WHOIS

WHOIS (pronounced “who is”) is an Internet service used to lookup details about a domain identify. While the time period is capitalized, “WHOIS” isn’t an acronym. Instead, it’s brief for the query, “Who is responsible for this domain name?”

Domain names are registered by way of corporations known as registrars. Examples embody GoDaddy, Tucows, Namecheap, and MarkMonitor. These corporations have been authorised and accredited by ICANN to register new domains. Whenever a person or group registers a brand new domain identify, the registrar is required to make the registration info publicly out there. This info will be appeared up on-line using the WHOIS service.

Since there isn’t a central database of domain registration info, WHOIS search engines like google and yahoo lookup information throughout a number of registrars. Many registrars present their very own WHOIS lookup service, although a number of third get together WHOIS web sites additionally exist. ICANN gives its personal WHOIS lookup service as effectively (see photograph).

What is a WHOIS document?

WHOIS information fluctuate between registrars, however all of them comprise obligatory info. This contains the identify of the registrar, created date, up to date date, and expiration date of the domain identify. The identify servers are additionally listed. Three contacts are included — the registrant, admin, and technical contacts. This info, offered throughout registration, features a identify, group (if relevant), deal with, telephone quantity, and e-mail deal with. In many instances, the knowledge is duplicated throughout all three contacts, although each might have completely different info.

NOTE: The contact info in a WHOIS document will be made personal using a “private registration” service supplied by some registrars. This service, which can be out there for an extra payment, masks the registrant’s contact info with non-personally identifiable info. A site registered with domain privacy will nonetheless present up in a WHOIS search, however the group might seem as “Whois Privacy Services” and the e-mail deal with “[email protected].”