WHOIS Lookup (RDAP)
Registration data for any domain, IP address or AS number, from the official registry.
Look up registration data
Looking up…
Registration data
Status codes
Nameservers
Contacts
Notices and terms of use from the servers
Raw RDAP JSON
About the WHOIS Lookup (RDAP)
Find out which registrar a domain is registered with, when it was created and when it expires — or which organisation holds an IP address range or autonomous system (AS) number. The lookup uses RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol), the structured successor to WHOIS: since 28 January 2025, ICANN no longer requires generic-domain registries and registrars to run the old WHOIS service (except for .com, .name and .post), but every one of them must offer RDAP.
Your browser finds the responsible server in IANA’s bootstrap files and asks it directly, so you see the registry’s own data — not a copy. For .com, .net and other “thin” registries it then asks the registrar’s RDAP server too. Every status code is explained in plain words, and the raw JSON is one click away.
How to use it
- Type or paste a domain (
example.com), a URL or e-mail address, an IP address (8.8.8.8,2001:4860:4860::8888), an IP range (192.0.2.0/24) or an AS number (AS13335). - Press Look up. Keep Also ask the registrar on to get the registrar’s data for .com, .net and similar registries.
- Read the summary: registrar, dates, DNSSEC and abuse contact, then each status code with what it means for transfers, renewals and DNS.
- Press Copy summary to paste the key facts into a ticket or e-mail, or JSON to download the complete registry and registrar answers.
Examples
google.com
google.com is registered Registrar: MarkMonitor Inc. · IANA ID 292 Registered on: 1997-09-15 · Expires on: 2028-09-14 Status: client and server delete, transfer and update locks Registrant: Google LLC (US) — other details redacted, contact form provided
Verisign (the .com registry) supplied the dates and status; the registrar MarkMonitor supplied the registrant data.
8.8.8.8
8.8.8.8 — GOGL (Google LLC) Network 8.8.8.0 – 8.8.8.255 (8.8.8.0/24) · DIRECT ALLOCATION Report abuse to: [email protected]
IP data comes from the regional internet registry — ARIN for this address.
AS13335
AS13335 — CLOUDFLARENET (Cloudflare, Inc.)
Common uses
- Checking when your own domain expires and whether its transfer lock is on before you move registrars.
- Finding the registrar and abuse contact for a phishing, spam or malware domain so you can report it.
- Seeing which company or provider holds an IP address that appears in your server logs.
- Due diligence before buying a domain: its age, registrar and status (for example a pending deletion).
How the lookup finds the right server
IANA publishes bootstrap files that map every top-level domain, IP address block and AS number range to the RDAP server responsible for it (RFC 9224). The IANA file lists 1,203 top-level domains. Queries use the standard paths domain/…, ip/… and autnum/… (RFC 9082) and answers are JSON (RFC 9083).
Some country-code registries run RDAP but are not in the bootstrap yet. MySmartCoPilot adds the ones it verified: .io, .ac, .sh, .me (Identity Digital’s RDAP server), .us, .ch and .li (SWITCH) and .de (DENIC). Others — for example .co, .eu, .jp and .es — publish no RDAP service; for those the page links to the registry’s IANA entry instead.
Thin and thick registries
The .com and .net registries are “thin”: they hold the registrar, dates, status and nameservers, while the registrar holds the contacts. Their answer links to the registrar’s RDAP server, which this tool asks next. Most other registries (.org, .in, .uk and many more) are “thick” and answer everything themselves.
The status codes you will see most
- client transfer prohibited — the registrar’s transfer lock: normal protection; the owner unlocks it before a transfer.
- client / server update or delete prohibited — further locks set by the registrar or the registry (registry locks protect high-value domains).
- client hold / server hold — the domain has been taken out of DNS, so websites and e-mail on it stop working.
- auto renew period, redemption period, pending delete — the domain expired or was deleted. During redemption only the current owner can restore it; after pending delete it becomes available to everyone.
- add period, renew period, transfer period — short grace periods after registration, renewal or transfer.
The names come from EPP (RFC 5731, grace periods in RFC 3915) as mapped to RDAP by RFC 8056. How long each period lasts is set by each registry.
Why owner details are hidden
Privacy laws such as the GDPR mean registrars and many registries redact personal data. For generic TLDs, ICANN’s Registration Data Policy lists what is redacted — such as the registrant’s name, street address and phone — while the country and state stay public, and requires a registrar that redacts the e-mail address to publish an e-mail address or web form that reaches the owner (§9.2.3). This tool shows that contact form when the registrar provides one.
Limitations
- Registries without a public RDAP service cannot be queried; their classic WHOIS (port 43) cannot be reached from a web page.
- Registries limit how many lookups they answer; if you see HTTP 429, wait a minute before trying again.
- For IP addresses, the record names the organisation the range is registered to — often an internet provider or cloud company, not the person using the address.
- A domain can be registered but have no nameservers, or be in a grace period; read the status codes before assuming it is active or free.
- Lookups that have to go through MySmartCoPilot’s server (registries that block browser requests) are limited per hour to stay within free hosting limits.
Privacy
Lookups are sent from your browser to IANA (data.iana.org) and to the registry and registrar RDAP servers, without cookies; those servers see your IP address and the name you look up. For a TLD without RDAP, only the TLD (for example “co”) is checked with Cloudflare’s DNS-over-HTTPS resolver. When a registry does not accept browser requests, the lookup is relayed through MySmartCoPilot’s server instead. MySmartCoPilot does not store lookups; its log records only the server name and status code.
Frequently asked questions
Why can’t I see the owner’s name or e-mail address?
Personal data is redacted for privacy. For generic TLDs, ICANN requires the registrar to publish an e-mail address or web form that forwards messages to the owner — use the Contact form link when it appears. Organisations sometimes choose to show their name; the country and state usually remain visible.
What is the difference between WHOIS and RDAP?
Both publish domain registration data. WHOIS is free-form text on port 43; RDAP is structured JSON over HTTPS with standard status codes, a bootstrap that finds the right server automatically, and markers for redacted data. ICANN no longer requires generic-domain registries and registrars to run WHOIS (except .com, .name and .post), but all must run RDAP.
How do I find out when a domain expires?
Look at Expires on. Some registrars also list their own expiry date, shown under it. After the date passes, many registries renew the domain automatically for a grace period and then delete it if it is not paid — watch for the auto renew period, redemption period and pending delete statuses.
What does “client transfer prohibited” mean?
The registrar has locked the domain against transfers to another registrar. It is a normal, recommended protection against domain theft. To transfer, the owner removes the lock in the current registrar’s control panel and gets the transfer (authorisation) code.
Why does an IP address show an internet provider instead of a person?
Regional internet registries list the organisation that holds the address range — a provider, company, university or cloud platform. They do not list the customers it assigns addresses to. To report abuse from an address, use the Report abuse to contact shown.
Why does it say the ending is not a top-level domain?
The DNS root zone has no such TLD, so no domain can exist under it — usually a typo such as .con for .com. IANA’s root zone database lists every TLD that exists.
Why does it say a TLD has no public RDAP service?
Some country-code registries only run classic WHOIS or their own web search. Browsers cannot connect to WHOIS on port 43, so the page links to the registry’s IANA entry, which names the registry and its website.