What is DNS propagation and how to check it
Updated 7/20/2026
When you change a DNS record, the change is not seen instantly everywhere. DNS servers around the world keep the old values until the cache expires (TTL). This is the propagation process.
What is TTL
TTL (Time To Live) says how long servers keep a record cached, in seconds. A TTL of 3600 means the change may only appear after an hour.
How to check a record
dig example.com
dig example.com A +short
nslookup example.comCheck from a specific DNS server
dig @8.8.8.8 example.com +shortTips
- Before a planned move, lower the TTL (for example to 300) a day ahead, so the change propagates quickly.
- Full propagation can take up to 24-48 hours in rare cases, although it is usually much faster.
- Flush your local DNS cache if you see old values only on your machine.
To link the domain correctly, see How to point a domain to your VPS.
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