DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN is the error Chrome shows when DNS reports that the domain name does not exist. NXDOMAIN stands for “non-existent domain”. If only one visitor sees it, the cause is usually on their side: a typo, a stale DNS cache or a broken resolver. If everyone sees it, the problem is yours: an expired domain, a deleted or changed DNS record, a nameserver change that went wrong or a new record that has not propagated yet. The fastest way to tell the difference is to query the domain with dig or nslookup against a public resolver.
This guide is mainly for site owners, agencies and developers who need to get a domain back online. A short section for visitors is at the end.
What NXDOMAIN actually means
When a browser opens northwind.shop, it asks a DNS resolver for the address. The resolver follows the chain from the root servers to the .shop servers and on to the nameservers for northwind.shop. If that chain ends with an authoritative answer of “this name does not exist”, the resolver returns NXDOMAIN and the browser gives up. In Chrome the page reads “This site can’t be reached” with “server IP address could not be found” and the code DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN. Other browsers word it differently, but it is the same failure.
Two related DNS answers are worth knowing, because they point to different problems:
| Answer | Meaning | Typical cause |
|---|---|---|
| NXDOMAIN | The name does not exist at all | Missing record, lapsed or suspended domain, typo |
| NOERROR with no answer | The name exists, but not with this record type | An AAAA query for a name that only has an A record |
| SERVFAIL | The resolver could not get a valid answer | Broken nameservers, DNSSEC problems, a nameserver change gone wrong |
A visitor’s browser can show similar errors for all three, so check which one you get before you start fixing.
Owner-side causes
The domain registration expired
When a registration lapses, the registrar typically stops publishing the domain normally. Depending on the registrar and the registry, the domain may be put on hold and removed from DNS, which produces NXDOMAIN for everything on it, or pointed at a parking page, which replaces your site with someone else’s. Either way, the website, email and API all stop at once. The renewal reminders often went to an address nobody reads anymore. Read more about why domain monitoring matters for your business.
A record was deleted or changed
Someone removed the A record for www while cleaning up the zone, or a migration recreated the zone without a record that existed before. The bare domain still works and www returns NXDOMAIN, or the other way around. Subdomains such as shop, api or status are especially easy to lose during migrations because nobody checks them.
Nameservers changed
Moving DNS to a new provider means changing the nameservers at the registrar. If the zone at the new provider is incomplete, every record that was not copied is gone. If the nameservers point to a provider where the zone does not exist at all, resolvers may get errors or NXDOMAIN answers for the whole domain.
A typo in the record or the nameserver
northwind.shpo in a nameserver field, a missing dot at the end of a CNAME target in a zone file, or a record created as www.northwind.shop.northwind.shop by a control panel that appends the zone name automatically. Each one produces NXDOMAIN for a name you are sure you created.
Propagation and negative caching
A record you just created may not be visible everywhere yet. Resolvers cache answers for as long as the TTL allows, and they also cache “this does not exist”. That negative answer is cached for a time set in the zone’s SOA record. If someone looked up a subdomain before you created it, their resolver can keep returning NXDOMAIN for a while after the record exists.
Quick checks with dig and nslookup
Start by asking a public resolver directly, which bypasses your own computer’s cache:
dig northwind.shop A @1.1.1.1
dig www.northwind.shop A @8.8.8.8Look at the status field in the header. status: NXDOMAIN confirms the name does not exist from the resolver’s point of view. status: NOERROR with an answer section means DNS works and the problem is somewhere else.
Next, check which nameservers the domain uses and ask them directly. Their answer is the source of truth:
dig NS northwind.shop +short
dig www.northwind.shop A @ns1.example-dns.netIf the authoritative nameserver has the record but public resolvers return NXDOMAIN, you are waiting for caches to expire. If the authoritative nameserver also returns NXDOMAIN, the record is missing or misspelled in the zone.
To follow the whole chain from the root down, which shows exactly where delegation breaks after a nameserver change, use:
dig www.northwind.shop +traceOn Windows, nslookup does the same job:
nslookup www.northwind.shop 1.1.1.1
nslookup -type=NS northwind.shop“Non-existent domain” in the output is NXDOMAIN.
Finally, check the registration. A lookup at your registrar or a WHOIS or RDAP service shows the expiry date and status codes such as clientHold or serverHold, which mean the domain has been taken out of DNS.
How to fix it
- Expired domain: renew it at the registrar right away. Restoration after the grace period can cost more and take longer, so act on the first sign. After renewal, check that the nameservers are still the ones you expect.
- Missing record: recreate it at your DNS provider. If you have a record history or an export of the zone from before the change, restore from that rather than from memory.
- Nameserver problem: compare the nameservers at the registrar with where your zone actually lives. Either point them back, or complete the zone at the new provider.
- Typo: fix the name or target, and remember the trailing dot rules of your provider or zone file format.
- Propagation: wait for the TTL and the negative cache time to pass. Before planned changes, lower the TTL a day ahead so changes take effect faster.
When you are back up, add a note to your status page or tell affected customers. DNS outages often affect email too, so check that mail is flowing again.
For visitors: if only you see the error
If the site works for others, the cause is on your device or network. Try these in order:
- Check the address for typos.
- Try another network, for example mobile data instead of Wi-Fi.
- Flush the DNS cache. On Windows run
ipconfig /flushdns; on macOS runsudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder. In Chrome you can also clear its host cache atchrome://net-internals/#dns. - Switch to a public DNS resolver in your network settings.
- Turn off a VPN or security software that filters DNS, and check the hosts file for an old entry.
Preventing NXDOMAIN outages
Most owner-side NXDOMAIN outages are preventable with three kinds of monitoring:
- Domain expiry monitoring shows days left on every registration and reminds you before it lapses, in a channel your team actually reads.
- DNS record monitoring alerts you when a record changes or disappears, with the old and new value, so a deleted
wwwrecord or an unexpected nameserver change is an alert, not a mystery. - Uptime monitoring reports the symptom from the outside. When the domain stops resolving, the check fails with a DNS error rather than a status code, and you know where to look.
Uptimecheck covers all three in one account. Domain monitoring tracks registration expiry across registrars and sends reminders, DNS monitoring watches A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, SOA, TXT and CAA records and keeps a history of every change, and uptime monitoring confirms from the outside that the site answers. The record history is also what you restore from when a migration goes wrong. Our guide to detecting hijacked DNS records explains what unexpected changes can mean, and if the domain resolves but the browser still warns, see SSL certificate errors explained.
Summary
NXDOMAIN means DNS says the name does not exist. If only one person sees it, it is their cache, network or a typo. If everyone sees it, check the registration, the nameservers and the record, in that order, with dig against a public resolver and against your own nameservers. Then put monitoring on the things that caused it, so the next lapse or deleted record reaches you first.
Uptimecheck watches your domains, DNS records and websites in one place and alerts you before a lapse or a changed record takes your site offline. Start your 14-day free trial, no credit card required.