WHOIS Lookup & Domain Age Checker

What is a WHOIS lookup and what does this tool show?

A WHOIS lookup reads a domain's record at its registry. It tells you which registrar manages the domain, when it expires and which locks sit on it. This tool reads the record straight from the registry and puts it in one report:

• Domain age: years, months and days since registration.
• Dates: registration, expiry, last change and days until expiry.
• Status codes: plain explanations for transfer locks, holds and deletion stages.
• DNS: name servers, an estimate of the DNS provider, plus A, AAAA and MX records.
• Archive: the first time the Internet Archive captured the name.

I run this check most often at two moments. First, when I take over a new client's domain; then, when I plan the launch of a web design project. Because a domain that expires next month, or sits in the wrong account, can take down the best website overnight. The tool only reads public data, keeps the result in a cache for 1 hour and stores no personal data.

What is the difference between WHOIS and RDAP?

Classic WHOIS was an old protocol that returned plain text on port 43. Every registry formatted the output differently, so reading dates and status codes reliably was hard. RDAP, however, delivers the same data over HTTPS with standard JSON fields. RFC 9082 defines the query format, and RFC 9083 the response.

ICANN announced that as of 28 January 2025 RDAP is the definitive source for generic extensions such as .com and .org. So the tool never touches port 43. Instead, it finds the RDAP server in the list IANA publishes (RFC 9224) and reads the record there.

Also, for thin registries such as .com, the registry's answer links to the registrar's own RDAP record. The tool follows that link once. That way, extras such as the abuse contact reach your report. The Raw RDAP tab lists both answers in readable form.

What decides domain age, and why does it differ by extension?

Domain age is the time since the registration date that the registry publishes. For .com, .org, .uk and .io the date sits in the RDAP response, so the tool simply reads it. However, not every registry publishes it:

• .de: DENIC's RDAP answer only contains the last change date. DENIC's web query does show a registration date and notes that it may not belong to the current holder. Because DENIC does not allow automated queries, the tool links you to the DENIC domain query.
• .ch and .li: SWITCH's RDAP answer has no dates at all.
• .tr: there is no public RDAP service; the official record lives in the TRABİS domain query.

In these cases the tool does not guess. Instead, it takes the age from the first Internet Archive capture and turns the card blue with a clear label. An archive date proves that the name has been online at least since that day. However, it says nothing about when the current owner registered it. In fact, a name that dropped and came back has a registration date newer than its archive date; the tool flags that separately.

Why is the owner hidden in a WHOIS lookup?

Since the GDPR started to apply in 2018, the registrant's name, address and contact details are hidden in most records. ICANN first handled this with a temporary specification. Then the Registration Data Policy took over on 21 August 2025 and now defines which field appears when. In the UK the same logic continues under the UK GDPR.

So the report shows one of three cases:

• Redacted: the registry leaves the field empty or writes REDACTED.
• Privacy service: a proxy company such as Domains By Proxy appears instead of the owner.
• Visible: some organisation records show the organisation name and country.

If you need to reach the owner, use the abuse address in the report or the registrar's contact form. I use that address myself to report fake shops, because registrars handle complaints through that channel. A hidden owner alone is no red flag, either: most legitimate sites hide it too.

What do domain status codes tell you?

Registries report the state of a domain with EPP status codes. RDAP then writes them as phrases such as client transfer prohibited. The tool explains every code in plain words on the Status codes tab. The ones you will meet most often:

• clientTransferProhibited: the transfer lock. A good sign, because it blocks unauthorised moves to another registrar.
• clientHold, serverHold: the domain is not live in DNS, so website and email stop working.
• redemptionPeriod: the deletion stage. According to ICANN it lasts 30 days. Only the registrar can restore the domain in that time.
• pendingDelete: the restore window has ended. The name drops within several days.
• autoRenewPeriod: the term ended and the registry renewed it automatically. If the registrar deletes it now, the renewal reverses.

The full list with official explanations sits on ICANN's EPP status codes page. If your own domain has no transfer lock, switch it on in your registrar's panel. The tool also adds an info note then.

How can you tell whether a domain is available?

The tool labels a domain Probably available on one of two signals. Either the registry returns 404 over RDAP, or DNS shows no trace of a name whose extension has no RDAP. Still, that does not mean you can buy it right away. Registries reserve some names and sell others at premium prices, and those names can look unregistered in RDAP. You only get a definitive answer when you try to register the name with a registrar.

The history of an available name matters too. If the tool finds archive captures, it says so. That means the name was in use before and then expired. Check the old content in the website history tool first. For example, a previous owner's spam can cast a shadow on your new brand. If you wonder what the name is worth, try the domain value calculator as well.

Does domain age affect SEO?

Short answer: not on its own. In 2019 Google's John Mueller wrote plainly that domain age helps nothing for ranking. An older domain gains its edge from links, content and trust, not from its age.

On the other hand, history can work against you. A domain that dropped and was registered again can carry the bad links of its previous owner. So the tool warns when archive captures predate the registration date. In that case the domain may have belonged to someone else.

When you move a site or change domains, the real risk is not age but lost redirects and content. My website migration SEO checklist walks through those steps in order. If you want a lasting plan for organic traffic, have a look at my SEO consulting process.

What should you check regularly to protect your domain?

• Expiry date and auto-renew: the tool warns when fewer than 30 days remain. Also check that the card behind auto-renew is still valid.
• Transfer lock: if clientTransferProhibited is missing, ask your registrar to turn it on.
• At least two name servers: RFC 1034 asks for at least two servers per zone. So a single server is a single point of failure.
• DNSSEC: when it is on, DNS answers carry signatures and spoofed answers get much harder.
• Account ownership: the domain belongs in the company's own registrar account, not in an agency's or a former employee's.

The last point is the one I see neglected most. I collected how I plan domain and account ownership in my digital asset management article.

Email depends on the domain too. You find the MX records on the DNS tab. Then check delivery with the SPF, DKIM and DMARC checker. If you plan a branded address, read my guide to business email on your own domain.