Error messages

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN in Chrome on Mac

Chrome shows this code when a DNS lookup failed and its own check says the name does not exist. The Chromium source says: “the domain must not exist.”

Applies to: Google Chrome and other Chromium browsers on all current macOS versions.Checked: 29 October 2026

Symptoms

Chrome shows “This site can’t be reached” and the code DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN.
Chrome says that the server IP address could not be found.
Safari shows “Safari Can’t Find the Server” for the same name.

Likely causes

A typing error in the address. A wrong name does not exist in DNS.
A domain that expired or was removed. The name existed before, but its owner removed it.
A DNS filter. Some DNS filters and ad blockers answer that a blocked name does not exist.
An internal name without the VPN. Company names exist only in the company's DNS. See Internal names do not resolve on a VPN.
A wrong DNS server. A DNS server can give a wrong “no such name” answer.

How to check

Examine the address. Correct any typing errors.
Look up the name through the macOS resolver. No address lines means that the lookup failed.
```
dscacheutil -q host -a name example.com
```
Ask a public DNS server directly. An answer here, but not above, points to your DNS settings.
```
dig +short example.com @1.1.1.1
```
Show the DNS servers that the Mac uses now.
```
scutil --dns
```
Open the same address on your phone, on cellular data. If it fails there too, the name does not exist.

How to fix it

If only your DNS fails, set the network's own DNS or a public DNS for a test. See DNS not resolving on a Mac.
If a DNS filter blocks the name, allow it in the filter.
For a company name, connect the VPN first.
Flush the DNS cache, then reload. See Flush the DNS cache on a Mac.

With Kilobat

Kilobat's connection doctor tests the name layer by layer: network, proxy, DNS, rules, IPv4, IPv6, TLS and the server. It names the layer that failed.
```
kilobat why example.com
```
These Kilobat checks are free. AI agents run them through MCP with diagnose_connection and diagnose_network. See Find why one site or API won't connect.

Questions

What does NXDOMAIN mean?

NXDOMAIN is the DNS answer for a name that does not exist.

When does Chrome show this code?

Chromium runs a DNS probe after a failed lookup. When the DNS servers work, it reports that the domain does not exist.

Sources

Chromium source: components/error_page/common/net_error_info.h
Chromium source: components/error_page_strings.grdp
Google Chrome Help: Fix connection and loading errors in Chrome
RFC 8020: NXDOMAIN: There Really Is Nothing Underneath
dscacheutil(1) and dig(1), man page installed with macOS 27.2

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.