WHOIS / RDAP — domain and IP
Query official registries (RDAP): registrar, registration and expiration dates, status, name servers and abuse contact for a domain or IP address.
How it works
WHOIS is the directory service for domain names; it is gradually being replaced by RDAP, its standardized successor that returns structured JSON data. This tool queries official registries for a domain (registrar, dates, status, DNSSEC, name servers) or an IP address block (block holder, range, country, abuse contact).
Dates are valuable: an approaching expiry explains an unavailable site, the creation date indicates how old the domain is, and statuses ("client transfer prohibited", "pending delete"…) reveal locking or a pending deletion. In accordance with GDPR, the contact details of individual holders are usually redacted.
Examples
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between WHOIS and RDAP?
RDAP is the successor to WHOIS: the same essential information, but in structured JSON, with uniform access and better handling of personal data (GDPR).
Why is the domain holder redacted?
Since the GDPR, registrars redact the contact details of natural persons in public responses. Only the registrar and the abuse contact remain visible.
What does the status "client transfer prohibited" mean?
An anti-transfer lock: the domain cannot be transferred to another registrar without lifting this protection. It is a common and reassuring setting.
Why does my IP only show a network block?
IP address registries (RIRs) only know about blocks (netblocks) allocated to providers, not individual subscribers.