Whois Lookup
Find registration and ownership info.
x.com
What is a WHOIS Lookup?
WHOIS is like a dusty phonebook for the internet. When you perform a WHOIS query it pulls details about domain registration, ownership, creation/expiration dates, DNS servers, and whatever contact data hasn't been scrubbed for privacy. It's important to understand that WHOIS is a protocol like HTTP, not a central database, so the information in each response can vary wildly between different registries (TLDs) and registrars (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc).
When should you use WHOIS?
Use WHOIS to find out who owns a domain, check its expiration date and current status, and identify the registrar who manages it. It's a fundamental tool for developers, domain investors, security teams, IP enforcement, and anyone needing to contact a domain owner for business or legal reasons. A WHOIS lookup is the usual first step in due diligence. If the WHOIS response is broken or unhelpful, try RDAP for more structured data.
WHOIS vs RDAP - which should I use?
WHOIS is the legacy text protocol for querying domain registration data – inconsistent but still widely used. RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) is its modern successor, designed to provide data in a more standardized and predictable format. These days (in the year 2025), it's best to start with an RDAP Lookup for more reliable data; then fall back to WHOIS if the registry hasn't implemented RDAP.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the contact info go?
Privacy laws (like GDPR) and registrar policies have cleared out most public WHOIS contact records since 2018. Most registrars hide contact info by default now, and you'll see anonymized proxy emails and 'REDACTED FOR PRIVACY' almost everywhere. Some registrars do offer a forwarding service or web forms to contact the owner. For legitimate legal requests, you'll need to contact the registrar directly with the right documentation.
Why is WHOIS formatting so inconsistent?
The WHOIS standard dates back to 1984(!) and has never had strict formatting rules. Each registry seems to do its own thing; dates in every which way, fields in random order. Some use key-value pairs, while others write some kind of interpretive poetry. We do our best to parse and normalize this mess so you don't have to.
How accurate are the expiration dates?
Expiration dates can differ between the registry and the registrar, especially for registrars that auction off their expired names. After expiry, most domains go through a 30-45 day "grace period", followed by an additional ~30 day "redemption period", where the owner can still renew (at a premium). A domain status of "pending deletion" means the domain is close to being released and should soon be available for registration.
Can I use WHOIS to find the IP address of a website?
No, WHOIS is only for registration info, not DNS data. To find the IP address for a domain, you can use our DNS Lookup tool. The WHOIS record will tell you the nameservers (NS) for the domain, which you can then query to get the A records for the IP address.
What do the domain status codes mean?
Domain status codes (aka EPP status) describe a domain's current state and any security locks. They control whether a domain can be transferred, updated, deleted, or resolved in DNS. Multiple codes can apply at once, and some are set by the registrar ("client") while others are enforced by the registry ("server").
- ok – No restrictions, domain is active, nameservers are configured. Can be updated, transferred, or deleted.
- active – Registered and nameservers configured; may have other restrictions.
- inactive – Registered but not resolving due to no nameservers or hold.
- clientTransferProhibited – Registrar lock blocking transfers. Must be removed before transfer.
- serverTransferProhibited – Registry-applied lock blocking transfers. Requires registry approval to remove.
- clientDeleteProhibited – Registrar-applied lock preventing deletion (including transfer to another registrar). Used to protect important domains.
- serverDeleteProhibited – Registry-applied lock preventing deletion; cannot be removed by the registrar alone.
- clientHold – Registrar suspension that removes the domain from DNS. Common causes: unpaid renewal, invalid/expired WHOIS data, abuse complaints.
- serverHold – Registry suspension that removes the domain from DNS. Common causes: abuse or policy violations, legal disputes.
- redemptionPeriod – (30-45 days) Domain has expired and been removed from DNS, but can be restored by the original owner (for a fee).
- pendingDelete – (5 days) Final deletion stage after redemption. Cannot be restored by owner.
- pendingTransfer – Transfer in progress; no modifications allowed.
- pendingRestore – Restoration requested after redemption; not yet complete.
- renewPeriod – Automatic renewal grace period after successful renewal.
- pendingUpdate – A change (e.g., contact info, nameservers) is in progress; not yet finalized in the registry.