What is an SOA Record and How to Check It

An SOA (Start of Authority) record is a crucial component of DNS (Domain Name System) that defines key information about a domain, such as the primary DNS server, email of the domain administrator, and DNS zone settings. Understanding SOA records is important for managing domain settings, ensuring proper DNS functionality.

In this article, we’ll explain what an SOA record is and how to check it.

What is an SOA Record?

An SOA record contains important information about the domain, including:

1. Primary Name Server: The primary DNS server responsible for managing the domain.
2. Responsible Party: The email address of the person responsible for managing the domain (formatted as admin.example.com, which means admin@example.com).
3. Serial Number: The version number of the DNS zone file. This number increases with every update to the DNS zone, signaling to other DNS servers that the zone has changed.
4. Refresh, Retry, Expire, and TTL Values: These values define how often DNS servers should refresh the zone and handle failures.

How to Check an SOA Record

You can check an SOA record using various tools, such as the dig command or online DNS lookup services.

1. Using the dig Command

The dig command is a DNS lookup utility available on most Linux and macOS systems. To check the SOA record for a domain, use the following command:

The output will display the SOA record for the domain, including the primary name server, serial number, and other details.

2. Using Online Tools

You can also use online DNS lookup tools such as:

• MXToolbox: Allows you to look up DNS records for any domain.
• DNSstuff: Provides detailed DNS information, including SOA records.

Conclusion

The SOA record plays an important role in DNS management, providing essential information about a domain’s zone file. By checking the SOA record, you can verify domain settings and ensure that DNS functions properly across the internet.