What Does chrome://net‑internals/dns Do?

Posted by thetechtowns.com 28 August 2025

If you’ve ever searched for ways to fix slow or failing websites, you might have come across the address chrome://net-internals/dns. It’s an internal Google page Chrome that allows you to manage and fix issues with DNS and is essential when it comes to connecting you with websites. Let’s look into how it functions and when you should utilize it and what it does.

Understanding DNS in Chrome

It’s the first step: DNS is the abbreviation for DNS stands for Domain Name System–the system that transforms web addresses that are easy to remember such as example.com into the numbers of IP address (like 93.184.216.34) which computers utilize to connect. Chrome stores local copies of the most current DNS lookups. This is known as”the DNS cache which speeds your visits to. In the event that this cache is old or damaged, sites might load slow or even fail completely. That’s where chrome://net-internals/dns comes in.

Why You Might Use chrome://net-internals/dns

  • fix loading issues When websites fail to correctly load, flushing the DNS cache may help.

  • No invalid entries The incorrect or old DNS entries may create “page that could not be located” error messages.

  • Find out the cause of problems Advanced users are able to examine cached entries to determine the exact method by which Chrome resolves addresses.

How to Use It

  1. Open Chrome.

  2. Type chrome://net-internals/dns into the address bar and press Enter.

  3. There’s a basic page that lists the current DNS entries as well as a link with the words “Clear the host cache.”

  4. Select “Clear Host Cache” to flush everything.

That’s it. No downloading or specialized instruments are necessary.

Quick Table: chrome://net-internals/dns at a Glance

Feature Description
Page URL chrome://net-internals/dns
Purpose Clear and view the DNS cache in Chrome. cache
Common use cases Repair page loading issues Clear out old entries, improve DNS resolution
The key action “Click” “Clear Host Cache” to flush DNS entries
Ease of use Simple; just one interne page on Chrome
Target audience From everyday users to advanced troubleshooters

SEO Keywords for Better Visibility

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  • chrome://net-internals/dns usage

  • The Chrome DNS server internal page

  • Flush host cache Chrome

  • Troubleshoot Chrome DNS

FAQs

Q1: What does chrome://net-internals/dns do?
A: It displays Chrome’s current list of looked-up domain names (the DNS cache) and provides a button to clear that cache, which can help resolve loading problems.

Q2: How do I clear the DNS cache in Google Chrome? A: Just open Chrome, enter chrome://net-internals/dns in the address bar, and click on the “Clear host cache” button to flush DNS entries.

Q3 Can I safely delete the host cache from Chrome?
Answer: Absolutely. Cleaning the DNS cache is merely removing cached IP addresses. Google will build the cache when you surf, generally increasing site accessibility without negative effects.

Q4: When should I use chrome://net-internals/dns?
A: Use it when pages are failing to load, showing DNS errors, or when websites have changed server locations but your browser still points to the old address.

Q5: Does clearing DNS caches speed the browsing experience?
Answer: It might. If incorrect or outdated entries caused delay or error, clearing the cache will allow Chrome to fetch new, precise DNS data.

Q6 What happens after I delete the host cache on the Chrome browser?
Answer: All stored mappings of domain names to IP addresses is deleted. When you next visit the website, Chrome will query DNS again.

A Closer Look: When and Why to Use This Feature

Imagine entering a well-known website address, such as news-site.com, but instead of opening, Google displays with a “site isn’t accessible” message. It’s time to refresh, clean the cookies and then restart your PC, but nothing works. In that case, chrome://net-internals/dns often solves the problem swiftly. Since DNS entries are prone to becoming outdated (especially when a website has moved servers) Clearing the cache will ensure that Chrome will retrieve the latest, proper IP address.

Network administrators or developers can utilize this site when conducting tests on DNS modifications. If, for instance, you switch your DNS provider or altering the DNS records on your site however, your system may be using the older DNS search result. Clearing the cache causes Chrome to load the most recent DNS data.

The site also provides a look at DNS resolution. There are many instances where you can see which names are being cached, and whether they are pointing at IPv4 or IPv6 addresses. These details can be used to assist in diagnosing the root of network issues.

Tips for Best Results

  • Perform an immediate refresh following clearing after clicking “Clear the host cache” press Ctrl+F5 (or Cmd+Shift+R in Mac) for a force the reload of the webpage, making sure that it is able to fetch new DNS entries.

  • Join with the operating system-based DNS flush For Windows you can execute Ipconfig /flushdns within Command Prompt. for macOS you can use sudo killall with -HUP mDNSResponder. The flush will clear DNS on a system-wide and works with Google’s cache internal.

  • Start Chrome again if necessary If clearing the DNS cache will immediately affect Chrome, restarting it will help solve problems that aren’t solved.

  • Be cautious when using secured networks on network at school or in the workplace that has custom DNS or proxy servers, clearing the cache could briefly disrupt access to the DNS settings of the network until they update.

Final Thoughts

chrome://net-internals/dns may look unassuming, but it’s a powerful, built-in tool for managing how Chrome resolves domain names. If you’re a regular user trying to repair an unresponsive page or an expert in tech troubleshooting DNS changes or server migrations, this is an excellent initial step. Simply type in the URL, then click “Clear the host cache” and let Google do all the work.