Domain lookup: registration, expiry and value for any name.
Enter a domain to read its public registration record: the registrar, when it was created and when it expires, its status codes, nameservers and DNS. The record is the registry's own RDAP data, fetched when you ask. The owner's name is usually redacted; the section below explains how to reach them anyway.
Try a name you are curious about, a name you want to buy, or one you already hold.
What a domain lookup shows
- Registrar: the company the name is registered through, and the one to contact about it.
- Created, updated and expiry dates: when the name was first registered, when its record last changed, and when the current term ends.
- Status codes: the registry's flags on the name, such as a transfer lock or a hold. The table below explains the common ones.
- Nameservers and DNSSEC: where the name's DNS is hosted, and whether its delegation is signed.
- DNS, archive and certificate history: whether the name resolves, when the Internet Archive first captured it, and when a TLS certificate was first logged for it.
Domain status codes, explained
Registries report a name's state as EPP status codes. Most registered names carry one or two of these, and a lock is normal, not a warning.
- clientTransferProhibited
- The registrar has locked the name against transfer to another registrar. It is the default on most registrations and protects against hijacking.
- clientHold / serverHold
- The name is not published in DNS, so it does not resolve. Registrars set a hold for unpaid, disputed or suspended names; registries set one on their own authority.
- autoRenewPeriod
- The registry renewed the name at expiry and the registrar still has a grace window, commonly up to 45 days, to delete it instead.
- redemptionPeriod
- The name was deleted and is held for about 30 days, during which only the previous registrant can restore it, usually for a fee.
- pendingDelete
- Redemption has ended and the name will be released within about five days. It can no longer be restored, and it will drop for anyone to register.
- pendingTransfer
- A transfer to another registrar has been requested and is in progress.
- ok / active
- No locks and no pending operations.
Domain lookup questions
How do I find out who owns a domain?
Look the domain up to see its registrar, then contact the owner through the website itself, the registrar's contact form or relay address, or a broker. The registrant's name and email are redacted from public records for most registrations.
Why is the owner's information hidden?
Since GDPR took effect in May 2018, registrars redact personal data such as the registrant's name, email and address from public registration records. Organisations sometimes remain visible, but individuals almost never are.
What is the difference between WHOIS and RDAP?
Both publish domain registration records. WHOIS is the older plain-text protocol; RDAP returns structured data over HTTPS, and ICANN made it the definitive source of registration data for generic top-level domains such as .com in January 2025. This lookup reads RDAP.
How do I know when a domain expires?
The expiry date in the lookup is the end of the name's current registration term. Many names renew automatically, so a date in the past or near future does not mean the name is about to become available.
Does no registry record mean the domain is available?
Usually, but not always. Reserved, premium and restricted names can return no record and still be unavailable at the normal price, so confirm with a registrar before planning around it.
Can I buy a domain that is already registered?
Often, if the owner is willing to sell. Check whether it is listed on a marketplace, contact the owner through the registrar or a broker, and use an appraisal as a reference point for what similar names have sold for.