Terms of Service - DNS Checker

1. Introduction

Welcome to DNS Checker. By accessing and using this website and its services, you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provisions of this agreement. These terms govern your use of DNS Checker's tools and related services.

2. Service Usage and Limitations

DNS Checker provides the following categories of tools and services:

DNS tools — DNS record lookup, propagation checking, and domain configuration analysis
WHOIS & domain tools — WHOIS lookup, domain age and expiry checking, reverse WHOIS, bulk WHOIS, and expiring domains
Email authentication tools — MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC checking, SMTP diagnostics, email header analysis, and deliverability testing
IP & network tools — IP geolocation, port scanning, blacklist checking, and website reputation scanning
HTTP & web tools — security headers analysis, HTTP header checking, redirect tracing, and robots.txt validation
Reference content — TLD directory, HTTP status codes, SMTP errors, SSL/TLS errors, Cloudflare errors, FTP errors, server log formats, and DNS glossary

You agree to use these tools responsibly and within reasonable limits. DNS Checker reserves the right to implement rate limiting or restrict access in cases of abuse or excessive usage.

3. User Responsibilities

When using DNS Checker's services, you agree to:

Provide accurate information when using the tools
Not attempt to circumvent any security measures or usage limitations
Not use the services for any illegal or unauthorized purposes
Not interfere with or disrupt DNS Checker's services or servers

Legitimate security research: DNS Checker's tools are designed for network diagnostics, security analysis, and infrastructure monitoring. Using these tools to check DNS records, scan ports, verify email authentication, or assess security headers for domains and systems you own or are authorized to test is a normal and intended use case. However, you are responsible for ensuring you have appropriate authorization before scanning or testing third-party infrastructure.

4. Prohibited Activities

You may not engage in any of the following activities when using DNS Checker's services. These restrictions apply to all users, whether accessing the site directly, through the API, or by any other means.

Automated scraping, crawling, or systematic data extraction from DNS Checker, including the use of bots, scripts, spiders, or any other automated tools to access or collect data beyond normal individual tool usage
Bulk downloading of WHOIS records, DNS data, IP intelligence results, or query results obtained from DNS Checker's tools and APIs
Redistribution, resale, sublicensing, or commercial repackaging of data obtained from DNS Checker, whether in original or modified form
Circumvention of rate limits, credit systems, API key restrictions, or other access controls designed to regulate usage of the services
Creating derivative databases or datasets through systematic collection of data from DNS Checker
Accessing the services through any means intended to avoid or bypass usage tracking, billing, or authentication mechanisms

Violation of these restrictions may result in immediate account termination, API key revocation, and permanent suspension of access. DNS Checker also reserves the right to pursue legal remedies, including injunctive relief and damages, against individuals or entities that violate these terms.

5. Intellectual Property

All content, features, and functionality of DNS Checker, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, and software, are owned by DNS Checker and are protected by international copyright and intellectual property laws.

6. Service Availability and Continuity

While high availability is a priority, uninterrupted access to the services is not guaranteed. Access may occasionally be suspended for technical improvements or maintenance. DNS Checker reserves the right to discontinue, temporarily or permanently, any tool or the entire service at any time, with or without notice. In the event of a permanent service shutdown, active subscribers will be notified by email and any prepaid subscription fees for unused periods will be refunded on a pro-rata basis.

7. Subscriptions, Credits, and Pricing

DNS Checker offers subscription plans that provide access to tools through a credit-based system. By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

Tool availability: The specific tools available on the platform may change over time. Existing tools may be modified, replaced, or decommissioned, and new tools may be added. Subscriptions grant access to the platform's current tool offering, not to any specific individual tool
Credit rates and limits: The number of credits included in each subscription tier, per-tool credit costs, and daily or monthly usage limits may be adjusted at any time. Changes to credit rates apply to usage going forward and do not affect credits already consumed
Pricing changes: Subscription pricing may change. Existing subscribers will be notified by email at least 30 days before any price increase takes effect. If you do not agree with a price change, you may cancel your subscription before the new pricing applies
No guaranteed features: Planned features, tools, or capabilities mentioned on the site, in blog posts, or in communications do not constitute a commitment to deliver them. Subscription value is based on the tools and features available at the time of use

Subscriptions are billed on a recurring basis (monthly or annually, depending on the plan selected). You may cancel your subscription at any time from your account dashboard. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.

