Glossary
WHOIS — Domain Registration Lookup Explained
WHOIS is a query protocol that returns registration information about a domain name — including the registrar, registration date, expiry date, name servers, and registrant contact details (where not privacy-protected). Modern WHOIS lookups use RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol), a JSON-based successor that is more reliable and structured than the original port-43 WHOIS protocol.
What WHOIS Shows
- Registrar name and IANA ID
- Registration and expiry dates
- Name servers
- Domain status (active, locked, expired)
- Registrant contact (may be privacy-protected)
WHOIS Privacy
Most registrars offer WHOIS privacy (proxy registration) that replaces your personal details with the registrar's contact info.
Lookup expiry and registrar via RDAP
Open WHOIS tool →FAQ
What is WHOIS?
A protocol for looking up domain registration information — registrar, expiry date, name servers, and owner details.
What is RDAP vs WHOIS?
RDAP is the modern replacement for WHOIS. It returns structured JSON data and is more reliable across all TLDs. DomainPreflight uses RDAP.
Can I hide my details from WHOIS?
Yes — most registrars offer WHOIS privacy that replaces your details with proxy contact information.