WHOIS Lookup
Look up any domain's registrar, registration date, expiry, status codes and nameservers using live RDAP registry data.
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.
One live lookup · no signup · results cached, never stored · 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.
Frequently asked 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.
The guide behind this tool
3 min readDNS records explained: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and the rest
What each DNS record type does, when to use A versus CNAME at the apex, how TTLs work, and the records that decide whether your email lands in spam.
4 min readDoes domain age affect SEO? What the data actually supports
Whether domain age is a Google ranking factor, why old domains often rank better anyway, and what to check before paying a premium for an aged domain.
2 min readProve your startup's numbers without exposing them
What you can verify about traffic and revenue, what stays private when you do, and why a banded verified figure beats an exact self-reported one.
Tools that pair with this one
Domain & DNSDomain Age Checker
Find out exactly how old a domain is, when it was registered, when it was last changed and when it expires.
Domain & DNSDNS Lookup
Query every common DNS record type for any domain at once, with TTLs, resolved through Cloudflare's public DNS-over-HTTPS resolver.
Domain & DNSDomain Popularity Checker
Check how popular any domain is on a 0-100 score built from the Tranco top-million ranking, with its raw rank and 30-day movement.
Domain & DNSBulk Domain Popularity
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.
Built something?
RankCert is a weekly launch board where products rank on domain control we verify ourselves - not upvotes. Listing is free and the link is dofollow whether or not you display our badge.