Glossary · DNS

GeoDNS

GeoDNS is a DNS service that answers the same query with different IP addresses depending on where the client or its resolver appears to be located.

Updated October 6, 2026

GeoDNS (geographic or geolocation DNS) returns different records for the same name based on the estimated location of the requester. A user in Germany might receive a Frankfurt server address while a user in Singapore receives a Singapore one.

Why it matters

It lowers latency, spreads load, supports regional compliance and lets you serve region-specific content. It is a common building block for CDNs and global applications. The accuracy has limits: the authoritative server normally sees the address of the recursive resolver, not the user. If a user relies on a distant public resolver, the answer can be wrong. EDNS Client Subnet (ECS) can pass a truncated client network to improve this, though not all resolvers send it.

Example

www.example.com  IN A 203.0.113.10   ; clients in Europe
www.example.com  IN A 198.51.100.20  ; clients in Asia
www.example.com  IN A 192.0.2.30     ; default for everyone else

Querying from different regions with a DNS checker shows different answers, which is expected behavior.

Common mistakes

  • Testing from one location and assuming all users see the same record.
  • Forgetting a default record for unmapped regions.
  • Confusing GeoDNS, which picks an IP at lookup time, with anycast, which uses one IP routed to the nearest site.

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