WHOIS Lookup
Find domain ownership and registration information
Understanding WHOIS
What is WHOIS?
WHOIS is a protocol used to query databases that store information about registered domain names. It provides details about who owns a domain, when it was registered, and when it expires. WHOIS data is maintained by domain registrars and is publicly accessible for most domains.
What information does a WHOIS lookup show?
A WHOIS lookup typically shows the domain registrar, registration and expiration dates, name servers, domain status codes, and contact information for the registrant, administrative contact, and technical contact. However, many domain owners use privacy protection services that redact personal contact information.
What is WHOIS Privacy Protection?
WHOIS Privacy Protection (also called Domain Privacy or WHOIS Guard) is a service that replaces your personal contact information in the WHOIS database with proxy information. This helps protect your personal data from spammers, marketers, and identity thieves while still meeting ICANN requirements.
Why register domains with Unstoppable Domains?
Unstoppable Domains offers competitive pricing on traditional domain names (.com, .net, .org, etc.) with free WHOIS privacy protection included. We also specialize in Web3 domains that you truly own as NFTs, providing censorship-resistant websites and simplified crypto payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is WHOIS data updated?
WHOIS data is typically updated within 24-48 hours of any changes made to domain registration information. However, some registrars may update their WHOIS databases more frequently. Our lookup tool caches results for a few minutes to ensure fast responses.
Why is some contact information redacted?
Many domain owners use WHOIS privacy protection services to hide their personal information from public view. This is legal and recommended for privacy protection. When privacy protection is enabled, you'll see proxy contact information or 'REDACTED FOR PRIVACY' in place of actual contact details.
Can I look up any domain?
You can look up most traditional domain names (like .com, .net, .org). However, some country-code TLDs have restricted WHOIS access. Web3 domains (.crypto, .nft, .x, etc.) use a different system and are not available through traditional WHOIS lookup.
How can I contact a domain owner?
If the domain is registered with Unstoppable Domains, you can use our Contact Owner feature. For other domains, you may need to use the contact information displayed in the WHOIS results (if not redacted) or look for a contact page on the domain's website.
What do the domain status codes mean?
Domain status codes (like clientTransferProhibited, serverHold, etc.) indicate the current state of a domain. Common statuses include: OK (normal operation), clientTransferProhibited (transfer locked), clientUpdateProhibited (updates locked), and redemptionPeriod (domain expired and in grace period).