DNS propagation: how long it takes

Updated 9 October 2026

Short answer

"Propagation" is really caching. Resolvers around the world remember a DNS answer for as long as its TTL (time to live) says, so after you change a record, people keep getting the old answer until their cached copy expires. A record change usually reaches everyone within its TTL, often minutes to a few hours. Changing nameservers is slower: Cloudflare's docs say to allow up to 24 hours for the registrar's update.

What's the problem

You changed a DNS record or moved your domain, and the site works for some people but not others, or still shows the old site.

Why it happens

  • Cached answers: resolvers keep the old record until its TTL runs out.
  • A long TTL on the old record (some are set to a day).
  • Nameserver changes at the registrar take longer than record changes.
  • Your own device or browser caching the old answer.

How to fix it

  1. Check what public DNS returns now with an online DNS checker from several locations.
  2. If it shows the new value, the change has reached those resolvers; clear your own browser and device cache.
  3. If it still shows the old value, wait out the old record's TTL.
  4. Before your next planned change, lower the record's TTL (for example to 5 minutes) a day ahead, make the change, then raise it again.
  5. For nameserver moves, copy all records to the new provider before switching, so nothing breaks while it propagates.

What Preventionlabs checks

One click runs the full report on your domain. For this problem it shows your DNS: nameservers, addresses, DNSSEC, and records pointing at services that no longer exist; your domain's registration and expiry date; whether your site loads, how fast, and where its redirects go. With Cloudflare connected, it also shows DNS changes in the last 7 days.

Run your free report

Your first report is free, no card needed. Then A$50 a month, up to 10 domains. Read-only: it never changes anything.

Sources

  1. Cloudflare: Time to Live (TTL)official docsTime to Live (TTL) is a field on DNS records that controls how long each record is cached and — as a result — how long it takes for record updates to reach your end users.
  2. Cloudflare: Time to Live (TTL)official docsLonger TTLs speed up DNS lookups ↗︎ by increasing the chance of cached results, but a longer TTL also means that updates to your records take longer to go into effect.
  3. Cloudflare: Change your nameservers (Full setup)official docsWait up to 24 hours while your registrar updates your nameservers.

Related

Domain not working Check three things in order: the domain hasn't expired, its nameservers are the ones you expect, and its DNS records point at your current host. DNS error A DNS error means the name couldn't be turned into an address. Check whether it fails everywhere or only on your network, then check the domain's records. Nameserver error The nameservers listed for your domain aren't answering correctly. Usually they don't match your DNS provider, or the provider doesn't have your domain set up. DNS not resolving: NXDOMAIN NXDOMAIN means DNS says the name doesn't exist at all. Usually a typo, an expired domain, a missing record for that subdomain, or broken nameservers.
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