CNAME Studio
CNAME chain resolver
Follow a CNAME to its final answer, one hop at a time, and check apex-alias and flattening setups that fake a CNAME at the root of a domain.
What a CNAME does
A CNAME record makes one name an alias for another: look up www and DNS says “ask about the target instead”, then follows that target to an address. Chaining aliases is common with CDNs and SaaS platforms, and this tool walks every hop so you can see the full path and the final A/AAAA answer.
The apex problem
The DNS standard forbids a CNAME at the root (apex) of a domain — you cannot point yourdomain.com itself at a CNAME the way you can www. Providers work around this with CNAME flattening, ANAME or ALIAS records that resolve the target for you and answer with its addresses at the apex.
What we check
The full CNAME chain with each hop, the final addresses it resolves to, whether any hop is broken or loops, and — for apex names — whether flattening or an ALIAS-style record is in play. Handy when a CDN or verification target is not resolving the way you expect.
Frequently asked
Can I put a CNAME at my apex/root domain?
Not with a standard CNAME — the DNS spec forbids it because the apex must also carry SOA and NS records. Use your DNS provider’s CNAME flattening, ANAME or ALIAS feature, which resolves the target and answers with its addresses.
Why does my CNAME chain have several hops?
CDNs and SaaS platforms often alias your name to their name, which aliases to a regional name, which finally resolves to addresses. Each hop is a CNAME. As long as it ends in an address and does not loop, it is working normally.
Is a long CNAME chain a problem?
Each hop adds a small lookup cost. A few hops are fine and normal; very long chains can add latency and are worth flattening where possible. A chain that loops or ends without an address is broken and will fail to resolve.