WHOIS lookup

See the registrar, status, key dates and nameservers the registry publishes for a domain.

A domain or a full web address both work; we take the domain out of it.

Three things to know before you look

WHOIS is the published registration record. It is not an availability check and not proof of ownership - knowing the boundaries is what makes the result useful.

It answers who holds it and when it expires That tells you when a renewal falls due and who the registrar is, not whether the name can be registered.
The registrant is often hidden Under privacy protection the published record carries no real name or address. That is normal and does not mean nobody holds it.
The nameservers matter most They decide where the website and mail point, which makes them the first stop when something breaks.
The raw record expands Check it field by field when you need the registry answer itself, along with where the data came from.

About WHOIS

  • This is the record the registry publishes publicly. It says nothing about whether the domain can be registered.
  • With privacy protection on, the public record shows no real name or address. Ownership is unaffected.

How it works

01

Enter a domain

A domain or a full web address both work; we take the domain out of it.

02

We ask the registry

RDAP first, falling back to port-43 WHOIS for endings that have no RDAP service.

03

Read the public record

Registrar, domain status, key dates and nameservers.

One box for everything

Type a domain, or paste a URL and we take the domain out of it.

The dates that matter

Created, expires, last changed and transferred together, which is what tells you when a renewal falls due.

Nameservers and status

The DNS provider it points at, and the status codes the registry has set.

The raw record

Expand it when you need to check field by field, along with where the data came from.

What the fields mean

Reading the record properly

FieldMeaning
RegistrarThe registrar responsible for the domain now; it changes when the domain transfers
Created / expires / updatedKey dates from the registry record; the expiry date is when a renewal is due
StatusStatus codes set by the registry, such as transfer prohibited or delete prohibited.
NameserversThe DNS provider the domain points at, which is what the website and mail depend on
DNSSECWhether signing is enabled; both sides have to match or the domain can stop resolving
RegistrantUsually hidden by privacy rules in the public record; it does not affect ownership

WHOIS and availability are different questions

A common misreading

WHOIS is the registration record the registry publishes. It answers who holds the domain and when it expires. Whether it can be registered is answered by the registry availability lookup, which is a separate path.

So the dates and status shown here are not the same fact as available or taken on the search page, and the two do not corroborate each other.

Where the holder has privacy enabled, the published record carries no real name or address. That is normal and does not mean the domain is unowned.

Common questions

If there is no record, is it available?

Not necessarily. A missing record usually means unregistered, but it can also mean the ending publishes no lookup. Trust the availability result on the search page.

Why is the registrant blank?

Most endings hide the registrant name and address under privacy rules. That does not affect ownership - the domain still has a holder.

Is WHOIS proof of ownership?

Not in a legal sense. It is what the registry publishes; the authoritative record is the one held by the registrar.

Where does the data come from?

RDAP first, falling back to WHOIS on port 43. It reflects the moment you asked; it changes when the registry syncs.

Can I use it to approach the owner?

The published record usually carries no usable contact details. We do not act as an intermediary or negotiate prices; you can register interest through the domain page or the market.

Why can I not see the owner name or email?

The registry withholds the registrant details under privacy rules such as GDPR. This is routine and does not affect who owns the domain.

Why does nothing come back for some domains?

Two possibilities: the domain really is unregistered, or that ending has no working RDAP and WHOIS service. We say which of the two it is rather than lumping them together.

Does this tell me whether a domain can be registered?

No. WHOIS shows the published record of a domain that is already registered. Use the search tools above to check availability.

Other tools in this section

From choosing a name to managing it, these usually happen one after another in the same session.