Whois Domain Lookup

What is a WHOIS Lookup?

**WHOIS** (pronounced "Who is") is a widely used Internet record listing that identifies who owns a domain name and how to contact them. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) regulates domain name registration and ownership.

Whenever you register a domain name, you are required to provide contact information, including your name, address, email, and phone number. This information is stored in the WHOIS database and is accessible to the public unless privacy protection is enabled.

Why Use This Tool?

• Check Availability: If a domain is taken, you can see when it expires. Many investors use this to "backorder" domains that are about to drop.
• Contact Owners: If you want to buy a domain that is already registered, the WHOIS data might provide an admin email address to send an offer.
• Identify Scams: You can verify the age of a website. If a site claims to be a 10-year-old business but the WHOIS record shows it was created yesterday, it's likely a scam.
• Technical Research: Find out which Registrar or Name Servers a domain is using. This is useful for moving domains or debugging DNS issues.

Understanding the Results

Our tool provides two views: a summarized card and the raw database output. Here are the key terms:

1. Registrar

The company that manages the reservation of the domain name (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains). If you need to file a complaint about a domain (spam/phishing), this is who you contact.

2. Creation & Expiry Dates

Creation Date: When the domain was first registered. Older domains often have more authority in SEO.
Expiry Date: When the domain registration runs out. If the owner doesn't renew by this date, the domain may become available for others to register.

3. Name Servers (DNS)

These point to the hosting provider where the website lives (e.g., `ns1.bluehost.com`). It tells you where the website's files are actually hosted.

Privacy Protection (GDPR)

In recent years, data privacy laws like the **GDPR** (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe have changed WHOIS.

Many records now show "Redacted for Privacy" or "Data Protected" instead of the owner's actual name and address. This is a service offered by registrars (often called Domain Privacy) to protect owners from spam and identity theft. However, there is usually still a way to contact the owner via a proxied email address or a web form provided by the registrar.