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Is there a linux shell command that I can use to inspect the TXT records of a domain?

learningtech
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2 Answers2

362

Dig will also do it quite nicely: dig -t txt example.com and if you add the +short option you get just the txt record in quote marks with no other cruft.

WheresAlice
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    According to my DNS manager, I have 4 TXT records - an SPF one with host "@" and then 3 for domainkeys. However, dig -t only shows the SPF value. Any ideas? – Nic Cottrell Sep 21 '12 at 08:17
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    @NicCottrell and anyone else wondering about this; it is because of the domain you are querying. To view domain keys using dig it would be: dkim-selector._domainkey.example.com

    If Google was your email provider: dig -t txt google._domainkey.example.com

     – Robert Brisita Apr 11 '16 at 16:02
  • And dkim-selector is what your email server will write down on the email header, while dmarc is defined to be _dmarc prefix . – Rick Apr 26 '20 at 13:46
  • The reason for the mismatch, is dig doesn't show the sub-domains. You have to explicitly request that: dig some._domainkey.foobar.com txt +short – rustyMagnet May 31 '22 at 10:40
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The host(1) command has a nice, terse output:

$ host -t txt google.com
google.com descriptive text "v=spf1 include:_netblocks.google.com ip4:216.73.93.70/31 ip4:216.73.93.72/31 ~all"
$ wajig findfile $(which host)
bind9-host: /usr/bin/host
$

With dig(1) I "have" to add the "+short" option all the time as well.

(I'm on Debian).

Cristian Ciupitu
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asjo
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