Domain Still Points to Old IP

Moved a site but your domain still resolves to the old server? Check A and AAAA records across 14 resolvers and separate stale cache from a bad publish.

Separate stale cache from a bad DNS change

After a website migration, the browser only shows one answer: the IP your current resolver returned. That makes stale cache look exactly like a failed DNS update. A multi-resolver lookup shows the split.

Run an A record lookup for IPv4 and an AAAA lookup for IPv6. If some resolvers show the new server and others show the old one, the change is propagating. If all resolvers show the old IP, the authoritative zone likely still publishes it.

Common causes

• Long TTL: resolvers keep the old IP until the previous TTL expires.
• Wrong zone: you edited one DNS dashboard, but the registry delegates the domain somewhere else.
• IPv6 forgotten: the A record moved, but the AAAA record still points to the old host.
• CDN flattening: apex records may be generated by a provider feature rather than a literal A record you can see easily.

FAQ

Should I check A or AAAA?

Check both if the site supports IPv6. A stale AAAA record can send IPv6 users to the old host even when IPv4 users see the new site.

Why does my DNS dashboard show the new IP?

The dashboard shows what should be authoritative. Recursive resolvers can keep serving the old answer until cache expires, and a delegation mismatch can mean the dashboard you edited is not the one the world uses.

How do I confirm the right DNS provider?

Run an NS lookup and compare the published nameservers with the provider dashboard you edited. If they do not match, update the registrar or edit the delegated provider instead.