What does a WHOIS lookup show?
Reviewed by Prabath Thalangama · Last updated
A WHOIS lookup shows a domain's public registration data: the registrar, creation and expiry dates, status codes and the nameservers registered at the registry. This tool queries RDAP, the modern JSON-based replacement for WHOIS, and warns when a domain has expired, expires within 30 days or lists no nameservers.
Registration data comes from the registry or registrar for the domain's TLD. Since GDPR, owner names, emails and addresses are usually redacted, so expect to see the registrar and dates rather than the owner.
Use it to check when your domain renews, which registrar to contact for a transfer, whether a domain is locked, and whether the nameservers at the registry match the DNS provider you think you use.
How do I check who a domain is registered with?
- Enter the domain name, for example example.com (not a subdomain or URL).
- Read the registrar and the expiry date, then the status codes and nameservers.
- Fix renewal or nameserver problems at the registrar shown.
How to read the results
- Registrar
- The company the domain is registered through. Renewals, transfers and nameserver changes happen there.
- Created / Expires
- Registration and expiry dates. Most registrars renew automatically if auto-renew and a valid payment method are set.
- Status
- EPP status codes. clientTransferProhibited is a normal lock; serverHold, redemptionPeriod or pendingDelete mean the domain is in trouble.
- Nameservers
- The DNS servers registered for the domain. If these are wrong, no record you edit elsewhere takes effect.
Common WHOIS findings and what to do
Domain expires soon or has expired
Renew it at the registrar shown. Expired domains usually stop resolving within days and enter a redemption period where restoring costs extra, after which anyone can register them.
No RDAP/WHOIS data available
Some country-code TLDs do not offer RDAP, or publish very little data. Check the registry's own WHOIS service for that TLD.
No nameservers listed
A registered domain without nameservers does not resolve at all. Set nameservers at the registrar.
Examples and command-line equivalents
Query WHOIS and RDAP from the command line
whois example.com
# RDAP (JSON) via the rdap.org redirector
curl -sL https://rdap.org/domain/example.com | jq '.events, .status, .nameservers[].ldhName'Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between WHOIS and RDAP?
Both return registration data. RDAP is the newer standard: it returns structured JSON over HTTPS with consistent field names, while WHOIS returns free-form text that differs by registry. ICANN requires gTLD registries and registrars to support RDAP.
What does clientTransferProhibited mean?
It is a registrar lock that blocks unauthorised transfers. It is normal and recommended; remove it at your registrar only when you are moving the domain.
Why can't I see who owns a domain?
Most registrars redact personal data for privacy. To contact the owner, use the registrar's contact form or abuse address listed in the result.
Further reading
- RFC 9083: JSON responses for RDAP
- ICANN: EPP status codes explained
- Run a full Super Scan to check DNS, email, website and TLS for a domain at once.