Plan Upgrades and Downgrades

You may upgrade or downgrade your subscription plan at any time through the Stripe billing portal, accessible from your account dashboard.

Upgrades: When upgrading to a higher-tier plan, the change takes effect immediately. Stripe charges the prorated price difference for the remaining days in the current billing cycle. Your monthly credit balance is reset to the full allowance of the new plan at the time of upgrade. Any unused credits from the previous plan are forfeited and replaced by the new plan's full credit allowance.

Downgrades: When downgrading to a lower-tier plan, the tier change takes effect immediately but your existing credit balance is preserved for the remainder of the current billing cycle. Since payment for the higher-tier plan has already been processed for the current period, you retain access to your remaining credits until the cycle ends. At the start of the next billing cycle, your credit balance resets to the new lower-tier plan's monthly allowance and you are billed at the lower rate going forward. Stripe may apply a prorated credit to your next invoice to account for the price difference.

Credit handling: Plan changes do not affect bonus credits purchased through top-up packs. Top-up credits are separate from monthly subscription credits and are not modified, forfeited, or prorated during any plan change. Monthly subscription credits are non-transferable between billing cycles regardless of plan changes.

7-Day Money-Back Guarantee

DNS Checker offers a one-time, 7-day money-back guarantee on your very first paid subscription purchase. If you are not satisfied, you may request a full refund within 7 calendar days of the date the first subscription payment was processed. To request a refund, contact support via the contact page within the 7-day window. Refund requests received after the 7-day window has elapsed will not be honored. Refunds are processed to the original payment method and may take 5-10 business days to appear on your statement.

Eligibility: The 7-day money-back guarantee is available once per customer and applies exclusively to the first subscription purchase made on the account. “First subscription purchase” means the initial transaction in which a user subscribes to any paid plan (Starter, Plus, or Pro) for the first time.

Exclusions: The following are expressly excluded from the 7-day guarantee and are non-refundable:

Subscription renewals (monthly or annual recurring charges)
Plan upgrades or downgrades after the initial purchase
Top-up credit pack purchases
Resubscriptions after a previous cancellation or refund
Accounts that have previously received a refund under this guarantee
Subscriptions purchased using promotional codes, discounts, or special offers unless otherwise stated in the promotion terms

After the 7-day window: Once 7 calendar days have passed from the initial subscription purchase date, all charges are final and non-refundable. Cancelling a subscription after the 7-day window stops future billing but does not entitle the subscriber to a refund for the current or any prior billing period. No partial, prorated, or pro-rata refunds are issued for unused portions of a billing cycle.

Dispute resolution: By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to this refund policy. If a payment dispute or chargeback is filed with your card issuer or payment provider for a charge that falls outside the 7-day guarantee window or pertains to an excluded transaction listed above, DNS Checker reserves the right to present this policy and associated transaction records as evidence. Filing a chargeback for a charge that does not qualify for a refund under this policy may result in immediate account suspension.

All refunds under this guarantee are issued at the sole discretion of DNS Checker.

8. Digital Downloads (Data Exports)

DNS Checker offers paid digital data exports for certain tools (currently the Reverse IP Domain Check; additional data products may be added over time). Each purchase is a one-time delivery of a digital file or set of files (CSV, JSONL, and a signed manifest) generated for the buyer at the time of purchase. The terms in this Section 8 apply to all such purchases and govern the relationship between the buyer and DNS Checker for the duration of the access window and beyond. Where the terms of this Section 8 conflict with other sections of these Terms, this Section 8 controls for download purchases.

8.1 What you are buying

Each download purchase delivers a snapshot of the relevant dataset at the time the file is generated. Files are produced from DNS Checker's most recent scan period and reflect the state of the underlying data at that point in time. The product is the file itself, together with the access window described below. DNS Checker is not selling a continuous data feed, an API subscription, or a guarantee of future availability of the same product.

