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What Is WHOIS?

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WHOIS (pronounced “who is”) is the system for looking up who registered a domain name, which registrar it is with, when it expires, and which name servers it uses. For generic top-level domains (gTLDs), the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) replaced WHOIS as the official source of this data on January 28, 2025, but the data is the same and most people still call it WHOIS. You can look up any domain with the DNSimple WHOIS lookup.

What is WHOIS used for?

WHOIS serves several important purposes in the domain name system. It provides transparency and accountability by identifying who owns or is responsible for a domain name. WHOIS contains contact details for domain registrants, which can be used for legitimate purposes such as resolving technical issues, reporting abuse, or handling legal matters. WHOIS information also helps verify domain ownership and facilitates domain transfers and other administrative processes. Technical contact information in WHOIS can help network administrators resolve connectivity or configuration issues.

What information is in WHOIS?

WHOIS records contain information about a domain registration. This includes registrant and other domain contact information with the name and contact details of the person or organization that registered the domain. Administrative contact information identifies the person or organization responsible for administrative decisions about the domain. Technical contact information identifies the person or organization responsible for technical aspects of the domain. WHOIS also includes registrar information showing which domain registrar registered the domain, registration dates indicating when the domain was first registered and when it expires, name servers that are authoritative for the domain, and domain status showing the current status of the domain such as active, locked, or pending transfer.

How does WHOIS work?

WHOIS is not one central database. When you register a domain, your registrar collects your contact information, and the registry for the top-level domain (TLD) records the registration. Depending on the TLD, the contact details are held by the registry, the registrar, or both. Anyone can query this data using a WHOIS or RDAP lookup tool, such as ICANN Lookup, or a command-line utility, and gets back the publicly available information about the domain.

Since January 28, 2025, gTLD registries and registrars must provide RDAP and are no longer required to run WHOIS services. RDAP returns the same registration data over HTTPS in a standard format. Country code TLDs (ccTLDs) set their own rules and may still offer only WHOIS. See ICANN’s announcement for details.

WHOIS and privacy

Because WHOIS information is publicly accessible, privacy concerns have led to the development of privacy protection services. Many registrars, including DNSimple, offer WHOIS privacy services that replace your personal contact information with proxy contact details in the public WHOIS database. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has also led to changes in how WHOIS data is displayed for many TLDs, with some information being redacted or hidden by default.

WHOIS and domain management

WHOIS information plays an important role in domain management. WHOIS contains the contact information for domain registrants, administrative contacts, and technical contacts. WHOIS contact information is used to verify domain ownership and send transfer authorization emails during domain transfers. When you update domain contact information, the changes are reflected in the WHOIS database.

Have more questions?

If you have any questions about WHOIS or need help with your domains, just contact our support team, and we will be happy to help. You can also read more about domain registration at DNSimple.