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What does NXDOMAIN mean in DNS?
NXDOMAIN means the DNS name does not exist. Learn why you see it, how it differs from SERVFAIL, and how to verify with a DNS lookup.
NXDOMAIN stands for Non-Existent Domain. The resolver you asked is saying: this exact name is not present in the DNS tree (for the query type you asked). Browsers may show “server IP address could not be found” or similar.
NXDOMAIN vs other DNS failures
- NXDOMAIN — the name does not exist (or is not delegated).
- NOERROR with empty answer — name exists but that record type is missing (for example no AAAA).
- SERVFAIL — resolver or authority had an error; try again or check DNSSEC.
- Timeout — network or firewall blocked UDP/TCP 53.
Common real-world causes
Typos in the hostname, a domain that expired, nameservers that were never pointed, or a subdomain you never created (www vs apex). After you add a record, some resolvers may still show NXDOMAIN until negative cache TTL expires.
Confirm A/AAAA/NS for the exact name you type in the browser.
How to confirm it is not just your PC
Compare public resolvers with a propagation check. If Google and Cloudflare both return NXDOMAIN, the problem is authoritative DNS or the name itself — not only your local cache. Flushing local DNS still helps when only your laptop is stale.