WHOIS Lookup

Find who a domain is registered to, when it was registered, when it expires, and which nameservers it uses — free WHOIS registration data for any domain.

What is a WHOIS lookup?

A WHOIS lookup shows the public registration record of a domain name: which registrar manages it, when it was first registered, when it expires, which nameservers it uses and which status codes the registry has placed on it. Every registered domain has this record, kept by the registry that runs its extension, such as Verisign for .com or a national registry for a country-code domain.

People use a WHOIS search to answer practical questions. Is this domain old or brand new? Is it about to expire? Which company should I contact about a transfer? The record will not always name the owner, but it almost always tells you enough to take the next step.

How this WHOIS lookup works

The original WHOIS protocol is a simple text service on TCP port 43. It has no fixed format, so every registry formats its answer a little differently. Its modern replacement, RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol), returns structured JSON over HTTPS, and ICANN made RDAP the official source for generic top-level domains in January 2025.

This tool asks RDAP first. If the domain's extension has no RDAP service, it automatically falls back to a classic WHOIS query and reads the text reply. Either way you get one consistent result, and the page shows which data source was used.

How to use the WHOIS lookup tool

Type the domain name, for example example.com. Leave out https://, www and any page path.
For a subdomain such as shop.example.com, look up the main domain, example.com, because registration happens at that level.
Press the button and read the result from top to bottom: registrar, dates, nameservers, status and DNSSEC.
Use the status explanations shown in the result to understand what each code allows or blocks.

What the WHOIS results mean

Registrar and dates

The registrar is the accredited company the domain was registered through, shown with its IANA registrar ID when the source provides one. The creation date gives the domain's age, and the expiry date shows when the registration must be renewed. The tool also works out the age and the days remaining for you.

Status codes

Status codes are standard EPP values. clientTransferProhibited is a normal lock against unauthorised transfers. serverHold means the registry has taken the domain out of DNS. redemptionPeriod and pendingDelete mean the domain has expired and is on its way to being released.

Nameservers and DNSSEC

Nameservers show which DNS service answers for the domain. DNSSEC shows whether the registry reports the domain as signed; this is only available when RDAP is the source.

Common uses

Checking how long a business or seller's website has existed before trusting it.
Finding the registrar before a transfer, a renewal or an abuse report.
Confirming your own domain's expiry date and nameservers after a change.
Researching a domain you would like to buy.

Common problems and fixes

The owner's name is hidden. Since privacy rules such as the GDPR took effect in 2018, most registrars redact personal contact details. That is normal. The registrar can usually forward a message to the owner through a contact form or relay address.

A field says Unknown. Some registries do not publish every field, and legacy WHOIS replies do not include DNSSEC at all. Unknown means "not reported", not "missing" or "disabled".

No result at all. Check the spelling, remove any path, and make sure the extension exists. A few country-code registries offer no public lookup service.

Related tools

RDAP Lookup shows the structured RDAP view and which server answered.
Domain Information groups the same data into clear sections.
Domain Expiry Checker counts the days left before a domain must be renewed.
Domain Age Checker calculates exactly how old a domain is.

Frequently asked questions

Is a WHOIS lookup free?

Yes. This WHOIS lookup is free and needs no account. Registration data is published by registries so that anyone can check who manages a domain, when it was registered and when it expires. There is a fair-use limit on how many lookups one connection can make per minute, which keeps the service fast for everyone.

Why does the WHOIS record not show the owner's name?

Most registrars now redact personal details by default to comply with privacy laws such as the GDPR, and many owners also buy privacy protection. You will usually still see the registrar, the dates, the nameservers and the status codes. To reach the owner, use the contact form or relay email that the registrar offers.

What is the difference between WHOIS and RDAP?

Both return domain registration data. WHOIS is the older text protocol on port 43, with a different layout for each registry. RDAP is its modern replacement: it returns structured JSON over HTTPS, supports standard fields and is now the official source for generic domains. This tool uses RDAP first and falls back to WHOIS when needed.

Does a WHOIS lookup alert the domain owner?

No. A WHOIS or RDAP query reads a public record held by the registry. It does not contact the website, send any message or leave a trace that the owner can see. You can look up any domain, including competitors or domains you might want to buy, without anyone being notified.

How accurate is WHOIS data?

Dates, registrar, nameservers and status codes come straight from the registry and are reliable. Contact details are a different story: they are often redacted, and when they are shown they depend on what the registrant entered. Treat the technical fields as facts and any contact information as a lead to confirm.

Can I look up a subdomain such as blog.example.com?

Subdomains are not registered on their own, so they have no WHOIS record. Look up the main domain instead, for example example.com. The owner of the main domain controls every subdomain under it, so its registration record covers them too.

What does clientTransferProhibited mean?

It is a lock set by the registrar that blocks the domain from being moved to another registrar without the owner unlocking it first. It is a normal security setting and appears on most active domains. It does not mean anything is wrong. The owner removes it in their registrar account before starting a transfer.

Why do some lookups say WHOIS fallback?

Some domain extensions, mainly country-code domains, do not run an RDAP service yet. For those, the tool automatically switches to a classic WHOIS query and reads the text reply instead. The result looks the same to you, but a few fields such as DNSSEC are only available when RDAP was the source.