What Is Google Public DNS (dns.google)?

dns.google is the web interface for Google Public DNS, a public DNS resolution service. You can use it to look up how a domain name resolves (for example, example.com) or to check what a given IP address (such as 8.8.8.8 or 2001:4860:4860::8844) resolves to. It is aimed at ordinary users and developers who need public DNS resolution and a quick way to inspect DNS answers from a browser.

What dns.google Does

The service resolves DNS queries on Google's public infrastructure. Instead of installing a tool or changing your device settings, you can enter a domain or IP address on the page and get the resolution result directly.

The page exposes three main entry points:

• Resolve — run a DNS lookup for a domain name or IP address.
• Cache Flush — clear cached DNS entries.
• Get Started with Google Public DNS — guidance for adopting Google Public DNS.

How to Use It

1. Open dns.google.
2. In the DNS Name field, enter a domain (like example.com) or an IP address (like 8.8.8.8 or 2001:4860:4860::8844).
3. Submit the query and read the resolution result.

The expected outcome is the DNS answer for the name or address you entered, which helps you confirm how a record currently resolves.

When It Is Useful

• Checking whether a domain resolves as expected.
• Inspecting resolution for a specific IP address.
• Flushing cached entries when stale DNS data may be causing problems.
• Getting started with Google Public DNS as your resolver.

Key Details

If you only need to resolve a name or check an address, the Resolve function is the direct path. If you are setting up Google Public DNS for the first time, start with the Get Started entry.