# WHOIS Lookup

> A WHOIS lookup returns a domain's public registration record: its registrar, creation and expiry dates, status codes and nameservers. This tool queries RDAP, the structured protocol registries maintain today, so the data comes straight from the registry rather than a scraped cache.

Source: https://rankcert.com/tools/whois-lookup
Free, no signup. Updated: 2026-08-29

## How to use it

1. Enter a domain name - no https:// needed.
2. We query the registry over RDAP, the structured successor to WHOIS.
3. Read the registrar, dates, status codes and nameservers.

## Questions

### What is RDAP and why not WHOIS?

RDAP is the IETF replacement for WHOIS. It returns structured JSON, supports internationalised data and is what registries actually maintain today. WHOIS text output is increasingly unreliable.

### Why is the registrant hidden?

GDPR and registrar privacy services redact personal contact data for most domains. Registrar, dates, status and nameservers stay public.

### What does clientTransferProhibited mean?

It is a registrar lock preventing the domain being transferred away without unlocking it first. It is a normal, healthy status, not a problem.

### Which TLDs are supported?

Every TLD with an RDAP endpoint, which is all gTLDs and most ccTLDs. A handful of older ccTLDs are WHOIS-only and will return no record.

### Is a WHOIS lookup anonymous?

The domain owner does not see who looked them up. The registry sees the query, as it would any DNS or RDAP request.

### How do I find out who owns a domain now that WHOIS is redacted?

Check the registrar's own contact form, the domain's website for an imprint or privacy policy, and historical WHOIS archives from before May 2018. Registries will not release the data directly.

### What is the difference between the created and updated dates?

Created is when the domain was first registered and never changes while the registration is continuous. Updated changes whenever any record on the domain changes - a nameserver edit, a renewal or a transfer.

### Can I tell if a domain is about to expire?

Yes, the expiry date is public. Note that most registrars allow a redemption period of up to 75 days after expiry, so a domain is not actually available on the day it lapses.

## Related tools

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- [Bulk Domain Popularity](https://rankcert.com/tools/bulk-domain-rating): Score up to twenty-five domains at once against the Tranco top-million ranking and sort them, so you can triage a link prospect list in one pass.
- [Bulk Domain Checker](https://rankcert.com/tools/bulk-domain-availability): Check whether 25 domains are registered or free in one pass, straight from the registry over RDAP, with no signup and no upsell to a registrar.
- [Meta Tags Checker](https://rankcert.com/tools/meta-tags-checker): Check any page's title, meta description, canonical, robots and heading structure, and see the exact issues that hurt its rankings.