Whois Lookup
Domain and IP registration details from the registry RDAP service: registrar, key dates, nameservers, status and the abuse contact.
Uses RDAP, the registries' structured replacement for the old port 43 whois. Some registries (including Nominet for .uk domains) hide registrant details for privacy, so that field is often empty.
What a Whois lookup shows
For a domain, the registry’s RDAP service returns the registrar it was bought through, the dates it was registered, last updated and will expire, the nameservers it uses, its status codes, and an abuse contact for reporting misuse. Contact details for the owner are usually redacted under data protection rules, which is normal and not a sign anything is hidden.
For an IP address, the regional registry returns the organisation the address range is allocated to, the range itself, the country, and an abuse mailbox. This is the fastest way to answer the question “who owns the address that keeps hitting our firewall”.
Three things worth checking on your own domain
The expiry date. Expired domains take the website and every mailbox down at once, and the renewal grace period is short. Note the date and make sure the renewal email goes to a monitored mailbox, not to an ex-employee.
The registrar. If it is a company nobody in the business recognises, the domain was probably bought years ago by a web designer or a previous IT provider. Getting control back before you need it is far easier than doing it during an outage.
The status codes. clientTransferProhibited is good, it means the domain is locked against unauthorised transfer. A domain with no lock, or with pendingDelete or redemptionPeriod, needs attention today.
Whois Lookup: common questions
Why are the owner’s name and address missing?
Since 2018, registries redact personal contact details under data protection law and most registrars add privacy protection on top. The registrar, dates, nameservers and abuse contact are still shown, which is enough for most purposes.
What is RDAP and how is it different from Whois?
RDAP is the modern replacement for the Whois protocol. It returns the same registration data in a structured format over HTTPS, with consistent redaction rules. This tool queries RDAP because it is more reliable and better supported by registries than legacy Whois.
Can I find out who is behind a suspicious IP address?
You can find the organisation the address range is allocated to and its abuse contact, which is where to report attacks. You will not get an individual customer’s identity. Only the provider can link an address to a subscriber, and only with proper authority.
How do I stop my domain expiring?
Turn on auto-renew at the registrar, keep a valid payment card on file, and make sure the account email is a shared or monitored mailbox. If we manage your IT, domain renewals are tracked as part of the service.
More free tools
Never let a domain lapse again
An expired domain takes your website and email down with it. Domain registration, renewals and DNS management are all part of our managed IT support.