Check a domain’s SOA authority and current serial number

For web teams checking a launch or tracing a fault, this test provides an immediate point of reference. Check a domain’s SOA authority and current serial number.

Check a domain’s SOA authority and current serial number. The result highlights the live configuration and the clues that matter for diagnosis.

How to use

Enter the domain you want to examine in the input field provided for it.
Run the test so the published SOA record for that domain is retrieved.
Find the primary authority and the serial number shown in the result.
Note the serial number before and after a zone edit to confirm that it has moved on.
Clear the field to inspect another domain in the same session.

Example

A site still serves an old address although the correction was made the day before. The SOA record tells you which host is authoritative and which version of the zone you are looking at, which narrows the investigation quickly.

Limits and formats

The serial number follows whatever convention the administrator chose, a counter or a date, so it cannot be read as a modification date on its own.
Only the SOA record of the domain you typed is shown; delegated subdomains are not walked through.
A misspelled or undelegated domain returns nothing useful, so check the name before concluding that something is broken.

Where processing happens

The YOORfree server runs the lookup itself: the domain you send is used to query the public DNS, and the SOA record that comes back is passed on to you unchanged. No file is attached to the request.

Frequently asked questions

What is the serial number in an SOA record for?

It identifies the version of the zone. When it increases, secondary name servers know they should fetch the updated copy. It is a handy marker for checking that an edit has been published.

Who appears as the primary authority in the result?

The primary name server declared for that domain, the one holding the reference version of the zone. It usually belongs to your hosting provider or your DNS service.

Can I change values from this page?

No, the page only reads published information. Any change has to be made in your DNS provider panel or at your registrar, with the appropriate permissions.