View DNS Search Domains for a Network Service
Use networksetup -getsearchdomains to see which search domains macOS appends to short hostnames on Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Run `networksetup -getsearchdomains "Wi-Fi"` — it lists the search domains, or 'There aren't any Search Domains set' if none apply.
01Command
Command
$ networksetup -getsearchdomains "Wi-Fi"02What it does
Search domains are what let you type just 'printer' or 'nas' instead of 'nas.company.local'; this command shows exactly which suffixes are appended. An empty result means short names rely entirely on the router's own mDNS/DHCP announcements, which explains why they work at home but not at the office. To change them: `networksetup -setsearchdomains "Wi-Fi" domain1 domain2`.
03Risk
04Undo
✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.
05Sources
- networksetup — configure network settings (macOS man page)Evidence: Documents `networksetup -getsearchdomains <networkservice>` which prints the search domains or reports that none are set.
Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: Network