TheDNSMuseum
← Back to collection

Tools and toys

Wikipedia over DNS

A DNS query triggers a Wikipedia lookup and returns the result in an answer, using DNS as a text retrieval path for clients with limited connectivity.

WikipediaTXT recordslookup

Date updated:

Screenshot used in the talk for Wikipedia over DNS
Screenshot used in the original talk. Select the image to view it full size.

David Leadbeater’s historical service exposed Wikipedia lookups through DNS. A name encoded the search target, and the result came back in a DNS answer. The service ended in early 2024.

The project made a familiar knowledge source available to a very small client. It remains an early example of DNS as a text retrieval interface.

Primary source: https://dgl.cx/wikipedia-dns