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The DNSDecode Blog
Practical, plain-English guides to DNS, email authentication, and domain troubleshooting.
How to Check if DNS Has Propagated (And Why It Takes So Long)
What DNS propagation actually means, why it can take anywhere from minutes to 48 hours, and how to check it properly across multiple resolvers.
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Explained: The Complete Guide to Email Authentication
A plain-English breakdown of how SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work together to stop email spoofing, and how to set them up correctly.
What Is DNSSEC and Do You Actually Need It?
How DNSSEC protects DNS from spoofing and cache-poisoning attacks, what enabling it actually involves, and when it genuinely matters.
DNS Record Types Explained: A Record, CNAME, MX, TXT, and More
A practical reference for every common DNS record type — what each one does, when to use it, and what a healthy configuration looks like.
How to Diagnose DNS Resolution Issues (A Step-by-Step Approach)
A practical troubleshooting flow for "this domain won't resolve" problems — from checking the basics to tracking down authoritative nameserver failures.
DNSDecode vs MXToolbox: Which Should You Use?
An honest comparison of DNSDecode and MXToolbox — what each tool is built for, where they overlap, and when to reach for one over the other.
dig, nslookup, and DNSDecode: When to Use Each DNS Tool
Command-line DNS tools and web-based analysis platforms solve different problems. Here is when each one is actually the right choice.
DNS Migration Checklist: Moving Providers Without Downtime
A step-by-step checklist for migrating DNS to a new provider — or moving a domain to new hosting — without breaking email or causing an outage.
Reverse DNS (PTR) Records: What They Are and Why Mail Servers Care
How PTR records work, why they matter disproportionately for email deliverability, and how to check and fix yours.