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chrome://net-internals/#dns Troubleshooting Cheat Sheet

3 min read

chrome://net-internals/#dns is Chrome’s built-in diagnostic interface for inspecting and clearing its internal DNS cache. It helps resolve stale DNS lookups and network errors without restarting the browser, providing real-time visibility into cached hostname-to-IP mappings.

chrome://net-internals/#dns

What is chrome://net-internals/#dns and when to use it?

Every Chromium-based browser maintains an internal DNS cache separate from the operating system. This cache stores resolved IP addresses for visited domains to speed up subsequent requests. When a DNS record changes (e.g., during a website migration, CDN failover, or local development), Chrome may continue using the stale entry, causing DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN errors or loading outdated content. The chrome://net-internals/#dns tool gives you a direct view of this cache and a one-click “Clear host cache” button to force fresh lookups.

Use it when:

  • You see DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN in Chrome but the site is reachable from other browsers or tools like nslookup.
  • You changed DNS records (A, AAAA, CNAME) and Chrome refuses to see the update even after waiting.
  • You are developing/testing a local web application and Chrome insists on resolving to a production IP.
  • You need a quick, non-destructive purge without flushing the entire system DNS cache.

Tested on Chrome 120 on Windows 11 and macOS 14.3 with standard DNS over HTTPS settings.

chrome://net-internals/#dns Rapid Reference Cheat Sheet

Action Method Key Parameter Result
View DNS cache chrome://net-internals/#dns N/A Displays all cached hostnames, addresses, and TTLs
Clear DNS cache Click “Clear host cache” button N/A Removes all entries; next lookup goes to OS
Flush socket pools chrome://net-internals/#sockets → “Flush socket pools” N/A Closes idle and active connections
Restart Chrome chrome://restart N/A Reloads browser and resets all internal state
Disable extensions chrome://extensions Disable all Eliminates extension interference with DNS
Reset Chrome settings chrome://settings/reset Restore settings to default Removes rogue proxy/settings affecting DNS
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Error Resolution & Troubleshooting

Error Code / Signal Root Cause Remediation Command / Step
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN Chrome’s DNS query completed, but the domain does not exist (NXDOMAIN). Could be stale cache or real missing record. Clear Chrome DNS cache via chrome://net-internals/#dns → “Clear host cache”. Also flush sockets. Verify domain with nslookup example.com from terminal.
ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED DNS resolution failed completely. OS-level DNS misconfiguration or network issue. Flush OS DNS cache: ipconfig /flushdns (Windows) or sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches (Linux). Check DNS server settings.
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT DNS resolved, but connection to IP timed out. Often caused by stale socket pools. Flush socket pools via chrome://net-internals/#sockets → “Flush socket pools”. Clear host cache as well.
Chrome still shows old IP after clearing Browser process holding a persistent connection (HTTP keep-alive or WebSocket). Socket pools haven’t been flushed. Flush socket pools and restart Chrome completely: chrome://restart. Also disable any proxy extensions temporarily.

Step-by-Step: Clearing Chrome’s Internal DNS Cache

  1. Open the Net Internals DNS page
    In Chrome’s address bar, type chrome://net-internals/#dns and press Enter. The page shows the current DNS cache table (hostname, family, address, expiry).
  2. Clear the host cache
    Click the “Clear host cache” button. All cached entries are instantly removed. The table empties.
  3. Flush socket pools (recommended)
    Navigate to chrome://net-internals/#sockets and click “Flush socket pools”. This closes all active connections that may still hold stale DNS resolutions.
  4. Restart Chrome
    Completely close and reopen Chrome to ensure the process picks up fresh DNS queries from the OS resolver.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I clear DNS cache in Chrome?

Open chrome://net-internals/#dns and click “Clear host cache”.

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Is clearing DNS cache safe?

Yes, it is safe and helps fix browsing issues.

What is chrome://net-internals/#dns?

It is a Chrome internal tool used to view and clear DNS cache.