What Is WHOIS & How to Use It?

Key Takeaways

1. WHOIS is a public directory listing domain owners’ details, including their contact information, registration and expiration dates, and nameservers.
2. Privacy Protection allows you to hide your personal information from the public, reducing spam and keeping your identity secure.
3. Updating WHOIS Info is simple and done via your domain registrar’s platform, making it easy to keep details accurate and current.
4. WHOIS Lookups can be performed online or through the command line, making it accessible for both regular and advanced internet users.

Every website you have visited, including this one you’re currently on, belongs to someone, and, by default, their personal information is publicly available. If you register a domain name for your business today, your registration information will also be available to the public — unless you know how to hide it.

WHOIS is a recording list that stores the information of all domain owners, including how to contact them. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about this list, including the kind of info stored, why it is stored, and how to keep yours private.

What Is WHOIS?

WHOIS is a widely used internet service that stores all the information provided when someone registers a domain name and makes it available to the public. It is some sort of public database or list that gets updated in real-time — each time someone buys and registers a new domain name.

To put this in perspective, if Mr. A purchases a domain name and registers it, the personal information he provides to his domain registrar will be updated on WHOIS. Now, if you stumbled on his website and intend to learn about or contact him (the individual behind it), you can easily search.

The WHOIS database is overseen by ICANN. However, individual domain registrars such as Trustname are responsible for maintaining and providing access to the personal information of the domains they manage. ICANN has been managing the personal information of domain owners since 1982. In recent years, there have been certain changes due to privacy concerns, particularly with the introduction of the General Data Production Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union. This has led to some limitations on the accessibility of WHOIS data for domains registered by individuals or organizations in the EU.

Some domain registrars provide WHOIS privacy, hiding information of domain owners who buy the domains on their platform or transfer them from other registrars, thus safeguarding their details from being publicly accessible.

Main Reasons for Creating a WHOIS Database

During the early days of the internet, the WHOIS was created as a directory to hold the contact information of individuals who stored and transmitted data across the ARPANET. The ARPANET was an early precursor of the modern internet developed by the United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA, now DARPA) in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

However, as time went on and more regular users got involved on the internet, the WHOIS database evolved to serve other purposes beyond its initial role as a directory for ARPANET users. Some of these main purposes or reasons include:

1. Abuse prevention and investigation: The data available on the WHOIS database helps combat abuse on the internet, including intellectual property infringement, spamming, phishing, and other forms of cybercrime. Internet security organizations, cybersecurity professionals, and law enforcement agencies rely on such information to track down and locate offenders and bring them to book. It also helps them manage such abuses in the future.
2. Technical administration: The WHOIS databases became integral to managing the technical aspects of the domain name system (DNS). They store critical technical information, such as domain status, registrar information, and domain name servers, among others necessary for the smooth running of internet infrastructure.
3. Transparency and accountability: Today, WHOIS promotes transparency and accountability by enabling internet users to have access to the information of domain owners. It ensures domain owners can be identified and held accountable for their activities online.

The internet is constantly being refreshed and updated with new content, security patches, and other changes. Sometimes, fake information is passed online, leading to misinformation, confusion, and potential harm to a user who may unknowingly encounter it. In cases like this, WHOIS databases can help verify the authenticity of the online sources and provide insight into their ownership and whether they can be trusted.

What Info Is Stored in the WHOIS Database?

The WHOIS databases generally store various pieces of information related to domain names and the people who register them. The types of information stored on it typically include:

• domain name: The registered domain name itself (e.g., trustname.com);
• registrant information: The name of the domain registrar through which the domain was registered;
• registrar information: Details about the individual or organization that registered the domain, such as name, organization, address, email address, and phone number;
• administrative contact: Contact information for the person or entity responsible for administrative matters related to the domain;
• technical contact: Contact information for the person responsible for handling technical matters related to the domain;
• registration and expiration date: The dates when the domain name was registered and when it is set to expire;
• name servers: The domain’s name server is responsible for handling DNS queries and directing traffic to the appropriate IP addresses;
• status: The current status of the domain, as in whether it is active, pending, or expired.

At the point of registering a domain name, the person carrying out the registration will be required to provide all the above details, and they need to be accurate.

