WHOIS Lookup
Free WHOIS query for any domain. Live ICANN RDAP source, no signup, results in under a second.
What this WHOIS tool returns
For every domain we query the authoritative registry via RDAP - the modern ICANN-mandated replacement for the legacy port-43 WHOIS protocol. RDAP returns the same data registrars publish to lookup services (GoDaddy WHOIS, Namecheap WHOIS, ICANN's own lookup at lookup.icann.org), in a structured JSON format with consistent field names across every gTLD and most ccTLDs.
Each lookup shows: registrar of record plus IANA ID, registration date, current expiration, EPP status codes (clientTransferProhibited, redemptionPeriod, pendingDelete and others), authoritative nameservers, and the full raw RDAP response for technical inspection. Registrant contact details are redacted in RDAP responses per ICANN's GDPR-aligned Temp Spec - that data has not been publicly accessible for most TLDs since 2018.
EPP status codes reference
The EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol) status codes returned in a WHOIS / RDAP response describe the current registry-side state of the domain. Each code controls a specific action - transfers, deletions, updates - and can be set by the registrar (client*) or the registry itself (server*).
| Status code | What it means |
|---|---|
ok / active | Default healthy state. No prohibitions in effect, domain is registered and resolving. |
clientTransferProhibited | Registrar lock prevents transfer to another registrar. Set by the current registrar, removable by the owner. |
clientDeleteProhibited | Registrar lock blocks deletion requests. Anti-hijack protection. |
clientUpdateProhibited | Registrar lock blocks contact / nameserver updates without unlock. |
clientHold | Registrar has paused DNS resolution (domain registered but not resolving). Often used for non-payment or legal disputes. |
serverTransferProhibited | Registry-level transfer block. Cannot be removed by the owner without registry intervention. |
serverHold | Registry-level resolution stop. Stronger than clientHold. Common during legal action. |
pendingDelete | Domain is in the final 5-day window before being released to the public. Cannot be restored. |
redemptionPeriod | 30-day grace window after deletion. Owner can still restore (typically $80-200 fee) before pendingDelete. |
pendingRestore | Restore from redemptionPeriod has been requested. Resolves to either active or back to redemptionPeriod. |
autoRenewPeriod | 45-day window after expiration where the registrar can still auto-renew without owner action. |
addPeriod | 5-day window after registration where the registrar can delete the domain and get a full refund. |
For the full ICANN-published definitions, see the ICANN EPP status codes reference page.
RDAP vs legacy WHOIS
RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol, RFC 7480-7484) is the modern replacement for port-43 WHOIS that has been mandatory for all new gTLDs since 2024. Both protocols expose the same underlying data, but RDAP returns structured JSON with consistent field names, while legacy WHOIS returns free-form text that varies by registry.
| Aspect | Legacy WHOIS (port 43) | RDAP (HTTPS) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Unstructured text, per-registry layout | Structured JSON, consistent schema |
| Transport | TCP port 43, plaintext | HTTPS with TLS |
| Internationalization | ASCII only | Full UTF-8 |
| Differentiated responses | Same blob for human + machine | Separate query types (domain, ns, entity) |
| Status | Being retired; some registries already disabled | Required for new gTLDs since 2024 |
This tool uses RDAP under the hood for every lookup. The "raw RDAP response" block on each result page is the unmodified JSON returned by the authoritative registry.
Frequently asked questions
Is RDAP the same as WHOIS?
RDAP and WHOIS expose the same underlying registry data, but use different protocols. WHOIS is the legacy plaintext protocol over TCP port 43. RDAP is the modern JSON-over-HTTPS replacement standardized by ICANN in 2015. For new gTLDs (.app, .dev, .blog, .store and others) RDAP is the only ICANN-mandated lookup channel since 2024. This tool queries RDAP and presents the data in the format people expect from a "WHOIS lookup."
Why are registrant contact details redacted?
Since 2018, ICANN's Temporary Specification (aligned with the EU GDPR) requires registries and registrars to redact registrant names, emails, phone numbers, and addresses from public WHOIS / RDAP responses for most domains. This applies globally, not just to EU registrants. Contact details are still available to law enforcement and trademark holders through ICANN's formal disclosure processes, but no longer through public lookup tools - including this one.
Why does the response look different for different TLDs?
Each top-level domain registry runs its own RDAP service and chooses which fields to expose. Verisign (.com, .net) publishes registration dates and registrar; Public Interest Registry (.org) does the same plus full status code lists; some ccTLDs hide registration dates entirely. The raw RDAP JSON shown below the parsed table reveals exactly what each registry returned - useful when fields you expect appear missing.
How fresh is the WHOIS data?
Every lookup hits the authoritative registry directly in real time, so the data is as current as the registry's own database. To respect registry rate limits we cache each domain's response for 24 hours after a successful query - if you re-check the same domain within that window, you get the cached snapshot. Long-lived fields like registration date never change; transient fields like status codes and expiration update on the next lookup after 24 hours.
Can I do bulk WHOIS lookups here?
No. This tool is rate-limited to 30 lookups per minute per IP address to protect registry rate budgets - one domain at a time through the form above. For bulk WHOIS, you need to negotiate a bulk-access agreement with each registry directly (Verisign, PIR, Identity Digital and so on), or subscribe to a commercial aggregator such as DomainTools or WhoisXML API.
What if my domain is in pendingDelete or redemptionPeriod?
A pendingDelete status means the domain is in its final 5-day countdown before being released to the public - you cannot restore it through your registrar at this stage. redemptionPeriod is the 30-day grace window before pendingDelete, during which your registrar can still restore the domain (typically for an $80-200 fee on top of the renewal). If you spot either status on your own domain, contact your registrar immediately. If you're scouting domains, our expired-domains list tracks every domain currently moving through these stages across 10 TLDs.
Related tools
WHOIS is one slice of the public information available about any domain. For the historical view, try our domain age checker which combines RDAP registration year with Wayback Machine snapshot counts. For the live drop pipeline, the expired-domains list shows every domain currently passing through redemptionPeriod or pendingDelete across 10 generic TLDs, updated daily from ICANN zone files.