Who owns this domain?
Look up registration details, expiry date, and nameservers for any domain.
What is a WHOIS lookup?
WHOIS is a public database that stores the registration details of every domain name. It shows who registered the domain, which company they used (the registrar), when it was created, and when it expires.
Many registrants use a privacy service that replaces their personal details with the privacy provider's contact information. This is common and legitimate — it doesn't necessarily indicate anything suspicious about the domain.
This tool queries the RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) system — a modern, structured replacement for the older WHOIS protocol. RDAP returns data in a consistent JSON format, which makes it easier to parse accurately than the freeform text that WHOIS servers traditionally returned. The data comes directly from the domain's official registry.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I find out who owns a domain if it's privacy-protected?
ICANN's WHOIS Accuracy Program requires registrars to provide a way to contact the domain owner even when privacy protection is enabled. Most registrars offer a contact form that forwards messages to the owner without revealing their address. For legal or abuse-related requests, registrars are required to provide the underlying data upon receiving a valid legal request.
What does "clientTransferProhibited" status mean?
This is one of the most common domain statuses and it means the domain is locked against being transferred to a different registrar. This is a security feature — it prevents unauthorised transfers. To move your domain to a new registrar, you would first need to unlock it in your current registrar's control panel.
How do I check when a domain expires?
The expiry date is shown in the results. If you own the domain, make sure auto-renewal is enabled with your registrar — an expired domain can be snapped up by domain squatters within days of expiry. Domains typically enter a "redemption period" after expiry where you can recover them for a fee before they become available to the public again.
Why do nameservers matter?
Nameservers tell the internet which DNS servers are authoritative for a domain — i.e., which servers hold the official DNS records. If a domain's nameservers are pointing to the wrong provider, none of the DNS records (website, email, etc.) will work correctly. Checking nameservers is a useful first step when diagnosing DNS issues.