What does TTL mean in DNS?
TTL means time to live. On a DNS record, it tells caching systems how long they can retain an answer before checking again. A longer TTL can mean an old answer remains in use longer after a change. It is not a guaranteed countdown until every device displays your new website.
Useful context
- Ask which DNS record changed and when.
- Record whether you see an old site, a missing domain or a different error.
How it works
Think of a remembered answer
If a system receives an answer with a one-hour TTL, it may reuse that answer during that period. Different systems can have obtained it at different times. That is one reason a website move may appear complete on one connection before another.
Lowering it is a planning decision
An administrator may reduce a TTL in advance of a planned change where the provider allows it. Doing so after an old answer has already been cached does not reach into every cache and immediately remove that earlier answer. Timing therefore matters.
Keep different caches separate
A DNS cache remembers where a name points. A browser or website cache can remember page content. An old photograph after a text update does not automatically call for a DNS TTL change, because the server destination may never have changed.
Ask for evidence rather than a guess
Have the administrator confirm the authoritative value, the expected target and the checking window. Compare the same public address on your normal Wi-Fi and your own mobile data. Record differences without repeatedly editing the setting or promising customers an exact resolution time.
What to check
- You know whether the issue involves a DNS change at all.
- The administrator has verified the destination separately from cache timing.
- A follow-up check has an agreed time and owner.
Sources and further reading
Platform features can change. Check the provider’s current guidance before changing a live service.