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 elseQuerying 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.
Related
Get notified when this term updates
Plus occasional practical tips on uptime and monitoring, nothing else. Unsubscribe anytime.
यह पेज सामान्य जानकारी है, जिसे हमारी संपादकीय टीम ने लिखा है और दस्तावेज़ीकरण बदलने पर अपडेट किया जाता है। सर्वर और प्रदाता अलग-अलग होते हैं, इसलिए बदलाव पहले सुरक्षित तरीके से जाँचें। देखें: संपादकीय नीति और अस्वीकरण.