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DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN in Google Chrome: the domain does not exist in DNS

Verified with sources3 sourcesReviewed Oct 3, 2026
Technician coming? See the 2 steps they must show you

Risk level

Low

Usually safe to check without specialist tools.

Urgency

Medium

Quick answer

Chrome could not find the site's name, and its DNS probe concluded that your DNS servers are working, so the domain does not exist. Check the address letter by letter and try another site to rule out your connection.

Safety first

Stop and check this first

  • If you search for the name to find the right address, make sure the domain is the official one before you sign in or pay.

Safe checks you can perform

  • The address in the address bar
  • Whether other sites fail or only this one
  • The name's records in the domain's DNS zone

Leave these tasks to a qualified professional

  • Do not attempt this professional task: Review the domain's DNS zone
  • Do not attempt this professional task: Confirm the site resolves again

What a technician must be able to justify

Technician visit

These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.

These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.

  1. Review the domain's DNS zone

    What they doThe domain administrator queries the exact name on the authoritative servers and compares it with the records that should exist.

    They must show youthe lookup with its response code before and after the change.

    In writingwhich record was missing or wrong and when it was published.

  2. Confirm the site resolves again

    What they doAfter publishing the record, the DNS manager repeats the lookup and opens the site from an outside network.

    They must show youthe lookup with the returned addresses.

    In writingtime of the test and network used.

Before accepting a part or repair

Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.

Follow these steps

Note: Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.

  1. The address in the address bar

    No special tools

    Who:
    you, in the browser.
    How:
    compare the address with the one you were given (email, card, document) letter by letter, including hyphens and the ending (.com, .co.uk).
    Result that matters:
    whether the name matches the official one exactly.
    If you find a difference:
    correct it and reload; if it opens, that was the cause.
    If it matches character for character:
    the error is not a typo; move on to the next check.
    Evidence to keep:
    the exact failing address copied into a note.

    Evidence: Google Chrome Help - Fix connection and loading errors in Chrome

  2. Whether other sites fail or only this one

    No special tools

    Who:
    you.
    How:
    open two or three well-known sites in another tab and, if you can, repeat the test on your phone using mobile data.
    Result that matters:
    whether only this name fails or everything you try to open.
    If other sites load and this one does not, also from another network:
    it points to the site's name, not your connection.
    If other sites fail too:
    the DNS probe result does not fit your case; check your Wi-Fi or router as Chrome Help describes.
    Evidence to keep:
    a screenshot of the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN code at the bottom of the page, with the time.

    Evidence: Chromium source - components/error_page/common/net_error_info.h (DNS probe status) · Google Chrome Help - Fix connection and loading errors in Chrome

  3. The name's records in the domain's DNS zone

    Tools required

    Who:
    the domain administrator or its DNS provider.
    How:
    query the exact name with a DNS lookup tool against the domain's authoritative servers and review the zone in the DNS panel.
    Result that matters:
    whether the answer is NXDOMAIN or returns addresses.
    If it returns NXDOMAIN:
    the record is missing or misspelled in the zone; that is the cause to fix.
    If it returns the right addresses:
    the name exists; check whether the change is recent or whether the visitor uses another resolver.
    Evidence to keep:
    the lookup output with date, server queried and response code.

    Only the domain owner or whoever manages its DNS. If you do not administer the domain, do not do this yourself: tell the site, with the screenshot.

    Evidence: Chromium source - components/error_page/common/net_error_info.h (DNS probe status) · RFC 8020 - NXDOMAIN: There Really Is Nothing Underneath

Still not solved

If the error persists, stop here. See what the technician must do and show you.

Where this code applies

A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.

Primary scope

System
Software and digital services
Brand
Google Chrome
Product type
Web browsers

Known code variants

  • DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
  • DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN Chrome
  • net::DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

What it means

After a name-resolution failure, Chrome can run a DNS probe and show its result at the bottom of the error page. Chromium's source defines DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN as the result where the DNS servers are working fine, so the domain must not exist. NXDOMAIN is DNS response code 3 (Name Error): the queried name does not exist. It is the probe's conclusion, not an audit of the site's DNS zone: only the domain owner can confirm which records are published.

Warnings and stop conditions

  • Loweditorial warning

    If you search for the name to find the right address, make sure the domain is the official one before you sign in or pay.

    Evidence: Google Chrome Help - Get help with common error messages in Chrome

Symptoms and causes

Probable causes · in order

  • Mistyped address or wrong linkCommon

    One extra or missing letter produces a different domain that does not exist. You can tell because the site opens once the address is corrected, without changing anything else.

    Evidence: Google Chrome Help - Fix connection and loading errors in Chrome · RFC 8020 - NXDOMAIN: There Really Is Nothing Underneath

  • The name is not published in DNSPossible

    If the address is right and other sites open, the DNS server answered that this name does not exist. Only the domain owner or its DNS provider can publish or fix the record.

    Evidence: Chromium source - components/error_page/common/net_error_info.h (DNS probe status) · RFC 8020 - NXDOMAIN: There Really Is Nothing Underneath

Virtual technician

Does DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN still appear after these checks?

Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.

Start diagnosis

Sources and technical references

  1. 1

    Chromium source - components/error_page/common/net_error_info.h (DNS probe status)

    The Chromium Authors · 2026 · official_doc

  2. 2

    Google Chrome Help - Fix connection and loading errors in Chrome

    Google · 2026 · official_doc

  3. 3

    RFC 8020 - NXDOMAIN: There Really Is Nothing Underneath

    IETF / RFC Editor · 2016 · standard

Sources: Chromium source - components/error_page/common/net_error_info.h (DNS probe status) · Google Chrome Help - Fix connection and loading errors in Chrome · RFC 8020 - NXDOMAIN: There Really Is Nothing Underneathreviewed 2026-10-03 · verified

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