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How to fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN means your browser could not find an IP address for the domain: DNS says the name does not exist. Visitors can check the spelling, flush the DNS cache and switch to a public DNS server. Site owners should check the domain has not expired, then check its nameservers and A record.

Updated · HostUpIndia team

What DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN means

NXDOMAIN is the DNS answer for “no such domain”. The browser asked DNS for the site’s IP address, found none, and had nothing to connect to.

Chrome shows “This site can’t be reached” with the code DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN. Edge shows “Hmm… can’t reach this page” with the same code. Firefox says “Hmm. We’re having trouble finding that site.” Safari says “Safari Can’t Find the Server.”

Chrome can also show ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED for the same problem. If the code is ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT, the domain was found but the server did not answer: see how to fix ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT.

  • A typo in the address.
  • An old answer in the DNS cache of your device or router.
  • A VPN, proxy or DNS filter that cannot find or blocks the domain.
  • A domain that has expired or is on hold.
  • Wrong nameservers, or a nameserver change that has not reached every network yet.
  • No A record for the domain or its www name.
  • A DNSSEC mismatch after a nameserver change.
  • A new domain that is not in DNS yet.

If you are visiting the site

Start with quick checks on your own device and network. If the site fails on every device and network, the problem is the site’s DNS, and only its owner can fix it.

  • Check the address for typos, including the ending, such as .com or .in.
  • Open the site on another device, or on mobile data instead of Wi-Fi.
  • Restart your router: unplug it for 30 seconds, then plug it back in.
  • Turn off any VPN, proxy or ad-blocking DNS app, then reload.
  • In Chrome, open chrome://net-internals/#dns and select Clear host cache. In Edge, open edge://net-internals/#dns.

Flush the DNS cache and change DNS servers

Your device keeps DNS answers for a while, and your internet provider’s DNS servers can be slow to update. Clear the cache first. If the error stays, use a public DNS server.

  • On Windows, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns.
  • On a Mac, open Terminal, run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder and enter your Mac password.
  • On Linux with systemd-resolved, run sudo resolvectl flush-caches.
  • Quit the browser fully, open it again and reload the site.
  • Still failing? Note your current DNS settings, so you can switch back.
  • On Windows 11, open Settings › Network & internet, then your Wi-Fi or Ethernet properties. Select Edit next to DNS server assignment, choose Manual and turn on IPv4.
  • On a Mac, open System Settings › Network, select your connection, then Details › DNS.
  • Enter 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google), then save.
  • Reload the site.

If it is your website: check the domain

If the error shows on every device and network, start with the domain itself. A domain that has expired or is on hold drops out of DNS, whatever your hosting does.

  • Run dig example.com in a terminal, or nslookup example.com on Windows. status: NXDOMAIN or Non-existent domain confirms the name is not in DNS.
  • Look up the domain with a WHOIS or RDAP lookup tool, or at your registrar.
  • Check the expiry date. If it has passed, renew the domain at your registrar.
  • Check the status. clientHold or serverHold means the domain is kept out of DNS. Ask your registrar why.
  • If your registrar emailed you to verify your contact details, do it. A registrar can suspend a domain until you do.
  • Registered the domain in the last few hours? It may not be in DNS yet. Wait, then check again.

Check the nameservers and DNS records

If the domain is active, the fault is in its DNS. Find your host’s nameservers and your hosting IP address in your welcome email or client area.

Moved the domain recently? See how to connect a domain to your hosting.

  • Run dig example.com NS (nslookup -type=NS example.com on Windows) and compare the answer with the nameservers the domain should use.
  • Note the current nameservers and DNS records before you change any, so you can put them back.
  • If the nameservers are wrong, set the right ones at your registrar. A nameserver change can take 24 to 48 hours to reach every network.
  • If the nameservers are your host’s, check the domain is added in cPanel › Domains. Without it, your host has no DNS zone for the domain.
  • In cPanel › Zone Editor, or wherever your DNS is managed, check there is an A record for the domain (@) that points to your hosting IP address.
  • Check that www has an A record, or a CNAME to the domain. Without one, www.example.com shows this error while example.com works.
  • Changed nameservers with DNSSEC on? Turn DNSSEC off at your registrar, which removes the old DS record. Left in place, it makes the domain fail on resolvers that check DNSSEC, such as Google’s and Cloudflare’s.
  • After a fix, allow time. Resolvers can keep the old “does not exist” answer for a few hours.

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  • Moving from another host? The in-house team moves your site for you: free website migration.
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