---
id: "servfail"
kind: "glossary-term"
title: "SERVFAIL"
language: "en"
category: "DNS and technical foundations"
updated: "2026-10-04T14:01:23Z"
canonical: "https://tldlog.com/glossary/servfail/"
translations:
  es: "https://tldlog.com/es/glosario/servfail/"
  de: "https://tldlog.com/de/glossar/servfail/"
  fr: "https://tldlog.com/fr/glossaire/servfail/"
  it: "https://tldlog.com/it/glossario/servfail/"
  pt-BR: "https://tldlog.com/pt/glossario/servfail/"
  ru: "https://tldlog.com/ru/glossariy/servfail/"
  zh-Hans: "https://tldlog.com/zh/cihui/servfail/"
---

# SERVFAIL

Server Failure

The DNS answer meaning that the server could not complete the lookup. Common causes are name servers that do not respond and DNSSEC signatures that fail the check. Unlike NXDOMAIN, it does not say the name is missing, only that no trustworthy answer could be obtained.

## related terms

- [NXDOMAIN](https://tldlog.com/glossary/nxdomain/)
- [DNSSEC validation](https://tldlog.com/glossary/dnssec-validation/)
- [lame delegation](https://tldlog.com/glossary/lame-delegation/)
- [resolver](https://tldlog.com/glossary/resolver/)
- [RRSIG](https://tldlog.com/glossary/rrsig/)