How to read a WHOIS record
Registrar: the company the owner bought the domain through, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap or Spaceship. Renewals, transfers and settings happen there.
Registered: when the domain was first registered. It shows how established a name is, and whether it changed hands recently.
Expires: the date it must be renewed by. An expired domain usually passes through a grace period (often 30 to 45 days), a 30-day redemption period and about five days of pending deletion. Then anyone can register it.
Status: codes like clientTransferProhibited are normal locks that protect the owner. redemptionPeriod and pendingDelete mean the domain has expired and may become available soon.
Nameservers: the servers that point the domain at its website and email. They often reveal the host, such as Cloudflare.
Want to buy a name you looked up? Read how to buy a domain that's taken.
Questions
Why can't I see who owns the domain?
Since the European GDPR privacy rules arrived in 2018, registries and registrars hide the owner's name, email and address for most domains, even outside Europe. You'll usually see the registrar and dates. To reach the owner, use the registrar's contact form, a contact address in the record, or the website itself.
What's the difference between WHOIS and RDAP?
WHOIS is the original system for looking up domain records. RDAP is its official replacement, with structured data and support for every language. ICANN made RDAP the standard for generic endings like .com in January 2025. This tool uses RDAP, so the details come straight from each registry.
Does no record mean the domain is available?
Almost always. If the registry has no record, the name isn't registered. A few names are reserved or premium, so the registrar's checkout is the final word.
Why does a lookup fail for some endings?
A few country endings don't offer the standard online lookup. For those, we link you to the registry's own website or to ICANN's lookup instead.
Is my search private?
Your browser asks the registry directly. DomainNams doesn't store or see your lookups.