LOC Lookup
Geographic LOC records (lat/long/altitude).
Enter a value above to run LOC Lookup
e.g. example.com
Quick answer
LOC Lookup shows the geographic location a domain has published in DNS, given as latitude, longitude, and altitude. The record also includes size and precision values that indicate how large the described location is and how accurate the coordinates are.
The LOC record is a rarely used DNS record type (RFC 1876) that stores the physical location of a host or network: latitude, longitude, altitude, and three optional precision values for the size of the equipment, horizontal accuracy, and vertical accuracy. This tool queries the LOC record for any domain and returns the raw geographic coordinates as published in the zone.
LOC records were designed so that traceroute maps, network topology tools, and researchers could resolve a name to a real-world position without a separate database. They are informational only and never affect how traffic is routed.
How it works
The tool sends a DNS query of type LOC for the name you enter. If the authoritative zone publishes one, the resolver returns a record encoding latitude and longitude in degrees-minutes-seconds, altitude in meters relative to a reference ellipsoid, plus size and precision fields. The tool decodes this binary format into readable coordinates. Most domains have no LOC record, so an empty result is normal and simply means the operator never added one.
How to read the results
A result looks like: 52 22 23.000 N 4 53 32.000 E -2.00m 0.00m 10000m 10m. The first two groups are latitude and longitude in degrees, minutes, seconds with a hemisphere letter. Next is altitude in meters. The final three values are the size of the physical object, horizontal precision, and vertical precision. Feed the latitude and longitude into any mapping service to see the claimed physical location.
Why it matters
LOC records are optional and carry no security or delivery weight, but they can document where infrastructure physically sits, which helps with peering decisions, latency estimates, and academic network mapping. Because anyone controlling a zone can set any coordinates, treat published values as a claim, not verified truth. Checking them is useful for auditing your own records or investigating what a third party has advertised.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my lookup return nothing?
- LOC records are optional and the vast majority of domains simply do not publish one. An empty response is not an error; it means the authoritative zone has no LOC record for that exact name. Try the bare domain or a specific hostname, since the record is set per name and is not inherited from parent records.
- Can I trust the coordinates I get back?
- Only as far as you trust whoever operates the zone. LOC data is self-published and unauthenticated, so anyone can enter arbitrary latitude and longitude. Unless the zone is DNSSEC-signed and you trust the operator, treat the position as an advertised claim. It is fine for documentation or mapping, but never for anything requiring proof of a device's real location.
- Does a LOC record affect email or routing?
- No. LOC records are purely informational. They do not influence how packets are routed, how mail is delivered, or any security policy. Adding, changing, or removing a LOC record has zero effect on connectivity. Its only role is to attach human-readable geographic metadata to a name for tools and people who choose to read it.