Temporarily Override DNS for a Domain (macOS) | Commands

Temporarily Override DNS for a Domain (macOS)

Force your Mac to resolve a domain to a specific IP by modifying the /etc/hosts file

sudo nano /etc/hosts

# Add the following line at the bottom:
3.65.168.47 laneks.si

# Then flush DNS cache:
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Categories

Operating Systems

macos

Prerequisites

sudo access

Last Tested

6/24/2025

Tags

macOShosts filedns

Details

This command sequence allows you to override the DNS resolution of a domain on macOS by editing the `/etc/hosts` file.

Use this when:

You’ve changed DNS records but want to preview the old version of a site.
You want to access a specific server directly, bypassing current DNS records.

It’s especially useful for developers and site admins during migrations or staging setup.

Steps:

Safety Notes

Be careful not to remove or break existing entries in `/etc/hosts`.
This change only affects your local machine and is temporary.
Always flush DNS after modifying the hosts file, or changes won’t take effect.
Mistyping the IP or hostname can result in broken site access.

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