Whois Lookup

What is a Whois Lookup Tool?

A Whois Lookup Tool is an online or command-line tool that retrieves publicly available information about a domain name, IP address, or ASN (Autonomous System Number). It queries the Whois database, which stores registration details such as:

• Domain owner (if not private)
• Registrar (company that registered the domain)
• Registration and expiration dates
• Name servers (DNS servers)
• Contact details (if public)
• Domain status (active, expired, locked, etc.)

How Does Whois Lookup Work?

1. Querying the Whois Database

   • When you enter a domain or IP address, the Whois tool sends a request to a Whois database maintained by regional registrars such as:
     • ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
     • ARIN (American Registry for Internet Numbers)
     • RIPE NCC (Europe)
     • APNIC, LACNIC, AFRINIC (Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Africa)

2. Retrieving Registration Data

   • The Whois tool returns information stored in the domain’s registry.
   • If privacy protection is enabled, details about the owner may be hidden.

3. Displaying Results

   • The Whois tool shows details like the registrar, owner (if public), registration date, and expiration date.

Why Use a Whois Lookup Tool?

1. Check Domain Availability

   • Find out if a domain is already registered or available for purchase.

2. Find Domain Ownership Details

   • Identify who owns a domain (unless privacy protection is enabled).

3. Monitor Domain Expiration Dates

   • See when a domain will expire and if it's available for renewal or purchase.

4. Investigate Fraudulent or Malicious Websites

   • Detect scam websites, fake businesses, or phishing sites by checking ownership details.

5. Resolve Network and Email Issues

   • IT professionals use Whois to check DNS and IP address ownership for troubleshooting.

6. Legal and Trademark Investigations

   • Helps in domain disputes, trademark issues, or intellectual property rights cases.

Example Whois Lookup Result