WHOIS Lookup
Look up WHOIS registration data for any domain including registrar, dates and nameservers.
About WHOIS Lookup
WHOIS is a protocol and database system for querying information about domain registrations. A WHOIS lookup returns details about who registered a domain, when it was registered, when it expires, and which registrar and nameservers are associated with it. The data comes directly from the registry or registrar responsible for the domain's TLD.
What WHOIS data typically includes
- Registrant details — Name, organisation, and contact information of the domain owner (often redacted for privacy)
- Registrar — The company through which the domain is registered (e.g. GoDaddy, Namecheap, 123-reg)
- Important dates — Creation date, last updated date, expiry date
- Nameservers — The authoritative DNS servers currently configured for the domain
- Domain status — EPP status codes such as
clientTransferProhibited(transfer lock),serverHold, etc.
Privacy and WHOIS redaction
Under GDPR and similar regulations, many registrars now redact personal contact information from public WHOIS records. Domain owners in the EU and UK can typically opt for WHOIS privacy protection that hides their personal details. Registrant details for organisations are more often left visible.
Use cases for WHOIS
- Checking if a domain is available for registration (though many registrars provide faster availability APIs)
- Finding when a domain expires for monitoring or acquisition purposes
- Identifying the registrar to initiate a domain transfer
- Security research — attributing domains involved in phishing or spam to registrants
Frequently asked questions
What is WHOIS?
WHOIS is a protocol for querying databases that contain information about domain names, IP addresses, and their registrants. Results include registrar, registration date, expiry date, and nameservers.
Why is registrant information redacted?
Since GDPR and similar privacy laws came into force, most registrars now redact personal contact information. Privacy protection services also replace registrant details with proxy contact information.