Free WHOIS Lookup — Check Domain & IP Registration Details
Look up WHOIS data for any domain name or IP address. Find registrar information, creation and expiry dates, name servers, and ownership details. Our free WHOIS lookup tool provides instant domain registration information with no signup required.
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WHOIS Domain & IP Lookup
Enter a domain name or IP address to see registration details, registrar, creation date, and expiry information.
Registrar, dates, and name servers
Contact info when publicly available
Check when domains expire
Works with both domains and IPs
What Is WHOIS Lookup and How Does It Work?
WHOIS (pronounced "who is") is a public protocol and database system that stores registration information for domain names and IP address blocks. Every time someone registers a domain, their registrar submits details to the appropriate registry — and that data becomes queryable through WHOIS. A WHOIS lookup lets you access this information to find out who registered a domain, when it was created, when it expires, which registrar manages it, and what name servers it uses.
For IP addresses, Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) like ARIN, RIPE NCC, APNIC, LACNIC, and AFRINIC maintain WHOIS databases that show which organization or ISP holds a particular IP address allocation, the size of their block, and contact information for abuse reporting or technical inquiries.
What Information Can You Find in WHOIS Results?
A typical domain WHOIS result includes: Registrar name (the company where the domain was registered), creation date (when the domain was first registered), expiration date (when the registration needs renewal), updated date (last modification), name servers (DNS servers authoritative for the domain), and domain status codes (like clientTransferProhibited or serverDeleteProhibited).
For IP addresses, WHOIS shows the organization name, IP range or CIDR block, country, abuse contact email, and technical contact. This is invaluable for tracing the source of network abuse, spam, or cyberattacks back to responsible parties.
WHOIS Privacy Protection and GDPR
Since GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into effect in 2018, many registrars redact personal information from public WHOIS records. Instead of seeing the registrant's real name, address, and phone number, you may see "REDACTED FOR PRIVACY" or a proxy service's contact details. Despite these restrictions, WHOIS still reveals registrar, dates, name servers, and domain status — which remains useful for most investigations.
Why Run a WHOIS Lookup?
People use WHOIS lookup for many purposes: checking if a domain is available for registration, finding out when a domain expires (useful if you want to acquire it), verifying who owns a domain for business or legal reasons, investigating phishing or spam domains, checking name server configurations after domain transfers, and researching the history of a domain before purchasing it. Security teams routinely use WHOIS to trace malicious domains and IPs back to their operators.
WHOIS vs DNS Lookup — What's the Difference?
While both WHOIS and DNS deal with domain information, they serve different purposes. DNS lookup shows you the technical records (A, MX, CNAME, etc.) that control how a domain resolves and routes traffic. WHOIS lookup shows you the administrative and registration details — who owns the domain, when it was registered, and which registrar manages it. For a complete picture of any domain, you should use both tools together.
For DNS record checking, use our DNS lookup tool. For IP geolocation and ISP details, try our IP address lookup. To check if a mail server IP is blacklisted, use IP blacklist check. For What is my IP, VPN detection, ping test, or traceroute, see our other network tools.
Privacy, Accuracy & Security
Privacy: We don’t store your lookups. Accuracy: Data comes from public WHOIS registries; some fields may be redacted for privacy (e.g. GDPR). Security: HTTPS only. Free, no signup.
Frequently Asked Questions About WHOIS Lookup
What does WHOIS stand for?
WHOIS is not technically an acronym — it's derived from the question "Who is responsible for this domain or IP?" The protocol was created in the 1980s to help network administrators identify domain and IP holders on the early internet.
Can I find out who owns a domain with WHOIS?
Sometimes. If the domain owner hasn't enabled WHOIS privacy protection, their name, organization, and contact details will be visible. However, many registrars now offer free privacy protection, and GDPR regulations require redaction of personal data for EU registrants.
Is WHOIS lookup free?
Yes, our WHOIS lookup tool is completely free with no registration required. You can look up unlimited domains and IP addresses.
How do I check when a domain expires?
Run a WHOIS lookup on the domain — the result will include "Registry Expiry Date" or "Expiration Date" showing exactly when the domain registration expires and needs to be renewed.
What are domain status codes in WHOIS?
Domain status codes like "clientTransferProhibited" or "serverDeleteProhibited" indicate locks and protections applied to a domain. These prevent unauthorized transfers, deletions, or modifications and are a normal part of domain security.