DNS propagation delays are often caused by cached resolvers, high TTL values, partial nameserver changes, or records being updated in the wrong DNS zone.
Common symptoms
- Some locations see the new site and others still see the old one
- Email starts failing after a DNS change
- Only one record updates while others remain old
Troubleshooting steps
- Confirm you edited DNS in the authoritative zone, which is the zone controlled by the active nameservers.
- Check whether the domain's nameservers at the registrar match the provider where you made the DNS change.
- Review TTL values; resolvers can continue serving cached answers until the previous TTL expires.
- Flush your local DNS cache or test from mobile data and third-party DNS tools to compare results.
- If nameservers were changed, verify both nameserver hostnames were entered correctly and fully published at the registrar.
Additional notes
- Propagation is not a single event; different networks refresh at different times.
- A record can be correct globally while your local ISP still caches the previous value.
When to contact support
Contact support if the authoritative records are correct but the hosted service still does not respond properly.