DNS Resolver (Recursive Resolver)
The server that takes a domain lookup and walks the DNS hierarchy to return the matching address.
Published on June 22, 2026By Namefi Team
- glossary
A DNS resolver (or recursive resolver) is the server your device asks whenever it needs to turn a domain into an IP address. Public resolvers like 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) and 8.8.8.8 (Google) do the legwork: starting from the root zone, they query down the DNS hierarchy to the domain's authoritative nameservers, then cache the answer for its TTL. This is the part of DNS that makes "type a name, reach a site" feel instant.
Related keywords
- DNS resolver
- recursive resolver
- resolver
- 8.8.8.8
- 1.1.1.1
- DNS lookup