WHOIS is an internet protocol used to query databases containing registration information about domain names and IP addresses. It allows anyone to find out who registered a domain, when it was registered, when it expires and which nameservers it uses.
The protocol dates back to the early days of the internet (1982) and is maintained by regional internet registries (RIRs) and domain registries like DENIC (for .de), Verisign (for .com) and ARIN (for North American IPs).
| Field | Description | Privacy affected? |
|---|---|---|
| Registrant | Domain owner name/organization | Often hidden (GDPR) |
| Registrar | Company where domain was registered | Always visible |
| Created | Registration date | Always visible |
| Expires | Expiry date | Always visible |
| Updated | Last modification date | Always visible |
| Nameservers | DNS servers for the domain | Always visible |
| Status | Domain lock status | Always visible |
Since GDPR came into effect in 2018, personal data of domain registrants (private individuals) is no longer publicly visible in WHOIS records. Most registrars now offer WHOIS privacy protection by default or as a paid add-on.
WHOIS is a protocol for querying domain and IP registration data. It reveals who registered a domain, when it was created, when it expires and which nameservers it uses. Since GDPR, personal registrant data for private individuals is often hidden. The modern successor to WHOIS is RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol), which provides structured JSON responses and better privacy controls.