# DNS Monitoring

Source: https://instatus.com/help/monitoring/dns

DNS monitors query a domain's A or MX record from multiple regions and mark it down when the record is missing, points to the wrong value, or fails to resolve. They catch propagation issues, DNS outages and unexpected record changes early.

Just like with [other monitors](https://instatus.com/help/monitoring), when a DNS check fails, your team can [investigate and resolve it](https://instatus.com/help/incident-response) and update your [status page](https://instatus.com/help/status-page) if it affects users.

| At a glance | Details |
| :-- | :-- |
| [Record types](https://instatus.com/help/monitoring/dns#monitor-type) | A (IP address) and MX (mail server) |
| [Expected value](https://instatus.com/help/monitoring/dns#how-do-dns-checks-work) | An IP for A records, a mail host for MX |
| [Check locations](https://instatus.com/help/monitoring/dns#advanced-settings) | United States, Canada, Europe, Asia |
| [Marked down when](https://instatus.com/help/monitoring/dns#how-do-dns-checks-work) | Record missing, wrong, or failing to resolve |
| [On failure](https://instatus.com/help/monitoring/dns#advanced-settings) | Create an incident, notify subscribers, publish |

![Monitor](https://instatus.com/help/monitors/item.png)

## What does a DNS monitor check?

- Verify that your domains resolve to the correct IP addresses or mail servers.  
- Detect DNS outages, slow resolutions, or record mismatches.  
- Track DNS performance and reliability from multiple global regions.  
- Get visibility into your record values directly from monitoring logs.  
- Keep your public or internal status pages up to date automatically.

## How do I add a DNS monitor?

Open your project → Monitors → Add monitor, choose **DNS**, enter the hostname, pick the record type and set the value you expect.

![Add DNS monitor](https://instatus.com/help/monitors/dns.png)

### Monitor type

Select **DNS** from the list of monitor types.

![DNS monitor type](https://instatus.com/help/monitors/type-dns.png)

Enter the **hostname** you want to monitor — for example, `example.com` — and choose the **record type** you want to check.

Supported record types include:

- **A record** → verifies the IP address of a domain  
- **MX record** → verifies the mail exchange server for a domain  

### How do DNS checks work?

A DNS monitor queries your domain’s record at regular intervals from multiple locations.  
It compares the result with the expected value you’ve configured.

The monitor is considered **successful** when the returned record matches your expected value.  
If the record is missing, points to the wrong host, or fails to resolve, the monitor is marked as **down**.

You can configure:

- **Record type:** `A` or `MX`  
- **Expected value:** e.g. `192.0.2.1` for A record or `mail.example.com` for MX  

### Advanced settings

![Advanced monitor settings](https://instatus.com/help/monitors/advanced-settings.png)

- **Friendly name:** Assign a descriptive name to your monitor for easier identification.
- **Run checks every:** Decide how frequently to test the endpoint.
- **Run from:** Choose testing locations (United States, Canada, Europe, Asia).
- **Add to status page:** Display your domain's uptime and response statistics publicly.
- **When a monitor fails:** Initiate an incident, notify subscribers, or publish to your status page.
- **When a monitor recovers:** Resolve incidents and automatically update your status page.

Your DNS monitor is ready — you’ll know right away if your records ever go missing or change!

- [Set up monitor alerts](https://instatus.com/help/monitoring/alerts): Learn how to set up monitor alerts