Frequently asked questions
Cost and limits
Is this really free?
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Yes. Every feature is free, forever. No signup, no watermark, no 'pro' tier behind the most useful features.
How long do previews last?
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15 minutes from creation. If you need more time, create a fresh preview, it takes a few seconds.
Why a 10-per-hour limit?
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To deter abuse. Someone could otherwise try to use this as an anonymizing proxy. 10 per hour is plenty for real migration work.
Using a preview
Do I need to flush DNS or wait for propagation before a preview works?
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No. The preview connects straight to the server address you enter, so your domain's DNS records are never looked up. Caches on your computer, your router and your provider's resolver don't come into it, and the link works as soon as it's created.
Can I just edit my hosts file instead?
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Yes, if you're the only one who needs to see the new server. A hosts file entry sends the right Host header too. It only works on the machine you edited, though, needs admin rights, has no wildcards, and can't be used on a phone.
Why is there a banner in the bottom-left of my preview?
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So you always know you're looking at a DNS Previewer session and not your live site. It's dismissible with the × button, doesn't affect layout, and never appears on your actual domain.
Can I hide the banner?
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You can dismiss it per-page. For a permanently clean preview, self-host DNS Previewer, it is open source.
When something looks wrong
Why do some links inside the preview go to my real domain?
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We rewrite HTML and CSS URLs pointing at your exact domain. Subdomains (like cdn.example.com) and absolute JavaScript-built URLs aren't automatically rewritten, same behavior as every other preview proxy.
Will logins / checkouts work?
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Often yes, sometimes no. Cookies, OAuth redirects, and CSRF checks can be tied to the exact apex domain. Use the preview for visual + functional spot checks; don't expect full transactional flow unless your app is domain-agnostic.
I'm seeing 502 / upstream error.
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Your server didn't respond in time, isn't listening on the selected scheme, or is refusing non-matching SSL. Try the other scheme (HTTP vs HTTPS) or verify your server responds on the target IP.
Privacy and abuse
Do you log my browsing?
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We count request hits per session for your own dashboard (so you can confirm your preview is being used). We don't log URLs, request bodies, or your IP beyond what's needed for rate limiting.
Someone is abusing a preview. How do I report it?
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Visit /abuse or email abuse@dnspreviewer.com with the preview subdomain. We kill sessions fast.