name?
No. A CNAME must be the only record at its name (RFC 2181 allows only DNSSEC records beside it). If you need email or verification TXT records, put them on a name that is not an alias, or use your DNS host's ALIAS feature.
Is this lookup private?
The hostname is sent directly from your browser to Cloudflare's or Google's public DNS-over-HTTPS resolver. FreeToolCabin does not receive or store your lookups.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.