Fix "NXDOMAIN" Error

Understanding NXDOMAIN

NXDOMAIN means the domain name does not exist in DNS.

Quick Diagnosis

dig yourdomain.com
# Look for "status: NXDOMAIN" in output

Fix 1: Check Domain Registration

Verify domain is registered and not expired:

whois yourdomain.com | grep -E "Expiry|Expiration"

If expired, renew immediately.

Fix 2: Verify Nameservers

Ensure domain has nameservers configured at registrar:

dig NS yourdomain.com
# If no NS records, add them in registrar control panel

Fix 3: Check DNS Zone File

If you manage DNS, ensure zone exists on nameservers:

# For BIND
named-checkzone yourdomain.com /var/named/yourdomain.com.db

Fix 4: New Domain/Slow Propagation

New domains can take up to 72 hours to resolve globally.

Fix 5: Typo in Domain

Check for spelling errors:

# yourdomain.com vs yourdomain.co (different TLD)

Fix 6: Check Subdomain

NXDOMAIN for subdomain but main domain works:

# Add A/CNAME record for subdomain in DNS zone

Fix 7: DNS Resolver Cache

Some resolvers may have cached negative response:

# Wait for TTL expiry (minutes to hours)