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Google Public DNS API

Free Google DNS-over-HTTPS API with no key: resolve any DNS record type as JSON, with DNSSEC validation. Query DNS from the browser. Tested example.

No API key requiredCORS enabledHTTPSFree tier

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 2026-08-20

What is the Google Public DNS API?

Google Public DNS provides a free, key-free DNS-over-HTTPS resolver that answers DNS queries as JSON. It supports every record type, performs DNSSEC validation, and is callable from browser JavaScript.

Browsers cannot perform DNS lookups directly, which makes DNS-over-HTTPS APIs genuinely enabling: you can build domain diagnostic tools that run entirely client-side.

The `AD` flag in the response is the piece people miss — it indicates the answer was DNSSEC-validated. That is what separates a resolver you can trust from one that merely returned an answer, and Google's resolver validates by default.

Quick facts

Base URL
https://dns.google/resolve
Authentication
No API key required.
Rate limit
No published hard limit; intended for reasonable client use.
Pricing
Free.
CORS
Enabled — callable directly from browser JavaScript
Official docs
Read the docs

How to use the Google Public DNS API

Every request below was executed against the live API on 2026-08-20, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. Resolve a DNS record as JSON

GET https://dns.google/resolve?name=example.com&type=A

curl
curl 'https://dns.google/resolve?name=example.com&type=A'
JavaScript (fetch)
const res = await fetch("https://dns.google/resolve?name=example.com&type=A");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);
Python (requests)
import requests

res = requests.get("https://dns.google/resolve?name=example.com&type=A", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())
Response — HTTP 200
{
  "Status": 0,
  "TC": false,
  "RD": true,
  "RA": true,
  "AD": true,
  "CD": false,
  "Question": [
    {
      "name": "example.com.",
      "type": 1
    }
  ],
  "Answer": [
    {
      "name": "example.com.",
      "type": 1,
      "TTL": 300,
      "data": "104.20.23.154"
    },
    {
      "name": "example.com.",
      "type": 1,
      "TTL": 300,
      "data": "172.66.147.243"
    }
  ],
  "Comment": "Response from 172.64.32.162."
}

Parameters

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
namestringRequiredDomain name to resolve. example.com
typestringOptionalRecord type: A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME, SOA. A
cdbooleanOptionalSet to disable DNSSEC checking. false
dobooleanOptionalInclude DNSSEC records in the answer. true

Response fields

Statusinteger
DNS response code — 0 means NOERROR.
ADboolean
True when the answer was DNSSEC-validated.
Questionarray
Echo of the query.
Answerarray
Resource records, each with name, type, TTL and data.
Answer[].datastring
The record value — an IP for A records, a hostname for MX.
Answer[].TTLinteger
Time to live in seconds.

What you can build with the Google Public DNS API

  • Build DNS lookup and diagnostic tools that run in the browser
  • Verify domain configuration such as MX and SPF records
  • Check DNSSEC validation status for a domain
  • Monitor DNS records for unexpected changes

Common errors and how to fix them

Status: 3 (NXDOMAIN)

The domain does not exist.

Fix: Check Status before reading Answer; a non-zero status means no valid answer.

Missing Answer array

The record type does not exist for that name.

Fix: A domain with no MX records returns success with no Answer — handle it as an empty result.

AD is false

The answer was not DNSSEC-validated.

Fix: Most domains still do not sign their zones; false is common and not necessarily suspicious.

Google Public DNS API — frequently asked questions

What is DNS-over-HTTPS?

DNS queries sent over HTTPS rather than plain UDP. It encrypts lookups and, importantly for developers, makes DNS queryable from browser JavaScript, which cannot otherwise resolve DNS.

Is Google's DNS API free?

Yes, free with no API key.

What does the AD flag mean?

The answer was validated with DNSSEC. It is the signal that the response is cryptographically verified rather than merely returned — though many domains still do not sign their zones.

What does Status: 3 mean?

NXDOMAIN — the domain does not exist. Always check Status before reading the Answer array.

Tools that pair with this API

JSON Formatter

Format, beautify and minify JSON online with 2-space, 4-space or tab indentation. Sort keys alphabetically and catch syntax errors instantly — free and private.

Google Public DNS is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 2026-08-20; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.