How to Change or Update Your WHOIS Information

Changing or updating your WHOIS information is simple. It involves logging into your account on your domain registrar’s platform and making necessary adjustments to the contact details associated with your domain. Understanding how to go about this is important, as you may need to make changes if you mistakenly supplied inaccurate info during the process of registering your domain. While the process might slightly differ from one registrar to another, here’s a general guide on how to do it:

1. Login to your domain registrar’s account: Visit the website of the domain registrar you registered your domain name with and log in using your username and password.
2. Locate domain management section: Once logged in, navigate to the domain management section. It is often labeled “My Domains,” “Domain Management,” or something similar. If you have several active domains, find and select the one for which you want to change or update the WHOIS information.
3. Access WHOIS or Contact Information setting: Within the domain management section, look for options related to the WHOIS or contact information settings.
4. Update your information: Select the option to edit or update your contact information. You may be able to update various details such as your name, email address, physical address, and phone number. Make the necessary changes to reflect the updated information.
5. Save changes: After changing or updating your information, crosscheck it to ensure it is accurate. Then save the changes according to the information of your registrar. This may involve clicking a “Save” or “Update” button.
6. Verify changes: Some registrars may require you to verify the updates or changes to your contact information. This could involve confirming the changes via email or other verification methods.
7. Check the WHOIS database: After changing your WHOIS information, it may take some time for it to reflect in the WHOIS database. You can confirm the change was successful by performing a lookup for your domain name.

At this point, it is worth noting that different registrars may have slightly different interfaces and labeling, but the approach is usually the same. If you encounter any difficulties, be sure to contact customer support for assistance.

What Is WHOIS Privacy? Is It Worth It?

WHOIS privacy, also known as WHOIS protection, is a service offered by domain registrars to shield the personal contact information of domain owners from being publicly accessible through the WHOIS database.

When you register a domain name, you’re required to provide contact details such as your name, email address, physical address, and phone number, which will all be stored in the WHOIS database. These details are sure sensitive, especially to have them available on the vast internet for everyone to freely access. Understandably, some often consider supplying false information. However, doing so can result in the suspension or cancellation of your registered domain.

Rather than falsifying your personal information, there is an ethical, safer, and more professional way to keep these details away from anyone with an internet connection and enough motivation to search for them. Some domain registrars provide a service called WHOIS privacy protection. When activated, this service replaces your personal contact information with generic details provided by your domain registrar. This helps ensure your personal information remains private and reduces the risk of it being harvested by spammers, marketers, identity thieves, and other malicious actors who may misuse it. And if someone intends to contact you for a reasonable cause, your registrar would act as the middleman, receiving the information and relaying it to you.

The WHOIS privacy is worth it, especially for individuals and businesses who prioritize privacy, want to reduce spam and unwanted contacts, and are interested in protecting their personal information and online identity.

How to Do a WHOIS Lookup?

Performing a WHOIS lookup is straightforward, and it can be done in two major ways: through various online WHOIS lookup tools and via a command-line interface. You can follow any of these approaches, depending on which one you find most convenient.

A. Here’s how to perform the lookup using online lookup tools:

1. Choose a WHOIS lookup tool: There are several websites and online tools that provide WHOIS lookup services. Some of the most common ones include WHOIS.com, ICANN WHOIS, and DomainTools.
2. Enter the website name: Once you’ve chosen one lookup tool, find the search bar or field and enter the website name you want to look up.
3. Submit the query: After entering the domain name, submit your query by clicking the “Search” or “Lookup” button.
4. View the results: The WHOIS lookup tool will retrieve and display information about the domain, including the name of the registrar, registration date, and nameservers, among others. Additionally, you can check domain history to view the historical records of all the changes that have been made to the domain over time, including ownership changes and past registrations, among others.

This approach is straightforward and one of the most common methods used, as it doesn’t require any experience.

B. How to perform the lookup using the command-line interface:

1. Open terminal or command prompt: If you use a Unix-based system such as macOS or Linux, launch the terminal. However, if you’re using Windows, open the command prompt window.
2. Enter the WHOIS command: Type in the following command, followed by the domain name you want to look up - “whois domain_name.com.” Replace the term “domain_name” with the name of the website you intend to look up.
3. Press enter: After entering the WHOIS command, press Enter to execute the common.
4. View the results: The WHOIS information for the specified domain name will be displayed in the terminal window.

While also straightforward and effective, this approach is commonly used by advanced internet users. Nevertheless, regardless of your chosen method, you’ll get the information you need.

Why Choose Trustname for Your Domain Needs?

There are several domain registrars online, but not all of them provide effective WHOIS privacy protection services and certain other crucial domain needs. Even within those that do, the level of protection and the associated costs can vary significantly. At Trustname, we not only provide these services but ensure unparalleled customer satisfaction.

We provide 24/7 technical support, staffed by a dedicated support team ready to assist you with any inquiries or issues you may encounter during the registration process. This is not to mention that we provide free WHOIS privacy protection for all registered domains. By choosing us as your domain registrar, you can rest assured your online presence will be supported by reliable infrastructure and cutting-edge security measures, and your personal information will be safeguarded from unauthorized access and misuse.