Domain Whois

Domain Whois Lookup

A WHOIS lookup returns the registration record for a domain. Enter a name such as example.com and the tool queries the registry or registrar WHOIS server and lists every field it gets back. We cache each result for up to 24 hours, so a change you made a few minutes ago may not show yet.

Fields You'll See

• Registrar: the company the domain is registered through, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap or Cloudflare.
• Creation, expiration and updated dates.
• Name servers: the DNS servers that answer for the domain. If these point to an old host, the domain's website and email follow that old host.
• Status: EPP codes such as clientTransferProhibited (registrar lock) or clientHold (removed from DNS).
• DNSSEC: whether the parent zone holds a DS record for the domain.
• Registrant contacts: name, organization, email and address, if they're published.

Why Contact Details Are Often Hidden

Since GDPR took effect in 2018, most registrars redact personal contact data for gTLDs. You'll often see "REDACTED FOR PRIVACY" or a privacy-service address in place of the owner. Many records still show the registrant's organization and country. To reach a hidden owner, use the contact form or relay email the registrar lists, or file a disclosure request with the registrar if you have a legal reason.

Common Uses

• Checking expiry and lock status on your own domains before a renewal or a transfer.
• Finding the registrar to report abuse, phishing or a trademark problem.
• Vetting a domain: a creation date from last week on a site claiming to be a long-running business is a warning sign.
• Confirming name servers after you move DNS hosting.

WHOIS and RDAP

WHOIS is a plain-text protocol from the 1980s, and each registry formats its output differently. ICANN replaced it with RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) for gTLDs in January 2025. RDAP returns structured JSON over HTTPS. Many WHOIS servers still answer, but some registries return less data over WHOIS now or have shut their WHOIS servers down. Country-code TLDs set their own rules, and a few publish very little.

To check only the dates, use the Domain Expiry Checker.