What it is
A live DNS comparison. It reads the answer at the source, from your zone's own nameservers, and compares it with what Cloudflare, Google, OpenDNS, AdGuard, NextDNS and Control D are handing out right now.
DNS cutover seismograph
See which resolvers still send people to the old server.
Type a domain. DNS Drift asks the authoritative nameservers directly and six public resolvers at the same moment, then shows who agrees, who still serves a cached old answer and exactly when that cache runs out.
- Authoritative
- Cloudflare
- OpenDNS
Who it is for
Founders moving a site to new hosting, agencies running launches, infra engineers changing mail providers, and support teams hearing that some users see the old site.
The problem it solves
After a DNS change, resolvers keep the old answer until its TTL runs out. Without a check you guess, wait, or roll back for nothing. Here you see the remaining cache time per resolver and a real misconfiguration when your own nameservers disagree.
Compare DNS
Every query runs live from our server. Only public names are accepted and nothing is stored.
No comparison yet
Enter a domain you control or load the demo to see a cutover in progress.
Read the drift
Six ideas explain almost every DNS cutover surprise.
TTL
How long a resolver may keep an answer. Lower it a day before a move, then the switch spreads in minutes.
Authoritative servers
The nameservers for your zone. They hold the truth. Everyone else repeats what they heard earlier.
Resolvers
The public servers people actually ask. Each one caches on its own clock, so they drift apart for a while.
Negative caching
A name that did not exist is also cached, using the SOA minimum. Creating the record late can mean a long wait.
Split authority
If your own nameservers disagree, a secondary is stale or a provider change was half done. Time will not fix it.
Overlapping answers
Big platforms return different IPs by location or rotation. Overlap with the source is normal and not drift.
How to use
Lower the TTL first
A day before the move, set the TTL to 300 seconds so caches let go quickly.
Make the change
Update the record at your DNS host, then enter the name here with the record types you touched.
Read the traces
Flat lines agree. Spikes are resolvers still serving the old answer, with the minutes left in their cache.
Share the report
Copy the drift report into the launch thread and check again once the countdown ends.
Good to know
- Six public resolvers and up to four of your nameservers are asked, from one location.
- Your internet provider's resolver and private networks are not visible from here.
- Location based DNS can return different but valid addresses. They are marked as overlapping.
- DNSSEC validation is not checked.
Questions
Is anything stored?
No. The name is used for the live queries only and the results stay in your browser.
Can I force a resolver to forget the old answer?
Cloudflare and Google offer public cache purge pages. Others simply wait for the TTL shown here.
Why do I still see the old site when everything agrees?
Your own device, browser or provider may cache too. Try a private window or another network.
Does it change my DNS?
No. It only reads. Edit your records at your DNS host.