Whois is a popular Internet record listing that tells you who owns a domain and how to contact them. Domain name registration and ownership are governed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Registrars are companies that help people register domain names.
GoDaddy, Tucows, Namecheap, and MarkMonitor are just a few examples. ICANN has approved and accredited these companies to register new domain names.
The registrar is expected to make the registration information (WHOIS) publicly available whenever an individual or organisation registers a new domain name.
This tool allows you to check up this information online. Anyone who uses the WHOIS search tool to check domain names will be able to see your listing once it appears in our internet domain directory.
The WHOIS check database can be accessed by a number of different third parties, including:
- Individuals look at the WHOIS information for domain names to see when they expire.
- When transferring domain ownership, registrars look at the names.
- When investigating criminal conduct, authorities look at domain names.
What is the WHOIS database?
The contact information linked with the individual, group, or company that registers a domain name is stored in a Whois database. Administrators can use WHOIS verification to track down registrants who upload illegal content or participate in phishing scams, which can help prevent spam and fraud.
Furthermore, ICANN’s agreements protect domain registrants by forbidding the use of WHOIS information for marketing or spam purposes, as well as high-volume, automated searches against a specific registrar or registry system (unless such queries are done with the intent to manage domain names).
NOTE: Some domain registrars provide private registration services (also known as proxy services), in which the registrar’s contact information, rather than the registrant’s, is shown. The domain registrant and contact for this “private registration” is the organisation that provides the domain privacy service.
It’s also worth noting that using domain privacy services isn’t always a guarantee of true anonymity. Private information may be required by law to be released by registrars.
What kind of data do I receive using the Whois Lookup?
You will learn who is the current registrant of a specific domain. We offer two versions of the Whois Lookup, each with a different level of data. With the simple version, which is also available on this page. The following Whois information is returned to you:
- Domain Name
- Registry Domain ID
- Registrar
- Registrar URL
- Creation Date
- Registrar Registration Expiration Date
- Registrar Abuse Contact Information (Email, Phone Number)
- Domain Status
- State
- Country
- Registrant Organization
How accurate is WHOIS data?
Refusing to update this information or submitting fraudulent data might result in domain suspension or cancellation, according to ICANN guidelines. When a domain name is registered, the information in this record is originally provided.
Things change with time, and information becomes outdated. Domain registrants must be able to amend their contact information, according to ICANN. For altering the information that displays on a Whois record, each registrar has slightly different methods.
It usually entails going to the registrar’s website or speaking with a contact centre agent to get account information. Changes to the Whois database can take a long time to take effect (typically about 24 hours). It’s easier to contact a registrant or administrator when you have precise, up-to-date Whois data.
Furthermore, ICANN permits Internet users to file complaints if they uncover erroneous or incomplete WHOIS domain name lookup data. Registrars must correct and validate the data as soon as possible in such cases. ICANN uses this verification methodology to ensure the highest level of accuracy possible.