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CAA Record Lookup (Certificate Authority Authorization)

Control which authorities can issue SSL/TLS certificates

Secure your SSL/TLS certificates by verifying that only authorized authorities can issue them for your domain.

In iterative trace mode, the resolver is ignored.
Query multiple public resolvers to compare answers.

Certification policy

Discover which certificate authorities (Let's Encrypt, DigiCert, etc.) are authorized to issue certificates for the domain.

Multi-resolver

Compare responses from Google, Cloudflare, and Quad9 to detect propagation issues.

Issue and issuewild tags

Analyze authorizations for standard and wildcard certificates separately.

Iodef alerts

Check if a notification address is configured for unauthorized issuance attempts.

Free and unlimited

Test as many domains as needed. No signup required.

How to use the DNS lookup engine options effectively

What is the iterative trace?

The trace performs resolution step by step. The resolver first queries the root servers, then the TLD (.com, .fr, .eu), and then the authoritative servers of the target zone. At each step, the page shows the queried server, the answer, the RCODE, and the latency.

  1. 1. Root

    Discovery of the TLD servers for the requested name.

  2. 2. TLD

    Reference to the zone's NS (delegation).

  3. 3. Authoritative

    Final answer (or error) with TTL and latency.

What is it for?

  • Compare answers across resolvers and regions
  • Detect a hot cache, an overly long TTL, or an incomplete delegation
  • Explain a latency difference or an unexpected RCODE

Tip: keep the trace disabled for quick checks; enable it when investigating or preparing a ticket/post‑mortem.

What is the classic trace?

The classic trace queries only the selected resolver (UDP or DoH) and displays the answer as it is perceived from that network vantage point. You get the RCODE, the response sections, and the latency for the client → resolver leg.

  1. 1. Chosen resolver

    Uses the preset or custom configuration to run the query exactly like your service would.

  2. 2. Protocol preserved

    Respects the selected transport (UDP, TCP, or DoH) so you reproduce the real behaviour.

  3. 3. Detailed answer

    Shows the question, answer, and authority/additional sections when present, together with TTL and useful metadata.

Why use it?

  • Check the view of a specific resolver before suspecting delegation issues
  • Confirm cached values and the impact of a TTL or a flush
  • Document a resolution exactly as a client or microservice sees it

Tip: keep the iterative trace option turned off when auditing a given resolver; enable it afterwards to compare with the root → TLD → authoritative path.

How does the propagation test work?

The test queries a set of public resolvers (Google, Cloudflare, Quad9, OpenDNS, ISPs…) in parallel and groups the answers by content and RCODE. You instantly see who already picked up the update.

  1. 1. Multi-point resolvers

    Enables the propagation presets to question several actors spread around the world.

  2. 2. Automatic comparison

    Groups identical answers and highlights divergences or resolver-specific errors.

  3. 3. Actionable summary

    Provides a clear recap, the resolver list, their latencies, and each group's status.

When to use it?

  • Track how a DNS change propagates worldwide
  • Spot stale caches and decide on a targeted flush
  • Share a propagation snapshot in a ticket or post-mortem

Tip: while the propagation test is active, the resolver selector is frozen. Disable the mode to return to single-resolver diagnostics.

What is a CAA record?

A CAA (Certificate Authority Authorization) record defines which certificate authorities (CAs) are authorized to issue SSL/TLS certificates for a domain. It's a security measure that prevents unauthorized certificate issuance.

CAA record structure:

FieldDescriptionExample
Flag0 (standard) or 128 (critical)0
TagAuthorization typeissue, issuewild, iodef
ValueAuthorized CA or contact address"letsencrypt.org"
TTLCache duration in seconds3600

Available CAA tags

issue - Standard certificates

Authorize a CA for non-wildcard certificates:

captaindns.com.  3600  IN  CAA  0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
captaindns.com.  3600  IN  CAA  0 issue "digicert.com"

issuewild - Wildcard certificates

Authorize a CA for wildcard certificates (*.domain):

captaindns.com.  3600  IN  CAA  0 issuewild "letsencrypt.org"

iodef - Notifications

Address to receive unauthorized attempt reports:

captaindns.com.  3600  IN  CAA  0 iodef "mailto:security@captaindns.com"

Forbid all issuance

Block all CAs:

captaindns.com.  3600  IN  CAA  0 issue ";"

Important rules

Inheritance and subdomains

SituationBehavior
CAA at apexApplies to all subdomains
CAA on subdomainOverrides apex rule for that subdomain
No CAANo restriction, any CA can issue

Best practices

PracticeWhy
Limit CAsReduce attack surface
Configure iodefGet alerted of attempts
Test before productionAvoid lockouts

Common issues

Certificate refused by CA

CA refuses to issue because it's not in the CAA.

  1. Check domain's CAA records
  2. Add the CA if legitimate
  3. Wait for propagation

Wildcard blocked

Wildcard certificate refused despite an issue tag.

  1. issuewild is required for wildcards
  2. Add an issuewild record
  3. issue alone doesn't cover *.domain

Subdomain not covered

A subdomain has different rules.

  1. Check subdomain-specific CAA
  2. Inheritance may be overridden
  3. Add CAA at subdomain level if needed

Command line verification

Linux/Mac

dig CAA captaindns.com

Check a subdomain:

dig CAA www.captaindns.com

Windows

nslookup -type=caa captaindns.com

Complete example

; Authorize Let's Encrypt for all certificates
captaindns.com.  3600  IN  CAA  0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
captaindns.com.  3600  IN  CAA  0 issuewild "letsencrypt.org"

; Security notifications
captaindns.com.  3600  IN  CAA  0 iodef "mailto:security@captaindns.com"

ToolPurpose
TXT Record LookupCheck other security policies
DNS Propagation CheckCheck worldwide propagation

Useful resources