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DNS Resolution Path

Stub resolver to recursive to root to TLD to authoritative. The query that finds your server.

A free, animated dns resolution path you can read here or embed on any website, from Scrollchart.

DNS Resolution Path

DNS Resolution Pathexample.com: stub asks recursive; recursive walks root, TLD, auth; answer cached at each hopStub Resolverbrowser / OSRecursive ResolverISP / 8.8.8.8Root NS"." zone, 13 clustersTLD NS.com zoneAuth NSexample.com zonequeriesresponsesWhere is example.com?recursive queryRoot NS: who handles .com?iterative queryReferral: use .com NSTTL 172800 s (2 days)TLD NS: who handles example.com?iterative queryReferral: use example.com NSTTL 172800 s (2 days)Auth NS: A record for example.com?iterative queryA 93.184.216.34TTL 3600 s (1 hour), cached at recursive resolverA 93.184.216.34cached; next lookup costs 0 extra hopscache ringsCache layers and TTLsBrowser cache: per-tab, often 60 s max regardless of TTLOS stub: respects TTL; flushed on restart or ipconfig /flushdnsRecursive resolver: serves cached answers for all clients until TTL expiresEdge cases and failure modesCNAME chain: each alias resolved as a sub-query, adding latencyNegative caching (NXDOMAIN): cached up to the SOA negative TTLDNS propagation: new record visible only after old TTL drains everywhere

A query for example.com. Stub resolver checks local cache, asks the recursive resolver. Recursive walks the hierarchy: root NS for ., TLD NS for .com, authoritative NS for example.com, then the A record. Each cache layer (browser, OS, recursive) shown as a circular ring with TTL countdown. Negative caching and CNAME chains as side branches.

Good for

  • DNS tutorials
  • CDN explainers
  • Outage analyses (DNS propagation)

Source & accuracy

This dns resolution path is an editorial illustration built to represent the concept accurately. Where it shows figures, they are typical or representative values chosen to make the relationship clear, not a single underlying dataset. The diagram and its explainer are reviewed and maintained centrally, and updated over time as understanding improves.

The path a DNS query takes

Resolving a domain name to an IP address walks down a hierarchy. The stub resolver on your device asks a recursive resolver (often run by your ISP or a public service). If the answer is not cached, the recursive resolver queries a root name server, which directs it to the relevant top-level domain server (for example the .com servers). The TLD server points to the domain's authoritative name server, which returns the actual record.

The recursive resolver does the legwork of following these referrals; the client only ever talks to the recursive resolver.

Caching and time to live

To avoid repeating this walk for every lookup, answers are cached at multiple layers with a time-to-live value set by the domain owner. A short TTL allows faster propagation of changes but increases query load, while a long TTL reduces lookups at the cost of slower updates. This caching is why DNS changes can take time to appear everywhere.

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Reference

What this is
A free, embeddable, animated dns resolution path for any website.
Who uses it
Developer blogs, DevOps / SRE sites, CS educators.
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License
Free forever. Editorial explainer text included; updated centrally over time.
URL
scrollchart.com/diagram/dns-resolution

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Frequently asked questions

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