8.2 Access duration and re-download

Each purchase grants the access window stated at checkout (typically twelve months from the date of purchase). Within that window, signed download links may be regenerated from the buyer's account dashboard. Each regeneration reflects the data as of the most recent completed scan period at the time of regeneration, which may differ from the data delivered at the time of purchase. Once the access window expires, download links are no longer issued.

8.3 Sales are final · No refunds

All download purchases are final and non-refundable once payment has been processed and the data has been generated. This includes, without limitation: changes in result count between purchase and delivery, dissatisfaction with the data or its completeness, accidental or duplicate purchases, and use cases that turn out to be unsuitable. The sole exception is verifiable non-delivery — see the Refund Policy for the limited refund scenarios that apply.

8.4 License granted to the buyer

Subject to these Terms, DNS Checker grants the buyer a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to use the downloaded files solely for the buyer's own internal business or research purposes during the access window. Title to and intellectual property rights in the underlying data remain with DNS Checker. The buyer may not:

Share, post publicly, upload to file-sharing services, or otherwise redistribute the files
Sell, sublicense, lease, or commercially repackage the data, in original or modified form
Create derivative datasets intended for redistribution
Use the data to operate a competing reverse-IP, passive-DNS, or domain-intelligence service
Remove, alter, or obscure the fingerprint metadata embedded in the files (see Section 8.5)

8.5 File fingerprinting and enforcement

Each downloaded file contains a unique identifier traceable to the purchase. The identifier appears in the filename, the file header, and the accompanying HMAC-signed manifest. Removing or modifying the visible identifier does not eliminate the underlying attribution. If a file traceable to a buyer's account is found shared publicly, redistributed, or otherwise used in violation of Section 8.4, DNS Checker may revoke that buyer's access immediately and without notice. No refund is issued in such cases. The buyer's previously purchased access window is forfeited and any re-purchase is at the then-current price.

8.6 Service availability and discontinuation

DNS Checker may, at any time and at its sole discretion, modify, pause, or permanently discontinue any tool, dataset, or download product, with or without prior notice. Each download purchase entitles the buyer to the data delivered at the time of generation; continued availability of the regeneration feature during the access window depends on continued operation of the underlying service.

If a download product is paused or discontinued during a buyer's access window, the buyer remains entitled to any files already downloaded and is encouraged to retain a local copy. The buyer is not entitled to a refund of fees paid for the purchase, in whole or in part, on the basis of subsequent discontinuation. As a matter of practice and where practicable, advance email notice will be provided when a product is being discontinued, together with a reasonable window during which outstanding files may be downloaded.

By purchasing, the buyer expressly acknowledges this risk and agrees that the price paid reflects delivery of the file at the time of purchase plus a best-effort access window, and not a guarantee that the regeneration feature will remain operational for the full window.

8.7 As-is delivery and best-effort accuracy

DNS Checker operates a continuous DNS scanning pipeline and strives to deliver accurate, current data refreshed on a regular cadence. However, the data is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory. To the maximum extent permitted by law, DNS Checker disclaims all warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, completeness, accuracy, and availability. The buyer acknowledges that DNS data changes frequently, that scan coverage cannot be guaranteed for every domain in every TLD, and that the data should be validated independently before being used as the sole basis for any consequential decision.

8.8 Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, DNS Checker's total cumulative liability to any buyer arising out of or relating to a download purchase — whether in contract, tort, warranty, or any other theory — is limited to the amount the buyer actually paid for that specific purchase. In no event will DNS Checker be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including without limitation lost profits, lost revenue, lost data, lost goodwill, or business interruption, even if DNS Checker has been advised of the possibility of such damages. The limitations in this Section 8.8 apply regardless of whether the essential purpose of any limited remedy has failed.

