A WHOIS lookup queries the domain registration database to reveal who registered a domain, when it expires, which registrar manages it, and which name servers it uses. Use it to check domain availability, verify ownership, or research a site's history before buying or linking to it.
Domain Lookup
Enter a domain name (e.g., google.com). http/https and www prefix are stripped automatically.
Querying RDAP registry...
Domain Info
Name Servers
Status Codes
Raw RDAP Data (JSON)
How to Use the WHOIS Lookup Tool
The WHOIS Lookup tool queries the RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) registry to retrieve domain registration data. Unlike old-school WHOIS which returned plain text, RDAP returns structured JSON with consistent fields — making it more reliable and easier to parse.
Step 1: Enter a Domain Name
Type a domain in the search box — just the base domain like google.com or example.co.uk. You can paste full URLs — the tool automatically strips https://, http://, and www. prefixes.
Step 2: Click Lookup
Press Lookup or hit Enter. The tool queries the Who-Dat RDAP API, which in turn queries the authoritative registry for that TLD. For most .com/.net/.org domains, results return in under 1 second.
Step 3: Read the Results
Results are organized into sections:
- Domain Info — registrar name, registration date, expiry date, last updated date
- Name Servers — the DNS servers resolving the domain (tells you who's hosting)
- Status Codes — domain lock status (clientTransferProhibited is normal and good)
- Raw RDAP Data — full JSON response for developers or advanced inspection
Common Use Cases
- Check domain availability — if a domain returns "not found," it may be available to register
- Verify who owns a domain — check registrar and registration date before buying a link
- Monitor expiry dates — domains expiring soon are available to backorder
- Identify hosting provider — name server patterns reveal Cloudflare, AWS Route 53, GoDaddy, etc.
- Domain valuation — older domains (10+ years) generally have more SEO authority
Why Is Registrant Info Hidden?
Since GDPR took effect in 2018, most registrars redact personal contact information from public WHOIS/RDAP records. You'll see the registrar name and technical data, but the registrant name and contact details may show as "Redacted for Privacy." To contact a domain owner, use the registrar's domain privacy contact forwarding service.
Results Are Cached for 5 Minutes
To respect rate limits on the RDAP API, results are cached in your browser's sessionStorage for 5 minutes per domain. If you need fresh data, wait 5 minutes and search again. The cache clears automatically when you close the browser tab.
FAQ
What is WHOIS and what does it show?
WHOIS is a protocol for querying databases that store information about registered internet resources. For domain names, a WHOIS lookup shows the registrar, registration date, expiry date, name servers, and (for older registrations) registrant contact info. Since GDPR in 2018, registrant personal data is often redacted.
What is RDAP and how is it different from WHOIS?
RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) is the modern replacement for the older WHOIS protocol. It returns structured JSON instead of plain text, supports internationalized domain names better, and includes proper HTTP status codes. This tool uses RDAP via the Who-Dat API for more reliable and structured results.
Why is the registrant name hidden or redacted?
Since GDPR took effect in 2018, most domain registrars now redact personal data (name, address, email, phone) from public WHOIS records. The registrar and technical DNS data remain public. To contact a domain owner, use the registrar's domain privacy contact form or look for a generic privacy@domain proxy email.
What does the domain status code mean?
Status codes describe what operations are locked or allowed on the domain. 'clientTransferProhibited' means the domain cannot be transferred between registrars without the owner's action. 'serverHold' means the registry has suspended the domain. 'pendingDelete' means it's about to expire and become available for registration.
How current is the WHOIS data?
WHOIS/RDAP data is pulled live from the domain registry each time you search. Results are cached in your browser for 5 minutes to avoid hitting rate limits on repeat lookups. For the most accurate data, clear the cache or wait 5 minutes and look up again.
Can I look up any domain extension?
Most major TLDs (.com, .net, .org, .io, .co, country-code domains) are supported through RDAP. Some obscure TLDs may not have RDAP endpoints yet and will return a 'not found' error. The vast majority of domains you'll want to look up are supported.