Read DNS answers without confusing them with website health.
Ask one question at a time
A browser cannot open a shop’s website after a domain move. Start by asking which fact is missing: the address record, mail routing, or the web server response. An A record describes an IPv4 destination; it does not say whether the application is running. Query the exact hostname used by visitors, including www when appropriate.
Keep the record type and resolver visible
Run the DNS tool with A, then AAAA if the site supports IPv6. Keep the resolver name, answer data, TTL and query time with your notes. A CNAME chain can explain why the final address belongs to a hosting provider. Do not remove a CNAME just because its target is unfamiliar; compare it with your hosting configuration first.
Treat mail and ownership records separately
MX records route mail; TXT records can carry verification and mail policies. Their presence is not a mail-delivery test. Never publish a secret API key as a TXT record. If you are checking domain registration, use RDAP rather than assuming that an absent A record means an unregistered domain.
Verify the next layer
After confirming the expected address, inspect HTTPS and the page response. A correct DNS answer can coexist with an expired certificate, a redirect loop or a broken application. Conversely, an old answer from one resolver does not prove a worldwide outage. Record the precise hostname and resolver and repeat after the relevant cache period before making another change.