8.9 Indemnification

The buyer agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless DNS Checker and its operator, Ishan Karunaratne, from and against any and all third-party claims, damages, liabilities, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) the buyer's use, modification, or misuse of any data obtained through a download purchase; (b) the buyer's breach of Section 8.4 (license restrictions) or any other provision of these Terms; (c) any claim that the buyer's use of the data infringes or misappropriates a third party's rights, including privacy, publicity, trademark, copyright, or contractual rights; and (d) the buyer's violation of any applicable law or regulation in connection with use of the data. This obligation survives the termination or expiration of these Terms and the buyer's access window.

8.10 Chargebacks

Chargebacks initiated with the buyer's card issuer or payment provider for reasons other than verifiable non-delivery of the digital product may be contested by DNS Checker using documentation of the buyer's acceptance of these Terms — including timestamp, IP address, and user agent recorded at the time of consent — together with delivery confirmation, audit logs, and the signed manifest. Filing a chargeback for a charge that does not qualify for a refund under these Terms or the Refund Policy may result in immediate revocation of access without refund.

8.11 Survival

Sections 8.4 (license restrictions), 8.5 (fingerprinting and enforcement), 8.6 (no refund on discontinuation), 8.8 (limitation of liability), 8.9 (indemnification), and 8.10 (chargebacks) survive any termination of access or expiration of the access window.

9. Email Communications

By creating an account, you agree to receive transactional emails necessary for the operation of your account, including authentication links, password resets, and security alerts.

You may also opt in to receive marketing communications such as product updates and DNS industry insights. You can withdraw your consent to marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by updating your preferences in your account dashboard. Unsubscribe requests are processed promptly.

Emails are sent using Amazon Web Services Simple Email Service (SES). All emails are authenticated using DKIM and SPF, and a DMARC policy is published for the domain. Low bounce and complaint rates are maintained by honoring suppression lists and promptly removing invalid or unsubscribed addresses.

10. Affiliate Links and Compensation

Some pages on this website contain affiliate links to third-party products and services. When you click on these links and make a purchase or complete a qualifying action, DNS Checker may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. DNS Checker participates in affiliate programs operated by Impact, CJ Affiliate, and other networks.

Affiliate relationships do not influence editorial content, tool functionality, or the accuracy of data provided by DNS Checker's services. The DNS tools, IP intelligence, and other utilities operate independently of any commercial partnerships.

For full details, please see the Affiliate Disclosure.

11. Limitation of Liability

DNS Checker provides its services on an "as is" and "as available" basis. DNS Checker shall not be liable for any:

Direct, indirect, or consequential damages
Loss of data or business opportunities
Errors or inaccuracies in DNS results
Decisions made based on tool output

DNS Checker makes a best-effort attempt to provide accurate and up-to-date results. DNS, WHOIS, and IP data are queried from authoritative sources in real-time, and results reflect the state of those sources at the time of the query. However, internet infrastructure data changes frequently, and DNS Checker cannot guarantee that all results are current or error-free. Tool output should be used as one input in your decision-making process, not as the sole basis for critical infrastructure decisions.

12. Log Data and Abuse Investigations

DNS Checker maintains standard server logs (IP addresses, user agents, timestamps, pages visited) for security and abuse prevention purposes. These logs are retained for a maximum of 90 days and are automatically deleted thereafter. Log data is not shared with third parties except:

When required by law, court order, or valid legal process
To respond to verified abuse reports involving DNS Checker's infrastructure
To protect the rights, safety, or property of DNS Checker or its users

Individual tool queries (which domains or IPs you looked up) are not logged or stored. See the Privacy Policy for full details on data handling.

13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these terms or the use of DNS Checker's services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in New Jersey, United States.

14. Changes to Terms

DNS Checker reserves the right to modify, update, or replace any part of these terms at any time and for any reason, at the sole discretion of the site owner. This includes changes to service availability, tool offerings, credit rates, subscription pricing, usage limits, data handling practices, and any other aspect of the service described in these terms.

Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. For material changes that affect active subscribers (such as pricing increases), reasonable notice will be provided by email when practicable. Continued use of the services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. If you do not agree with any changes, you should discontinue use of the services and cancel any active subscription.

15. Contact Information

For any questions about these terms, contact DNS Checker at:

General inquiries: [email protected]