WHOIS Lookup

Our WHOIS lookup queries RDAP, the modern, structured replacement for the old port-43 WHOIS service. RDAP returns the same facts investors care about — registrar, registration date, expiry date, last update, status codes and nameservers — in a consistent format across hundreds of extensions.

Since GDPR, most registrant names and emails are redacted. The registrar, the dates and the status codes are still public, and they answer the questions that matter most: how old is the domain, when might it expire, and is it locked against transfer?

How to use the WHOIS Lookup

1. Enter the domain name.
2. Press Look up.
3. Review dates, registrar and status codes. Hover a status code to see what it means.
4. Use the registrar link to contact the owner through the registrar's relay form if one exists.

How it works

BetterNic loads the IANA RDAP bootstrap registry (refreshed every day by our pipeline) to find the authoritative RDAP server for the extension, then requests /domain/<name>. A 404 response means the registry has no record — usually because the name is unregistered. We decode common EPP status codes such as clientTransferProhibited, redemptionPeriod and pendingDelete into plain English.

When to use it

• Find the registrar before sending an acquisition inquiry
• Check expiry dates for backorder planning
• Confirm a transfer lock before a sale closes
• Verify the age of a domain an auction lists

Pro tips

• pendingDelete means the name drops within about five days — set a backorder now.
• serverHold or clientHold means the domain will not resolve; ask why before buying.
• Registrar changes in the last 60 days block another transfer under ICANN policy.