WHOIS Lookup
WHOIS is one of the oldest directory protocols still used on the internet. It helps answer which registrar manages a domain, when it was created, when it expires, which status codes apply, and which nameservers answer for it. Personal registrant data is now usually redacted for gTLDs after GDPR and ICANN’s Registration Data Policy, effective from August 21, 2025, but registrar, date, status and DNS data often remain public enough to troubleshoot DNS issues or assess a domain purchase.
How to run a WHOIS query
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1
Enter a domain
Use a second-level or third-level domain such as example.com or subdomain.example.co.uk.
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2
Query the authoritative source
The tool checks the TLD WHOIS server and follows the registrar-specific server when the response points to one.
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3
Parse the response
The reply is extracted into practical fields: registrar, nameservers, dates and status codes.
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4
Read the structured result
Review the labeled summary first, then the raw WHOIS response for fields the parser did not recognize.
What WHOIS shows
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Registrar | The company that sells or manages the domain registration |
| Creation date | When the domain was first registered |
| Updated date | The last recorded change to the registration data |
| Expiry date | When the registration lapses unless it is renewed |
| Nameservers | Authoritative DNS servers for the domain |
| Status codes | Registry or registrar locks such as clientTransferProhibited, ok or pendingDelete |
| Registrant/contact data | The registrant name and contact details, often redacted or replaced by a privacy/proxy contact |
Status codes worth knowing
- ok — normal state, no special restriction.
- clientTransferProhibited — the domain cannot be transferred until the registrar unlocks it; this is a common protection against hijacking.
- serverHold — the registry has suspended the domain, often after a policy or contact-verification problem.
- pendingDelete — the domain is near the end of deletion and may soon become available again.
- redemptionPeriod — the domain has expired but may still be recoverable by the current registrant for an extra redemption fee.
- autoRenewPeriod — a post-expiry grace window, commonly up to 45 days, before the name moves further through the expiry cycle.
Why personal data is redacted
After GDPR, ICANN’s 2018 Temporary Specification and the Registration Data Policy effective from August 21, 2025, changed how gTLD registration data is published. Registrant names, email addresses, phone numbers and street addresses are commonly redacted when disclosure would conflict with privacy law, and many registrars apply the same masking worldwide for consistency. You can often still reach the registrant through a registrar-provided contact or abuse form.
Common uses
- Check when your domain expires before an unnoticed renewal failure causes downtime.
- Identify nameservers when DNS changes are not propagating as expected.
- Report a scam or phishing domain by finding the registrar’s abuse contact.
- Estimate domain age as one signal for SEO, brand due diligence or trust checks.
- Investigate brand impersonation by comparing recently registered look-alike domains.
ccTLD quirks
Country-code TLDs such as .de, .uk, .fr, .cn and .ru follow their own registry policies. DENIC protects most personal holder data for .de domains. Nominet is moving .uk users toward RDAP, and public output can be limited. CNNIC often routes .cn lookups through its own portal or registrar channels. Treat WHOIS as a starting point, not a universal ownership database.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually not from public WHOIS alone. For most personal registrations, registrant contact details are redacted. You can still see the registrar and may be able to request contact or disclosure through the registrar or ICANN request processes when you have a legitimate reason.
It is normally authoritative for the current registry record. If WHOIS says January 15, the registration reaches its expiry point on that date unless it is renewed, though grace and auto-renew periods can affect what happens next.
Only indirectly. mail.example.com returns the registration data for example.com, because subdomains are created inside the owner’s DNS zone and are not registered separately.
Do not treat it as private. Registries and registrars may log WHOIS or RDAP queries for abuse prevention, and websites can keep normal operational logs while serving the lookup.
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