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WHOIS Lookup — Check Any Domain
Instantly see who owns a domain, when it was registered, when it expires, nameservers and full RDAP registry data.
Querying RDAP registry…
RDAP data may not be available for all TLDs. Try ICANN Lookup as a fallback.
Understanding WHOIS & RDAP
What does a WHOIS lookup tell you?
A WHOIS lookup queries the RDAP registry database and returns structured data about any registered domain name. Here's what each section means.
Registrant Information
Who owns this domain?
The registrant is the individual or organisation that purchased and legally owns the domain name. WHOIS records expose the registrant's name, organisation, email address, phone number, and postal address — or proxy details if privacy protection is active.
Since GDPR came into effect in May 2018, most registrars now redact personal registrant data for individual (non-business) registrations. You'll often see REDACTED FOR PRIVACY in place of the real details. Business domains typically still show the company name and registered address.
Registration Timeline
When was it registered — and when does it expire?
The registration timeline shows three key dates: Created On (when first registered — older domains have more authority), Updated On (last time registration details changed — recently updated domains may indicate a transfer or ownership change), and Expires On (renewal deadline).
After expiry, domains enter a grace period (30–45 days) where only the original owner can renew. After that, a redemption period (30 days) where recovery incurs heavy fees. Then the domain is deleted and becomes available for public registration.
Registrar Details
Which company manages this domain?
The registrar is the ICANN-accredited company through which the domain was purchased — GoDaddy, Namecheap, BigRock, a8verse, or hundreds of others. The registrar manages the domain registration agreement and communicates with the registry on the owner's behalf.
WHOIS records include the registrar's name, their IANA Registrar ID (a unique number assigned by ICANN), and an abuse contact email used to report spam, phishing, or copyright violations originating from a domain.
Name Servers
Where does DNS for this domain live?
Name servers (NS records) tell the internet which DNS provider is authoritative for a domain. When you type a domain into a browser, a DNS resolver queries these name servers to find the IP address of the site's server.
Common name server patterns: ns1.cloudflare.com (Cloudflare), ns1.godaddy.com (GoDaddy), ns1.a8verse.com (a8verse hosting customers). If a domain points to your hosting provider's name servers, your hosting panel controls all DNS records — including mail, subdomains and verification records.
EPP Status Codes
What state is this domain in right now?
Domain status codes (EPP codes) describe the current lifecycle state of a domain. Most active domains show clientTransferProhibited — a security lock that prevents unauthorised registrar transfers until removed by the owner. Other common statuses include:
DNSSEC
Is this domain cryptographically secured?
DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions) adds digital signatures to DNS records, letting resolvers verify that the answer they receive hasn't been tampered with in transit — preventing a class of attacks called DNS cache poisoning or DNS spoofing.
When DNSSEC is enabled, the RDAP response includes DS records and key data. A green DNSSEC badge means the delegation is signed and verified. Most major Indian registries (.in, .co.in) support DNSSEC, as do Cloudflare and most premium DNS providers.
WHOIS vs RDAP — what's the difference?
WHOIS (RFC 3912) is the original 1982 protocol for querying domain registration data. It returns plain text, has no authentication, and cannot be extended. Because of its age, it varies significantly between registrars and registries.
RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol, RFC 7480–7484) is the modern replacement, mandated by ICANN for all generic top-level domain (gTLD) registries since 2019. RDAP returns structured JSON, supports HTTPS, access control and internationalised domain names (IDN). This tool uses RDAP exclusively for accuracy and completeness.
For .in domains, RDAP data is served by NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India), the .in registry. For .com, .net and .org, data is served by VeriSign and the PIR registry respectively, then augmented with registrar-level data.
WHOIS FAQ
Frequently asked questions about WHOIS
A WHOIS lookup queries the public domain registration database to find out who owns a domain, when it expires, and who the registrar is. It's used by website owners to verify domain status, by legal teams to identify domain owners for disputes, by marketers researching competitor domains, and by anyone who wants to know if a particular domain is available or who to contact about it.
Enter the domain name in the WHOIS lookup tool above. After the query, the Registration Timeline section will show the expiry date clearly under "Expires On". The status card at the top also highlights the expiry date and shows a warning if the domain is expiring within 90 days.
Since GDPR came into force on 25 May 2018, ICANN allowed gTLD registrars to redact personal data (name, email, phone, address) from public WHOIS/RDAP responses. This applies mainly to individual (non-business) registrants in the EU/EEA, though many registrars apply it globally. Company and organisation names are usually still visible. WHOIS privacy services like Domains By Proxy replace your real contact details with proxy details even before GDPR.
clientTransferProhibited is an EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol) status code set by the registrar. It means the domain is locked and cannot be transferred to another registrar until this lock is removed. This is a security feature that prevents unauthorised domain hijacking. To transfer a domain, you must first unlock it at your current registrar and obtain an authorisation (EPP/auth) code.
Transferring to a8verse is free — you only pay the standard renewal fee and get one extra year added to the domain. Steps: (1) Unlock the domain at your current registrar. (2) Get the EPP/authorisation code from your registrar. (3) Use the WHOIS results page above and click "Transfer Domain", or go to the Domain Transfer page and paste your EPP code. (4) Confirm via email. The transfer typically completes in 5–7 days. All files, databases and emails remain unaffected during the transfer.
Yes. This tool supports WHOIS/RDAP lookups for .in, .co.in, .net.in, .org.in and all other .in subdomains managed by NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India). It also supports all gTLDs (.com, .net, .org, .io, etc.) and most country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) that publish RDAP data. Simply enter the full domain including the extension.
Register or Transfer Your Domain
Found the domain you want?
Register a new domain or transfer your existing one to a8verse. Get hosting, email and SSL bundled — all billed in ₹ with GST invoices.