WHOIS / RDAP

WHOIS Lookup

Look up public domain registration details — registrar, registration and expiry dates, nameservers, status codes, DNSSEC, and RDAP records — for any domain.

Overview

What is a WHOIS lookup?

A WHOIS or RDAP lookup lets you inspect public domain registration data. It can show the registrar, registration date, expiry date, nameservers, domain status, and — when available — ownership or contact information.

Some domains reveal a lot, while others show very little because of privacy protection, registry rules, or redaction requirements. You can pair this with a DNS record lookup to see how the domain actually resolves.

What a WHOIS lookup can show

The data points that may appear in WHOIS and RDAP records.

Domain registrar
Registration date
Expiry date
Last updated date
Name servers
Domain status codes
Registrant or privacy details
Registrar abuse contact
DNSSEC details
RDAP source records
Technical and admin contacts
Registry links and notices

Why use a WHOIS lookup?

WHOIS and RDAP lookups are useful for domain research, ownership checks, registrar verification, expiry monitoring, DNS audits, and investigating suspicious domains.

  • Check when a domain expires
  • Verify the registrar and abuse contact details
  • View nameservers and DNSSEC details
  • Research a domain before buying it
  • Review status codes, registry notices, and RDAP links
  • Monitor your own domains for renewals and changes

Answers

Frequently asked questions

What is a WHOIS lookup?

A WHOIS lookup is a query used to view public domain registration data such as the registrar, registration date, expiry date, nameservers, domain status, and available ownership details.

What is RDAP and how is it different from WHOIS?

RDAP is the modern replacement for legacy WHOIS. It provides structured domain registration data over HTTPS and is easier to parse, more standardized, and more secure.

What can a WHOIS lookup show?

A WHOIS or RDAP lookup can show the registrar, creation and expiry dates, nameservers, domain status codes, RDAP source links, and sometimes registrant, admin, or technical contact details.

Why does WHOIS show redacted information?

Many domains use privacy protection or are subject to registry and privacy rules that hide personal contact information from public lookup tools.

Go deeper

Run a full domain health report

Combine WHOIS with DNS, SSL, blacklist, and email checks in one report to spot issues faster.

Run health report All tools