Domains & DNS
What is WHOIS?
The public directory that shows who registered a domain, when it expires and which registrar manages it.
WHOIS is a lookup protocol that returns the registration record of a domain: the registrar, creation and expiry dates, and name servers. Buyers use it to check that a domain is genuinely available and not close to expiring, and owners use it to confirm their own details are correct. Most registrars now publish redacted or proxy contact details for privacy, so you rarely see a personal email in modern WHOIS answers. Try our free WHOIS lookup tool to see a live example.