/errors/dns/dns-probe-finished-nxdomain
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN (This site can't be reached)
- tool
- DNS
- versions
- Chrome, Edge, other Chromium browsers
- os
- linux, macos, windows
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN is the code Chrome (and other Chromium browsers) shows under "This site can't be reached" when the address could not be resolved and its follow-up DNS probe found that the DNS servers are working: so the name itself does not exist (NXDOMAIN). Check the spelling first; then compare with another DNS resolver to find out whether the domain is really missing or only your resolver says so.
What the code means
When a host name cannot be resolved (ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED), Chrome probes the DNS configuration and replaces the code with the probe result. In the Chromium source, DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN is documented as "the DNS servers are working fine, so the domain must not exist". Related probe results:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN | DNS works; this name does not exist |
| DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG | The DNS configuration is wrong, or the servers are down or broken |
| DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET | No network connectivity |
| DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_SECURE_CONFIG | The secure DNS (DNS over HTTPS) configuration is wrong, or its servers are broken |
Narrow it down
nslookup app.example.com # your configured resolver
nslookup app.example.com 1.1.1.1 # a public resolver
nslookup app.example.com 8.8.8.8Replace app.example.com with the name from the address bar.
- Both resolvers answer
NXDOMAIN(Non-existent domainon Windows,server can't find ...: NXDOMAINelsewhere): the name does not exist publicly. Fix the spelling, the DNS record or the domain registration. - Public resolvers answer, yours does not: your resolver, VPN, filter or hosts file is the cause. Flush the cache (Windows
ipconfig /flushdns, macOSsudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder, systemd-resolvedresolvectl flush-caches) and check the hosts file. - The name is internal: connect to the VPN or office network that serves that zone.
A record you just created
Resolvers cache negative answers too, for the time given by the zone's SOA record (RFC 2308). If you queried the name before creating it, your resolver may keep answering NXDOMAIN until that negative TTL expires. Query the authoritative server directly to confirm the record exists, then wait or flush the caches you control. Chrome also keeps a short DNS cache; chrome://net-internals/#dns has a "Clear host cache" button.