WHOIS lookup: who registered a domain and when
Enter a domain and DuckINT reads its registration record over RDAP, the modern replacement for WHOIS: the registrar, when the domain was created and when it expires, its status codes and name servers. It adds the domain's popularity rank, archived snapshots and reputation, so you can tell an established site from one registered last week.
What it shows
- Registrar, creation, update and expiry dates, and status codes such as clientTransferProhibited.
- Name servers and, where the registry publishes them, registrant organization and country.
- How long the domain has been around: popularity rank and the oldest archived snapshot.
- Phishing and malware reports, and registered lookalike domains.
Sources it checks
One search asks all of these at the same time. Each result names the one that returned it.
What to do with the result
- Be careful with a domain created days ago that imitates a known brand: that is typical of phishing.
- Contact the registrar listed in the record to report abuse of a domain.
- Note that most registrant names are redacted for privacy; the registrar can still act on reports.
Questions
- What is the difference between WHOIS and RDAP?
- RDAP is the standardized, machine-readable successor of WHOIS, run by the same registries. It returns the same registration data in a consistent format.
- Why is the owner's name hidden?
- Since GDPR most registries redact personal registrant data. The organization, country and registrar are often still shown.
- Is it free?
- Yes, within the Free plan's daily allowance.