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Domain WHOIS Lookup

See who a domain is registered with, when it expires and which nameservers it uses. Answers come straight from the official registry records, in plain language.

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Some details may be hidden. Privacy laws mean most registrars hide the owner's name, email and phone number. The registrar, dates, status and nameservers stay public.

WHOIS explained

What is a WHOIS lookup?

Every domain name has a public registration record, kept by the registry that runs its extension. A WHOIS lookup asks the registry for that record and shows it to you. People use it to check whether a name is taken, see when a domain expires, confirm where it is registered before a transfer, or find who to contact about spam and abuse.

What a lookup can show you

  1. RegistrarThe company the domain was registered through, with its IANA ID and abuse contact.
  2. Key datesWhen the domain was first registered, last changed and when the current term ends.
  3. Status codesLocks and holds, such as a transfer lock, set by the registrar or the registry.
  4. NameserversThe servers that answer DNS for the domain. They usually point to its host or DNS provider.
  5. Owner detailsThe organisation, region and country when they are public. Personal details are usually hidden.

Privacy

Why owner details are hidden

Since the GDPR and similar privacy laws came into force in 2018, registrars stopped publishing personal details by default. That is why many records show "Redacted for privacy" or the name of a privacy service instead of a person.

  • Protected by lawNames, email addresses, phone numbers and street addresses are personal data, so registrars hide them unless the owner chooses to publish them.
  • Privacy servicesSome owners add a privacy service, which shows the service's details in place of their own.
  • Owners can still be reachedFor generic domains, registrars must offer a way to contact the owner, usually a web form or a relay email address. Abuse reports go to the registrar's abuse contact.

WHOIS and RDAP, side by side

RDAP, the Registration Data Access Protocol, is the modern replacement for WHOIS. It returns the same record in a structured, secure format. Our lookup asks RDAP first and uses WHOIS for extensions that don't offer RDAP yet.

FeatureWHOISRDAP
IntroducedEarly 1980s2015
FormatPlain text, laid out differently by each registryStructured data (JSON) with the same layout everywhere
ConnectionPort 43, not encryptedHTTPS, encrypted
International namesLimited supportBuilt in
Access levelsEveryone gets the same answerCan show verified users more detail
.com, .net, .org and other generic domainsNo longer required since January 2025The official source

FAQs

WHOIS lookup questions

Short answers to what people ask most about domain records. If something is still unclear, our team is happy to help.

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Is WHOIS information accurate?

The registrar, dates, status codes and nameservers come straight from the registry or registrar, so they are reliable. Owner details are supplied by the person who registered the domain and are not always checked, and most of them are hidden for privacy.

Which domain extensions can I look up?

All generic extensions, such as .com, .net and .org and newer ones like .shop and .online, plus most country extensions. A few country registries only offer lookups on their own website. If an extension cannot be looked up here, we tell you.

Why can't I see who owns a domain?

Privacy laws such as the GDPR mean registrars hide personal details like names, email addresses and phone numbers by default. Some owners also use a privacy service. You can usually contact the owner through the registrar's website.

What does the expiration date mean?

It is the day the current registration term ends. Most owners renew automatically, so the date moves forward each year. If a generic domain is not renewed, it usually goes through a grace period and then a 30-day redemption period before it is released. The exact periods depend on the extension and the registrar.

The domain I want is taken. What can I do?

Check its expiry date and status, try a different extension or a variation of the name, or contact the owner through their registrar to ask whether they would sell it. Never pay anyone who contacts you claiming they can get a taken domain for you.

What do status codes like clientTransferProhibited mean?

They are locks and flags set by the registrar or the registry. clientTransferProhibited is a transfer lock that stops the domain being moved without the owner, which is normal and recommended. Codes like redemptionPeriod or pendingDelete mean the domain has expired and is on its way to being released.

Why does a lookup sometimes fail or show less detail?

Registries limit how many lookups they answer, some publish less detail than others, and a registry can be briefly unavailable. Results are kept for up to 15 minutes, so a change made in the last few minutes may not show yet. If a lookup fails, wait a minute and try again.

Does WHOIS show where a website is hosted?

Not directly. WHOIS shows the registrar and the nameservers. Nameservers often belong to the hosting company or a DNS service, which is a good clue but not proof of where the website itself runs.

How do I update the WHOIS details of my own domain?

Log in to the company where your domain is registered and edit its contact details. If your domain is registered with HostElevate, open Domains in your client area, choose the domain and go to Contact Information.

Is this WHOIS lookup free?

Yes. It is free and you do not need an account. To keep it fast for everyone, there is a fair-use limit on how many lookups one visitor can make in a few minutes.

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