Domains

Whois Domain Lookup

Get key domain ownership information on demand

*Note: Information displayed in the Whois lookup results will vary if the domain has Whois privacy enabled

Use our Whois search for domain and IP information

Our Whois Lookup service provides the latest relevant information about domain name availability and ownership.

folder status icon

Status

Using our Whois Lookup, check the availability and ownership of any domain name.

magnifying glass analyze icon

Analyze

Access all publicly available Whois database information on any domain.

spinning gear tracking icon

Track

Monitor domain names through your Watch List so you can jump on opportunities.

user whois search icon

How does a Whois Lookup Work?

Each time a domain name is registered, the owner submits contact information to the associated domain registry. The registry then manages that information in the Whois lookup database for those domain extensions. This process of collecting and holding information is defined by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). All registries must abide by ICANN regulations to become officially accredited by the organization. With a Whois lookup, data is pulled directly from the registry database to get the most up-to-date official information.

Make your Whois search
contact book tracking icon

What is a Whois Lookup Used For?

There are a range of uses for Whois data, but most commonly it is used as research for acquiring new domains by finding out key information like domain availability, contact information of the current owner, and monitoring expiry dates. Whois lookups are also used as a research tool by journalists, as a legal tool for investigating illegal use or trademark infringement, and as a network administration diagnosis tool. Sometimes Whois lookups are used by marketers, spammers, and scammers. To protect your information, enable Whois privacy.

Learn more

What is Whois Privacy?

We believe that you're entitled to control how your contact information is displayed to the public, which is why we provide free, optional Whois privacy for all your domains. This privacy hides your domain's contact information to prevent spam and scammers from abusing this publicly available information. Easily set your default privacy levels for your domains through your Dynadot account.

Search Whois Lookup
laptop user conducting whois search with search results displayed

Whois Lookup FAQs

Do I need to enter new Whois information with every domain registration under Dynadot?

No. You can have Whois contact records in your Dynadot account that can be selected and assigned when you register a new domain. You can even have multiple records available to easily assign for each of your individual domains.

Please note that some TLDs have additional requirements which need to be met to successfully complete a registration. This information can also be automatically added if you plan to register multiple domains under these TLDs. Login into your Dynadot account and visit your account control panel. From there, use the left menu to get to the "My Domains" -> "TLD Settings" page. On this page, find the TLD you are looking for and enter your default information. Some TLDs will always make the Whois lookup information private.

Can I update my Whois domain contact records after they have been set? If so, where?

Yes, your Whois domain information can be updated at any time. To make an adjustment, login to your Dynadot account control panel and go to the "Contact Records" page under "My Domains" shown in the left-side menu. From here, click the name of the contact record you wish to edit and make any necessary adjustments. Any changes made may take a few days prior to seeing the changes in a Whois lookup search. Depending on which TLD that contract record is attached to, you may be required to verify your updated contact record from your email.

For more specific details, visit our help page for more information.

How exactly does Whois lookup privacy work?

At Dynadot, our Whois privacy will replace your personal information such as your name, phone number, physical address, and email address with our domain privacy contact information. This ensures that your information is not available for misuse by others. Through this privacy process, we filter out junk mail and spam and forward you messages which are important for you and your domain management.

We do make domain privacy optional, so if you wish to show your contact information publicly for any of your domains, you can adjust accordingly from the "My Domains" section of your account control panel. For more information, visit our help page.

When is it recommended not to enable privacy?

The decision not to enable privacy will most likely come down to the purpose of an individual domain. If you are using the domain to run your business or to host your personal website, you will likely want privacy enabled to avoid unwanted marketing or having your information unwillingly added to a spam list by anyone using a Whois lookup. If you are in the market of selling your domain(s), disabling privacy will garner additional opportunities for buyers to contact you directly.

A strong alternative if you're attempting to sell your domain would be to utilize a "For-sale" landing page. This would allow prospects to contact you instead of having additional information pulled from your Whois contact record.

Why is a Whois database important?

The Whois database acts as a form of regulation on the internet. Without the Whois database and contact records, there would be little accountability when it comes to publishing online content. This would result in more unethical and illegal content residing around the web. It is also important as a method to buy and sell domains, as domain investors (users who frequently buy and sell domains) use it as another tool for establishing contact and to begin negotiations.

Can I use privacy for every top-level domain extension?

No. Although the majority of TLDs support privacy, there are a number that do not as registries set their own rules regarding privacy.

I have privacy enabled, why am I receiving emails from people I don't know?

While our domain privacy does prevent your personal contact information from appearing in a Whois lookup, we will still display a forwarding email address in its place. Others can email this address and we will forward any potentially relevant emails to your email address attached to your Dynadot account. This ensures that any important domain-related inquiries or requests can still be received by the domain registrant while not displaying any of their personal information.

Are you sure you want to close the chat?Chat will be closed and the chat history will be cleared.
continue to sign out,
or stay on chat.
To review this chat session please click this windows.
Chat Online
Chat Online0