WHOIS and RDAP
WHOIS is an older protocol for querying registration records. RDAP provides structured responses over HTTPS. Since 28 January 2025, RDAP has been the definitive source for generic top-level-domain registration information in the ICANN system. Country-code domains and IP registries can follow different procedures. Our WHOIS tool uses RDAP.
What information is available?
Depending on the registry, responses may include registrar, status, event dates, nameservers, organizations and contacts. Fields can be missing, restricted or redacted. Registration does not automatically identify the current website operator. For IP addresses, records describe allocation of an address block, not necessarily its current user.
Expiry and domain status
An expiry date does not make a domain immediately available. Renewal, restoration and deletion phases vary by registry. clientTransferProhibited blocks registrar transfers; serverHold prevents publication in DNS. A status alone does not explain the cause. A failed query is not evidence of availability.
Privacy and use
Public responses often contain fewer personal details than older records. Visibility depends on registry policies, privacy rules and access rights; it is not uniform worldwide. Use abuse contacts for appropriate incident reports. For a new registration, the responsible registrar's current availability check is decisive.