--- title: "DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN: causes and how to fix it" description: "The DNS lookup completed and the authoritative answer was 'this name does not exist'. Either the record is genuinely missing, the domain lapsed, or a recent…" canonical: "https://lemwatch.com/errors/dns-probe-finished-nxdomain" source: "https://lemwatch.com" --- # DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN: The domain name does not exist > The DNS lookup completed and the authoritative answer was 'this name does not exist'. Either the record is genuinely missing, the domain lapsed, or a recent DNS change has not propagated to the resolver you are using. ## Short answer The DNS lookup completed and the authoritative answer was 'this name does not exist'. Either the record is genuinely missing, the domain lapsed, or a recent DNS change has not propagated to the resolver you are using. ## What DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN means NXDOMAIN is a definitive negative answer from DNS — not a timeout. Something authoritative said the hostname has no records. Browsers cache negative answers briefly, which is why the error can persist for minutes after a fix. ## Causes and fixes, most likely first - The A or CNAME record for the hostname does not exist. Add the missing record at the DNS provider. Remember that the apex and www are separate records. - The domain registration expired or the nameservers were changed and never repointed. Check the domain's registration status and confirm the nameservers listed at the registrar match the provider actually hosting the zone. - A recent DNS change has not propagated to your resolver yet. Query the authoritative nameserver directly. If it answers correctly, wait out the TTL and flush the local resolver cache. - A typo in the hostname, or an internal-only name being resolved from outside the network. Verify the exact spelling, and check whether the name only exists on an internal DNS server or through a VPN. ## DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN on specific platforms - DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN on Android — Android caches negative DNS answers aggressively and Private DNS (DNS over TLS) silently fails when the configured provider cannot resolve… - DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN on iPhone — iCloud Private Relay and VPN profiles route DNS through Apple's resolver, which returns NXDOMAIN for internal or newly registered names the… - DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN on Windows — The Windows DNS Client service caches negative answers, so a fixed record can keep failing on that machine long after it works elsewhere. - DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN on Chrome — Chrome keeps its own DNS cache separate from the operating system, so it can show NXDOMAIN after the OS cache has already been cleared. - DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN on Mac — macOS caches DNS in mDNSResponder, and a VPN or split-DNS profile can keep resolving the name against an internal server that has no such… - DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN on Cloudflare — The record exists in the Cloudflare dashboard but the domain's nameservers at the registrar still point somewhere else, so Cloudflare's… - DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN on Shopify — Shopify requires an A record on the apex pointing at its IP and a CNAME on www pointing at shops.myshopify.com; a missing www CNAME… ## How to stop it happening again - Monitor DNS records for change, not just the website's HTTP status — a zone edit takes a site down while the server stays perfectly healthy. - Track domain and nameserver expiry alongside certificate expiry. - Alert on NS record changes; an unexpected nameserver change is either a migration nobody told you about or a hijack. ## Check your own domain The DNS lookup queries public resolvers directly and shows the A, AAAA, CNAME and NS records that actually exist — which instantly separates 'record missing' from 'my resolver is stale'. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN? Look up the hostname against a public resolver. If no A or CNAME record comes back, add it at your DNS provider. If the record exists, flush your local DNS cache and try a different resolver — your machine is holding a stale negative answer. ### Does NXDOMAIN mean the website is down? No. It means the name cannot be resolved to an address at all. The server may be running perfectly; nothing can reach it because DNS is not pointing anywhere. ### How long does a DNS change take to propagate? Up to the record's TTL, plus whatever your local resolver caches. Lower the TTL before a planned change so the switch is fast. ## Related - [All website error codes](https://lemwatch.com/errors) - [DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG](https://lemwatch.com/errors/dns-probe-finished-bad-config) - [Server DNS address could not be found](https://lemwatch.com/errors/server-dns-address-could-not-be-found) - [ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED](https://lemwatch.com/errors/err-name-not-resolved) - [DNS_PROBE_STARTED](https://lemwatch.com/errors/dns-probe-started) - [Free DNS lookup](https://lemwatch.com/tools/dns-lookup) - [DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN on Cloudflare](https://lemwatch.com/errors/dns-probe-finished-nxdomain/in-cloudflare) - [DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET: No usable internet connection for DNS](https://lemwatch.com/errors/dns-probe-finished-no-internet)