Dns

What dns does

The dns MCP server exposes DNS and reverse-DNS operations to MCP-compatible clients. It handles domain record queries and IP-address lookups, returning record data with TTL values where applicable. The package is useful when an agent needs to inspect how a domain resolves, review mail or name-server configuration, or identify the hostname associated with an address.

The service can be used as a remote endpoint through the Pipeworx gateway or run locally with the @pipeworx/mcp-dns package. The local mode provides only the DNS pack's tools, while the gateway endpoint also exposes shared Pipeworx meta-tools.

How it works

An MCP client sends a tool call with a domain, record type, or IP address. dns_lookup targets one specified DNS type, such as A, MX, TXT, or CNAME. dns_lookup_all checks the supported major types in one request and groups the response by type. reverse_dns requests the PTR record for an IP address and returns the hostname when one is available.

The gateway offers a pack-specific MCP URL at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/dns/mcp and a full gateway URL at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp. Both are part of Pipeworx and can route through shared gateway features. The standalone process communicates over standard input and output using MCP's initialization, tool-listing, and tool-call operations.

Setup and configuration

For a remote connection, add the gateway URL to the MCP client's server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dns": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/dns/mcp"
    }
  }
}

For local stdio operation, configure the package with npx:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dns": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-dns"]
    }
  }
}

You can also start it directly with npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-dns. Without an MCP client, the gateway exposes HTTP tool endpoints; for example, a POST request to /v1/tools/dns_dns_lookup can submit a JSON body containing a domain.

Tools and capabilities

• dns_lookup: queries one requested record type and returns records with TTLs and data values.
• dns_lookup_all: checks A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, and CNAME records together, grouping the results by type.
• reverse_dns: looks up the PTR record for an IP address and returns its hostname when present.

The dns MCP server supports direct tool calls. On the gateway, ask_pipeworx can also accept a plain-language question and select a tool and arguments automatically.

Limitations and notes

The documented DNS coverage is limited to the record types listed above. Reverse lookups depend on a PTR record being available for the supplied IP address. A gateway pack endpoint lists the DNS tools along with shared Pipeworx meta-tools, so its reported tool count is larger than the three DNS tools. The local package does not include those shared meta-tools or gateway routing.

The gateway documentation says that its tool scope can change and that the initialize response is authoritative for the current connection. Choose the local package when you need only the DNS tools without a gateway round trip, or use the gateway when access to Pipeworx routing is useful.