Find the IP Address of a Domain

Why you may need it

You may need the IP address of a domain to set up DNS records, to fix connection problems, to allow or block a server in a firewall, or to check where a site is hosted.

Method 1: ping

1. Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Linux, macOS).
2. Run:

ping example.com

1. The first line shows the IP address in brackets. Stop it with Ctrl + C on Linux and macOS.

Method 2: nslookup

nslookup example.com

The answer lists the DNS server you asked, and below it the IP addresses of the domain. nslookup also lets you ask for other records, such as MX or TXT:

nslookup -type=MX example.com

Method 3: dig (Linux and macOS)

dig +short example.com

It prints only the IP address. Add A or AAAA to choose IPv4 or IPv6.

Method 4: An online tool

If you prefer a web page, use a lookup tool such as WhatIsMyIPAddress, IPAddress.com, DNSChecker or Whois.net.

1. Open the website of the tool.
2. Type the domain in the search box.
3. Click Search or Lookup. The result shows the IP address and often more data.

An online tool is quick, but it shows what its own DNS server sees. For a new DNS change, a command on your own machine may show something different.

Method 5: Your DNS provider

Log in to your DNS control panel and open the DNS zone of the domain. The A record shows the IPv4 address and the AAAA record shows the IPv6 address.

Quick recap

• ping, nslookup and dig are the fastest tools.
• The A record in your DNS zone also shows it.
• A CDN may hide the real server address.