Understanding WHOIS Lookups

Learn how to use and interpret WHOIS data for any domain

What is WHOIS?

WHOIS (pronounced "who is") is a query and response protocol used to look up information about domain names. Think of it as a phone book for domains that tells you who owns them, when they were registered, and how to contact the owner.

Simply Explained

Imagine you have a huge library of books (the internet), and each book has an owner (a domain). WHOIS is like the library's sign-out card that tells you:

Who checked out the book (domain owner)
When they got it (registration date)
When they need to return it (expiration date)
How to contact them if the book is overdue (contact information)

Available WHOIS Fields

Field	Description
Domain Name	The registered domain name with its favicon and link to the website
Status	Current domain statuses (e.g., clientTransferProhibited) with color-coded indicators
Registrar	The company through which the domain was registered
Registrant	The person or organization who owns the domain
Contact Email	The domain owner's contact email (if public)
Abuse Contact	Email for reporting abuse or violations
Important Dates	Creation, expiration, and last updated dates

How to Use WHOIS Lookup

Enter any domain name in the search bar at the top of the page
The WHOIS information will be displayed in an easy-to-read format
Click "Show Raw" to see the complete, unformatted WHOIS data
Click any email address to copy it to your clipboard
Domain age is automatically calculated from the creation date

💡Pro Tip: Use the raw WHOIS data to see additional fields that might not be shown in the formatted view. This can include technical contacts, nameservers, and domain-specific settings.

How WHOIS Data Gets Updated

WHOIS data is updated in several ways:

When a domain is registered, transferred, or renewed
When the domain owner updates their contact information
When the registrar makes changes to domain statuses
When privacy settings are modified

⚠️Note: Updates are processed through the domain's registrar and then propagated to WHOIS databases worldwide. This process can take up to 48 hours, though most updates are visible within a few hours.

Best Practices

✓
Keep Information Current
Regularly verify and update your domain's WHOIS information to maintain compliance and ensure you receive important notifications.
✓
Use Privacy Protection
Consider using WHOIS privacy services if you want to protect personal information from public view.
✓
Monitor Expiration
Set reminders for domain expiration dates to prevent accidental loss of your domain.

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