WHOIS Lookup
WHOIS is the oldest directory protocol still in use on the internet. It answers: who owns this domain, when was it registered, when does it expire, which registrar manages it, and what nameservers does it point at? Since 2018 GDPR has masked most personal registrant data for .com/.net/.org, but registrar, expiry and nameserver info is still public and often enough to resolve DNS issues or negotiate a domain purchase.
How to run a WHOIS query
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1
Enter a domain
Second-level or third-level domain, e.g. example.com or subdomain.example.co.uk.
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2
Query the right server
The tool looks up the TLD's authoritative WHOIS server, then asks the registrar-specific one if needed.
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3
Parse the response
Records are extracted into fields: registrar, nameservers, dates, status codes.
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4
Read the structured result
Labeled fields plus the raw response below for anything the parser missed.
What WHOIS shows
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Registrar | The company through which the domain was registered |
| Creation date | When the domain was first registered |
| Updated date | Last change to the WHOIS record |
| Expiry date | When the registration lapses unless renewed |
| Nameservers | DNS servers authoritative for the domain |
| Status codes | Lock state: clientTransferProhibited, ok, pendingDelete |
| Registrant | Name and contact (often redacted post-GDPR) |
Status codes worth knowing
- ok — normal, no restrictions.
- clientTransferProhibited — cannot be transferred until the registrar unlocks (a good default to prevent hijacking).
- serverHold — TLD registry has suspended the domain (often for ICANN contact-verification failure).
- pendingDelete — domain is about to become available to anyone.
- redemptionPeriod — expired but still redeemable by the owner for a premium fee (~$80 typical).
- autoRenewPeriod — within the 45-day window after expiry before it enters redemption.
Why personal data is masked
ICANN’s 2018 Temporary Specification and its 2023 permanent replacement redact registrant name, email, phone and address for most gTLDs when the registrant is an EU or EEA resident. Many registrars redact for all customers globally to simplify policy. You can still often contact the owner via a registrar-provided web form linked in the abuse contact field.
Common uses
- Check when your domain expires (an embarrassingly common cause of site outages).
- Identify the nameservers when a DNS change is not propagating.
- Dispute a scam domain by finding its registrar abuse contact.
- Estimate the age of a domain for SEO or trust signals.
- Investigate brand impersonation by cross-referencing recently registered look-alike domains.
ccTLD quirks
Country-code TLDs (.de, .uk, .fr, .cn, .ru) have their own policies. Germany (.de) returns very little public information. The UK registry (Nominet) only releases registrant details for business registrations. China (.cn) often requires manual lookup via the CNNIC portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
For most registrations since 2018, no — registrant data is redacted. You can still see the registrar, which can relay contact via their abuse form. ICANN can provide disclosure in limited circumstances via the Request Submission process.
Very. Registries are authoritative about expiry. If the WHOIS says January 15, that is when the domain lapses unless renewed.
Only for the second-level domain. mail.example.com WHOIS returns the record for example.com because subdomains are not separately registered.
Registries log WHOIS queries for abuse prevention. The tool does not store the domains you look up beyond what the TLD registry already records.
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