Reverse DNS (PTR) Lookup
Find the hostname an IP address resolves back to. Enter an IPv4 or IPv6 address and the tool builds the reverse-pointer name, queries its PTR record over secure DNS, and shows the hostname or tells you no PTR is set. Useful for checking mail-server reverse DNS and identifying the owner of an address. Live and private in your browser.
Read the guide: What Is Reverse DNSHow it works
- 1
Enter the IP address
Type an IPv4 address like 8.8.8.8 or an IPv6 address like 2001:4860:4860::8888.
- 2
Look it up
Press Look up or hit Enter. The tool converts the IP to its in-addr.arpa or ip6.arpa pointer and queries the PTR record.
- 3
Read the hostname
See the hostname the address resolves back to, or a clear note when no PTR record exists.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is a PTR record?
- A PTR (pointer) record maps an IP address back to a hostname, the reverse of the usual name-to-address lookup. It lives under a special reverse zone: in-addr.arpa for IPv4 and ip6.arpa for IPv6. Reverse DNS is set by whoever controls the IP block, which is typically your hosting provider or ISP, not the domain owner.
- Why does an IP have no reverse DNS?
- Many addresses simply have no PTR record set, which is normal and not an error. Reverse DNS matters most for mail servers, where a missing or mismatched PTR is a common reason mail gets rejected. Home and many cloud addresses often have either no PTR or a generic provider-assigned name.
- Can an IP resolve to more than one hostname?
- Yes. An address can have multiple PTR records, though it is uncommon and some receivers handle it poorly. For mail in particular, a single, forward-confirmed hostname (the PTR resolves to a name whose A record points back to the same IP) is the cleanest setup.
- Is the lookup private?
- The query runs in your browser against a public DNS resolver over a secure connection and reads only the PTR record. We do not store the address you enter.
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