What WHOIS Shows
A WHOIS query returns the registration record for a domain, including: Registrar (where the domain was purchased), Creation Date (when first registered), Expiry Date (when registration expires), Nameservers (which DNS servers are authoritative), and Registrant contact (often privacy-redacted under GDPR).
How to Use It
1
Open the tool
Go to Network & Security and scroll to the WHOIS Lookup.
2
Enter a domain
Type the domain name (e.g. example.com). Do not include https:// or paths.
3
Review the results
Check registrar, creation date, expiry date and nameservers.
4
Note the expiry date
Domains expire on the registry expiry date. After expiry, they enter a grace period before becoming publicly available again.
Pro Tips
💡Monitor your own domain expiry date — most registrars auto-renew but accidental lapses can cause downtime and domain loss.
💡Enable WHOIS privacy on your domains to prevent your personal contact details from being scraped for spam.
💡If nameservers in WHOIS don't match your DNS provider, your DNS delegation may not be set correctly — this causes all DNS lookups to fail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What information does WHOIS show?
Registrar, creation date, expiry date, last update, nameservers, and registrant contact (often privacy-redacted under GDPR).
Why are contact details hidden?
GDPR and similar regulations require personal data to be redacted by default. Most registrars offer free WHOIS privacy that substitutes a proxy address.
How do I check when a domain expires?
The "Registry Expiry Date" field shows when the registration expires. After expiry there is typically a 30-day grace period, then a redemption period, before public availability.
Registrar vs registry?
The registry operates the TLD (Verisign for .com). The registrar is an accredited company (GoDaddy, Namecheap) through which you buy registrations.
Run a WHOIS lookup now
Open the WHOIS Lookup and check domain registration details for any domain — free, instant, no login.
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