What is WHOIS?

WHOIS is a query protocol that provides registration information about domain names and IP addresses — who registered them, when, and through which registrar.

What WHOIS Reveals

• Domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap)
• Registration and expiration dates
• Nameservers
• Registrant contact info (if not privacy-protected)
• Domain status codes (e.g., clientTransferProhibited)

RDAP: The Modern Replacement

RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) is the successor to WHOIS. It returns structured JSON data, supports authentication, and provides better internationalization. Most registries now support RDAP.

Privacy Protection

Since GDPR (2018), most registrars redact personal information by default. Domain privacy services replace your contact details with the registrar's proxy information.

Use Cases

• Security researchers — Investigating suspicious domains
• Domain buyers — Checking registration history and expiry
• Developers — Verifying DNS configuration
• Legal teams — Trademark and copyright enforcement

Try It Yourself

Use our WHOIS Lookup tool to query registration data for any domain or IP.