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    Alibaba Cloud DNS:Check and troubleshoot DNS server status

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    Alibaba Cloud DNS:Check and troubleshoot DNS server status

    Last Updated:May 27, 2026

    Incorrect DNS server configuration can make a domain inaccessible or cause resolution errors. Use the Alibaba Cloud DNS console to check your DNS server status and restore normal resolution.

    Key concepts

    A domain's DNS server typically refers to its public authoritative DNS server address. After registration, your registrar sets a default DNS server and syncs it with the Top-Level Domain (TLD) servers. During resolution, a local resolver queries the TLD server for the DNS server address, then queries that server for the domain's DNS records.

    Check your domain's DNS Server IP Address

    Console

    1. Go to the Alibaba Cloud DNS - Public Zone page.

    2. Find the target domain. In the DNS Server IP Address column, you can view the status of the domain's DNS servers. You can hover over the status of the DNS Server IP Address to view the Current NS Address and the System Assigned NS Address.

    CLI

    nslookup -type=ns example.com
# or
dig NS example.com

    Sample output:

    example.com.	3547	IN	NS	dns30.hichina.com.
example.com.	3547	IN	NS	dns29.hichina.com.

    Registrar

    Check the DNS server address at your registrar. The following example uses a domain registered with Alibaba Cloud:

    1. Go to the Domains console. Find your domain in the list and click it to open the details page.image.png

    2. In the left-side navigation pane, select DNS Modification to view the DNS server address.

    Diagnose and resolve status errors

    The system periodically checks whether your domain points to its assigned DNS servers by querying TLD servers for NS records and comparing them with the expected values. The following statuses may appear:

    Status 1: Query NS failed

    Alibaba Cloud DNS could not retrieve the NS records for your domain from the TLD servers.

    Possible cause

    Impact

    Solution

    No DNS server is configured.

    The domain cannot be resolved.

    Set the DNS Server IP Address to the one assigned by Alibaba Cloud DNS. For instructions, see Modify DNS servers.

    If the current domain is a subdomain, this can happen if no NS records are set on the parent domain.

    The domain cannot be resolved.

    Configure two NS records on the parent domain's DNS server to point the DNS Server IP Address of the subdomain to the DNS servers assigned by Alibaba Cloud DNS. Subdomain management.

    Important

    If NS records are already configured on the parent domain but the Query NS failed status persists, it is likely due to a delay. The health check is periodic and updates asynchronously. Wait 5 minutes and then refresh the page.

    Status 2: Assigned NS not used

    The domain is not using the DNS Server IP Address assigned by Alibaba Cloud DNS.

    Possible cause

    Impact

    Solution

    The domain is using a DNS Server IP Address that is not from Alibaba Cloud DNS.

    • If you have configured DNS resolution with another provider, this is expected behavior, and resolution should work normally.

    • If you have not configured DNS resolution with another provider, the domain cannot be resolved.

    To use Alibaba Cloud DNS, modify the DNS servers for your domain.

    Important

    If you have already modified the DNS servers but the DNS Server IP Address column still shows the Assigned NS not used status, this is likely due to a delay. The health check is periodic and updates asynchronously. Wait 5 minutes and then refresh the page.

    The domain is configured to use Free Edition DNS servers, but the system has assigned Paid Edition DNS servers.

    Resolution on free lines works, but paid lines fail. Resolution lines.

    Change the DNS servers to the System Assigned NS Address.

    The domain is configured to use Paid Edition DNS servers, but the system has assigned Free Edition DNS servers.

    The domain cannot be resolved.

    Change the DNS servers to the System Assigned NS Address.

    The domain has expired, and the system automatically changed the DNS servers to expire.alidns.com.

    The domain cannot be resolved.

    Renew the domain with your registrar.

    Status 3: Query Timeout

    The DNS server query timed out.

    Possible cause

    Solution

    Network issues or other intermittent problems caused the timeout.

    This does not affect domain resolution. The status should return to normal after a few minutes. Use the network diagnostic tool to verify resolution.

    Appendix

    System Assigned NS Address

    Alibaba Cloud DNS assigns different DNS Server IP Addresses based on the edition (Paid or Free). The DNS Server IP Address ranges are:

    Public Zone

    DNS Server IP Address

    Paid Edition

    vip(1-8).alidns.com

    Free Edition

    dns(1-32).hichina.com, ns(1-8).alidns.com

    References