WHOIS Lookup
Registration details for a domain or IP.
Enter a value above to run WHOIS Lookup
e.g. example.com
Quick answer
WHOIS Lookup returns the registration record for a domain or IP: registrar, registrant/organization, creation and expiry dates, name servers, and status. Use it to check who owns an address and when a domain expires.
WHOIS Lookup returns the registration record behind a domain name or IP address: who registered it, which registrar manages it, when it was created and when it expires, and the name servers currently assigned to it. For IP addresses it shows the owning organization and the allocated address block. It is the first stop when you need to know who is responsible for a domain, verify an expiry date, or trace which network an address belongs to before contacting an abuse desk.
How it works
WHOIS is a plain-text protocol served over port 43. Your query is routed to the authoritative source: domain queries go to the registry for that TLD (or the sponsoring registrar), while IP queries go to one of the five Regional Internet Registries (ARIN, RIPE, APNIC, LACNIC, AFRINIC). The server replies with a text record of registration fields. This tool sends the query for you and formats the response, so you do not need a command-line client or to guess the correct WHOIS server for each TLD.
How to read the results
Key domain fields are the registrar, creation and expiry dates, registrar status codes, and the name servers. Status codes such as clientTransferProhibited or pendingDelete tell you the lifecycle state. Since GDPR, most personal registrant details are redacted and replaced with a privacy or registrar contact. For IPs, look at the netrange, the organization (OrgName), and the abuse contact. An empty registrant is normal; a missing expiry or no name servers usually points to a problem.
Why it matters
A quick WHOIS check answers questions that affect uptime and security. It confirms exactly when a domain expires so you can renew before it lapses, verifies you are buying from the real owner, and reveals the abuse contact when you are reporting spam or an attack. During migrations it lets you confirm the name servers actually changed at the registry, and during acquisitions it shows the registrar and status locks you will need to unlock before a transfer.
Frequently asked questions
- Why are the registrant's name and email hidden?
- Since GDPR took effect in 2018, registries and registrars redact personal contact data by default, and many offer paid privacy that replaces your details with a proxy. The record still shows the registrar, dates, status, and name servers. To reach the real owner you usually use the registrar's contact form or the anonymized forwarding address shown in the record.
- What is the difference between WHOIS and RDAP?
- RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) is the modern replacement for the free-text WHOIS protocol. It returns the same registration data as structured JSON over HTTPS, with standardized fields, redaction, and internationalization. ICANN now requires registries to run RDAP. WHOIS still works widely, but for scripting and consistent parsing, RDAP is the more reliable and future-proof source.
- Why does the expiry date differ from when I registered?
- The WHOIS expiry date reflects the registry's paid-through date, which advances every time you renew and can differ from your registrar's dashboard by a day or two due to time zones and processing. If the registry date is later than your renewal, that is normal. If it is sooner or unchanged after paying, contact your registrar, because the renewal may not have reached the registry.