WHOIS Lookup
Type a domain to see its public registration record: the registrar it is registered through, when it was created and when it expires, its status codes, nameservers and DNSSEC. The answer comes live from the registry's RDAP server, the JSON protocol that replaced port-43 WHOIS for every gTLD on 28 January 2025. The owner's name and email are almost never public now: since GDPR took effect in May 2018, registries and registrars redact them, so the registrar is who you contact to reach an owner.
Free, no sign-in, 20 lookups a minute. Subdomains and URLs are reduced to the registered name (mail.google.com is looked up as google.com). Same lookup as the Domain age checker and Domain expiration checker.
What the status codes mean
Every record carries one or more EPP status codes. A code starting with client was set by the registrar, one starting with server by the registry. Several at once is normal.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| clientTransferProhibited | Registrar lock. The name cannot move to another registrar until the owner unlocks it. Normal and safe. |
| serverTransferProhibited | The registry itself blocks transfers, usually a paid registry lock on a high-value name, or a hold during a dispute. |
| clientDeleteProhibited / clientUpdateProhibited | The registrar blocks deletion or changes to the record. Common on corporate names. |
| clientHold / serverHold | The name is registered but taken out of DNS, so it does not resolve. Usually unpaid, unverified contact details, or a dispute. |
| addPeriod | Registered in the last 5 days. The registrar can still cancel it for a refund. |
| autoRenewPeriod | Past its expiry date and auto-renewed by the registry, inside the 45-day grace. |
| redemptionPeriod | Deleted by the registrar. Only the last owner can restore it, for a fee. |
| pendingDelete | Five days from deletion. Cannot be saved, will be released. |
| ok / active | No restrictions. Nothing is locked. |
What a lookup returns, extension by extension
We looked up one registered name in each of 15 extensions on October 28, 2026, once each with no cache. All 15 answered over RDAP, in a median of 257 ms. Five of them (.io, .co, .me, .us, .de) are missing from IANA's RDAP directory, which most RDAP clients rely on, so this tool asks those registries directly. 14 of 15 returned the registrar and both dates; DENIC (.de) returned only the registration, status and nameservers. A random unregistered name read as free in 15 of 15.
| TLD | Name | Registrar | Created | Expires | Statuses | NS | ms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | google.com | MarkMonitor | 1997-09-15 | 2028-09-14 | 6 | 4 | 257 |
| .net | php.net | Tucows | 1997-11-18 | 2029-11-17 | 2 | 4 | 535 |
| .org | wikipedia.org | MarkMonitor | 2001-01-13 | 2027-01-13 | 3 | 3 | 186 |
| .io | github.io | MarkMonitor | 2013-03-08 | 2027-03-08 | 3 | 5 | 173 |
| .ai | claude.ai | MarkMonitor | 2018-08-04 | 2029-08-04 | 3 | 2 | 111 |
| .co | google.co | MarkMonitor | 2010-02-25 | 2027-02-24 | 3 | 4 | 248 |
| .dev | web.dev | MarkMonitor | 2018-10-29 | 2027-10-29 | 6 | 4 | 712 |
| .app | cash.app | CSC Corporate Domains | 2018-03-29 | 2029-03-29 | 1 | 4 | 690 |
| .xyz | abc.xyz | MarkMonitor | 2014-03-20 | 2027-03-20 | 3 | 4 | 621 |
| .me | about.me | Namecheap | 2008-04-29 | 2034-04-29 | 1 | 2 | 224 |
| .us | google.us | MarkMonitor | 2002-04-19 | 2027-04-18 | 6 | 4 | 209 |
| .uk | bbc.co.uk | British Broadcasting Corporation | 1994-12-13 | 2034-12-13 | 3 | 8 | 1,141 |
| .de | google.de | none | none | none | 1 | 4 | 745 |
| .ca | cbc.ca | Authentic Web | 2000-10-16 | 2027-11-24 | 5 | 6 | 281 |
| .in | google.co.in | MarkMonitor | 2003-06-23 | 2027-06-23 | 3 | 4 | 1,315 |
ms is the full lookup from a US connection, including the follow-up to the registrar's own RDAP server where the registry points to one. .uk and .in were the slowest.
WHOIS Lookup questions
Is WHOIS still a thing, or is it RDAP now?
The name stuck, the protocol changed. ICANN let gTLD registries and registrars switch off port-43 WHOIS from 28 January 2025. RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) returns the same record as structured JSON over HTTPS, with standard dates and status codes, which is why this lookup asks RDAP directly. Many country registries still run WHOIS alongside it.
Why can't I see who owns a domain?
Since GDPR in May 2018, registrars and registries redact the registrant's name, email and address by default, and many owners add a privacy service on top. What stays public is the registrar, the dates, the statuses and the nameservers. To reach an owner, use the registrar's contact or relay form, or the contact page on the site itself. If you want to buy the name, check what it is worth in the domain value calculator first.
What do status codes like clientTransferProhibited mean?
They are EPP status codes set by the registrar (client...) or the registry (server...). clientTransferProhibited is an ordinary registrar lock that stops the name being moved without the owner. clientHold or serverHold means the name is registered but switched off in DNS. redemptionPeriod and pendingDelete mean the name has expired and been deleted. The table on this page lists the common ones.
If the lookup finds no record, is the domain free?
Almost always. The registry answering 404 means no registration exists, and that is what this tool reports as available. The exceptions are names the registry reserves or prices as premium: they have no record but cannot be registered at the normal price. The Register button shows the real price before you pay.
Which extensions does it work for?
Every extension whose registry publishes RDAP: all gTLDs such as .com, .net, .org, .app, .dev and .xyz, plus country codes including .uk, .ca, .in, .ai, .io, .co, .me, .us and .de. Five of those (.io, .co, .me, .us, .de) are missing from IANA's RDAP directory, so this tool asks their servers directly. For registries with no RDAP we know of, such as .es, .it, .jp and .eu, it says so and links to the registry's own lookup.
More free domain tools
The Domain age checker shows when a name was first registered. The Domain expiration checker shows when a name expires and what happens next. Price a name in the domain value calculator, compare registration and renewal costs on domain prices by extension, browse available domain name ideas, or check a username on Twitch, GitHub and Bluesky.