Mystery Solved: Find Out Who Owns a Domain Name via Whois Lookup

As the internet continues to grow and expand, so does the number of websites and domain names registered. With over 350.4 million registered domains as of 2022 already in existence, it can be challenging to find and register the perfect domain name. Sometimes it can be helpful to find out information about who owns a domain name.

Business owners may want to check the ownership of a domain for marketing purposes, while law enforcement agencies may use it for investigations. Domain investors and researchers may want to find expired or expiring domains they can acquire. Fortunately, the Whois domain search is available to anyone and can help you discover who owns a domain and other pertinent information about a registered domain.

In this article, we’ll explain how to perform a Whois lookup search, what information is available, and why it’s useful.

How To Find a Domain Name Owner via Whois Search

If you need to find out who owns a domain, you can perform a Whois lookup search. This will provide you with the registration information of the URL, including the owner’s contact information, the date it was registered, and when it expires. The Whois archive contains information on millions of web addresses registered around the world. 

What Is a Whois Domain Lookup?

This is a tool often used to search the Whois database for information about a specific domain name, such as the availability of a website URL or to find out who owns a domain.  It’s like a phone book for the internet, allowing you to look up the details of a website’s owner. To learn more about domain names, read our article on What Is a Website Domain Name: A Comprehensive Guide.

Whois Information and Domain Ownership

The information in the public Whois database can be accessed by anyone. It is used to determine who owns a domain, the registrar that manages the domain, and the URL’s expiration date. The database also includes technical information about the address, such as the name servers associated with the domain. If you’re not familiar with some of the terms we’ve used so far, such as registrar, URL, and name server, don’t worry. We recommend checking out our complete domain glossary for a breakdown of these terms and more.

The Whois Database

The Whois database contains information on millions of domain names registered around the world.  It is maintained by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organisation responsible for managing the domain name system. The database also contains information about the registrar of the domain, which can help you understand more about where the domain is registered and who has control over it.

Use the Whois Lookup Tool To Find Out Who Owns a Domain

Performing a domain name search is relatively simple. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Enter the domain name you want to search for in the Whois search field and start the search.
2. The search results will show you information about the domain, including the owner’s contact information (if publicly available), registration date, and expiry date.
3. If the domain name is not registered, you may be able to register it yourself if it is available.

When Is the Domain Owner Information Updated?

The information in the Whois public database is updated regularly by domain registrars. Registrants are required to update their contact information with their registrar whenever there is a change. The frequency of updates can vary depending on the registrar, but most will update their records on a regular basis. It usually takes less than 48 hours for the updated information on Whois to be reflected.  This means that the information regarding the domain is usually accurate and up-to-date.

Protecting Your Domain Privacy

Sometimes, domain owners may choose to use privacy protection services to keep their personal information hidden from the public.  If you want to protect your private information, you can have domain privacy included when registering your domain name.

Many domain name registrars and hosting companies offer a privacy protection service that allows you to hide your information from the public Whois database. Some companies, like MCloud9, include this privacy protection service for free. This will replace your information with the domain provider’s information in the Whois database. Your information will not be publicly available and therefore protected from spammers and other online threats.

What To Do if the Domain I Want Has Already Been Registered?

If the domain name you want has already been registered, you can try contacting the current owner to see if they are willing to sell it. Use the contact details provided by the Whois tool. You can also try reaching out to the domain registrar if you are unable to get the owner’s details. 

If the owner is not willing to sell, you can try searching for an available domain name that is similar to the one you want.  Use our domain search tool below to find an alternative name and register a domain today.

FAQ

In Conclusion

The Whois lookup is a valuable tool that provides information on domain registration, including the registrant’s name, contact information, and registration and expiration dates. This information is useful for businesses and individuals looking to purchase a domain name or get in touch with the domain owner.

Using our Whois search tool for free, you can search for a domain name, check if the domain name is available, and view all public information on the domain registration.  Whether you are an entrepreneur looking to start an online business or a web designer building a website, our Whois tool is a great way to find the owner of a website or domain. With millions of domains registered worldwide, it is essential to have a reliable tool at your disposal to find information about domain names.