diff --git a/functions/api/short-links/new.ts b/functions/api/short-links/new.ts
index 3c434f6..3a2fc6e 100644
--- a/functions/api/short-links/new.ts
+++ b/functions/api/short-links/new.ts
@@ -18,11 +18,66 @@ export async function onRequestPost(context: RequestContext) {
       400,
     );
 
-  const url = new URL(destination);
+  let url: URL;
+
+  try {
+    url = new URL(destination);
+  } catch {
+    return jsonError("Invalid URL", 400);
+  }
 
   if (!["http:", "https:"].includes(url.protocol))
     return jsonError("Invalid URL", 400);
 
+  const dnsCheckPromises = await Promise.allSettled([
+    fetch(`https://cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query?name=${url.hostname}&type=a`, {
+      headers: {
+        accept: "application/dns-json",
+      },
+    }),
+    fetch(
+      `https://cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query?name=${url.hostname}&type=aaaa`,
+      {
+        headers: {
+          accept: "application/dns-json",
+        },
+      },
+    ),
+  ]);
+
+  const fulfilledResponses = dnsCheckPromises
+    .filter((p) => p.status === "fulfilled")
+    .map((p) => p.value);
+
+  if (!fulfilledResponses.length)
+    return jsonError("Failed to validate hostname", 500);
+
+  let hasAnyValidRecord = false;
+
+  for (const response of fulfilledResponses) {
+    if (!response.ok) continue;
+
+    let body: { Status: number; [k: string]: any };
+
+    try {
+      body = await response.json();
+    } catch {
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    // A DNS record exists
+    if (body.Status === 0) {
+      hasAnyValidRecord = true;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (!hasAnyValidRecord)
+    return jsonError(
+      "This URL appears to not exist, please check and try again.",
+      400,
+    );
+
   await context.env.D1.prepare(
     "INSERT INTO short_links (created_at, destination, path, user) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?);",
   )