Explainer ·
When a Utilio tool needs a network lookup
Most Utilio tools process selected files, pasted text, settings, and results in your browser. DNS Lookup is different because DNS records have to be resolved through a network request.
Short version
DNS Lookup sends the domain name and DNS record type to Cloudflare DNS over HTTPS so the DNS answer can be returned to your browser.
Local files, images, documents, pasted text, passwords, generated values, and local tool results are not involved in DNS Lookup.
Network lookup tools, browser-local tools, static reference pages, generators, and any future tools with server processing use separate processing notices.
What happens
When you run DNS Lookup, the browser validates the domain and selected DNS record type, then makes a DNS-over-HTTPS request to Cloudflare. The DNS response is returned to the page and displayed in the tool.
This is still a browser-run workflow, but it is not local-only processing. The domain and record type leave the browser because an external resolver has to answer the DNS question.
- Looking up A records sends the domain and A record type to Cloudflare DNS over HTTPS.
- Looking up MX or TXT records sends the same domain with the selected record type.
- The response shown in Utilio is the DNS-over-HTTPS answer returned for that request.
What does not happen
DNS Lookup does not send local files, images, documents, pasted text from other tools, passwords, keys, tokens, generated values, or local tool results to Utilio.
Utilio does not proxy the DNS Lookup through a Utilio server and does not store the lookup result as a user file. Opt-in analytics must not include raw domains, raw URLs, secrets, tool results, or local file content.
- Running DNS Lookup does not upload a PDF, image, document, or text snippet.
- It does not create a server conversion task or file queue.
- It does not turn the queried domain into AI training data for Utilio.
What you should still watch out for
A DNS query can reveal the domain you are investigating. Avoid sensitive internal hostnames, private environment names, secrets in subdomains, or customer-specific domains if you should not disclose that lookup to a third-party resolver.
Your browser, extensions, operating system, device sync, enterprise monitoring, network, and Cloudflare as the DNS resolver may still have their own visibility. Use a trusted device and network for sensitive work.
How this differs from local tools and future server processing
Browser-local tools can finish after the page code is loaded because the core operation happens in active-tab memory. DNS Lookup needs the network by design, so the page says that before you run it.
Future Utilio tools with server processing would be separate from DNS Lookup and local tools. They would need their own processing notice and clear explanation of what is sent, stored, retained, deleted, and protected.
Questions people ask about DNS lookup privacy
What data does DNS Lookup send?
It sends the domain name and selected DNS record type to Cloudflare DNS over HTTPS so the DNS records can be resolved and returned to your browser.
Is DNS Lookup private like local file tools?
No. Local file tools keep their core content in the browser. DNS Lookup is a visible network lookup, so the domain and DNS record type are sent to Cloudflare.
Why use DNS over HTTPS here?
DNS over HTTPS transports the DNS question over HTTPS. It still sends the domain and record type to the resolver, but it avoids plain DNS transport for this browser request.
Does DNS Lookup upload my files?
No. DNS Lookup does not send files, images, documents, pasted text, passwords, generated values, or local tool results. It only needs the DNS lookup input: domain and record type.