🔎 Whois Lookup
Enter a domain to instantly fetch Whois data: registrant, expiry, nameservers, registrar.
📖 What this check tells you
Whois queries the registry that holds a domain. It tells you who registered it, when it expires, which registrar manages it and which name servers it points at. Since GDPR in 2018 the registrant name, address and email are redacted for most gTLDs, so what Whois is actually good for today is four fields: expiry, registrar, name servers and status. Use it before buying a domain, or to catch one that is about to lapse.
| Item | What it means | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Expiry date | After this date the domain lapses in stages: a grace period of 30-45 days, then a 30-day redemption period, then it is released to anyone. | Turn on auto-renew and check the expiry date of the card on file with the registrar — an expired card is the single most common way people lose a domain. Once it reaches the redemption period, recovery carries a steep extra fee. |
| Status (EPP codes) | clientTransferProhibited is a transfer lock, clientHold means resolution has been switched off, and pendingDelete means it is queued for deletion. |
The transfer lock is anti-theft, so leaving it on is the correct default — release it only while transferring. If you see clientHold, there is an unpaid invoice or a policy notice waiting; check your email from the registrar. |
| Name servers (NS) | The servers that actually answer DNS for the domain. If these are not what you expect, no amount of editing the zone will change anything. | Check that the registrar panel and the live NS agree. Right after a transfer they can differ for up to 48 hours. When a newly added CDN seems to do nothing, the usual reason is that the old name servers are still authoritative. |
What is published varies by TLD — .jp goes through JPRS, and .co.jp still discloses organisation details. Where contact details are redacted under GDPR, registrars often provide an anonymised forwarding form that still reaches the owner.