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Learn more about the name behind the domain

What's available

A Whois domain lookup is a good way of finding out information about a domain that's already registered, including its registration and expiration dates. You can use our Whois domain lookup tool to find out who owns a domain with the following extensions: .com, .net and .shop.

For other TLDs however, you should go through the registry responsible for that particular domain. For example, queries about .org domains should be directed to the [[http://whois.publicinterestregistry.net/|Public Interest Registry]], while Whois domain searches for .info should be done via [[http://whois.afilias.net/|Afilias Limited]]. By going straight to the registrar, you will receive technical data such as the nameserver being used, which means you can determine which provider the domain is registered with.

If you would like to request data about a domain directly from a special registry, select the respective partner on our [[https://registrar.ionos.com/domains_raa/home|registrar page]].

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Contacting the domain owner

In the US, Whois domain information often includes the personal contact details of the domain owner. In this case, as it’s easy to find out who owns a domain, you can simply contact the owner directly with any queries, such as questions about the availability of the domain.

There are however some notable exceptions. For instance, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into effect in May 2018, means that the personal data of domain owners based in the EU can no longer be published. As a result, if the domain you’re searching for is owned by an individual or organization in the EU, their contact details may not be visible. In addition, US-based domain owners can also use a proxy or a domain privacy service to hide their personal contact details.

In such cases, contact must be established via the registrar, who can forward your request to the domain owner. You may wish to do this to inquire about technical issues or to report the possible misuse of a domain name.

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Whois Domain Lookup

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Whois lookup

How does the Whois domain lookup work?

Whois database

Whois domain searches are facilitated through a Whois database — a central location where publicly accessible information on registered domains is stored. Note: Whois databases no longer provide data for EU-owned domains due to the GDPR.The registrars that administer the various domain extensions each maintain their own Whois databases. For example, the previously mentioned Public Interest Registry administers a Whois database for .org domains.

Whois search details

You can use two versions of the Whois domain lookup: The tool on this page provides you with the domain name, registration date and expiration date for a variety of domain extensions. Meanwhile, more detailed information can be found on our registrar page.Note that contacting the registry directly may be best in some cases — such as the Public Interest Registry for .org domains.

Privacy

Which data is made public via the Whois service depends on either the respective registry or ICANN (Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers). The registries determine which data is collected.For instance, as the registry for the .info TLD, Afilias Limited determines what information is listed in the Whois database for those domains.

Learn more about a Whois Domain Lookup

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