Who Owns This Domain? A Beginner Guide to WHOIS Lookup

Have you ever seen a website, loved it, and wondered, “Who owns this domain?”

If you're a domain investor scouting for opportunities, a business protecting your brand, or just curious about a website's legitimacy, a WHOIS lookup tool is crucial. Every single day, over 33,000 new domains – creating an ever-growing domain marketplace. But with this rapid expansion come risks like cybersquatting, domain fraud, and hidden ownership. With a whois lookup tool, you can help verify a domain's legitimacy, contact the owner, or check if a domain is available for purchase.

In this guide, we'll cover how to check for domain ownership. You'll see why a WHOIS tool is necessary, especially if you need to maneuver through privacy restrictions. We’ll also conduct a WHOIS lookup using a free tool.

What Is WHOIS?

WHOIS is a publicly accessible database that provides information on every domain registered worldwide. Think of it like a phonebook for the internet where you can look up the following information:

• The owner of a domain
• Contact details (physical address, phone number and email address)
• Domain registration date
• Domain expiration date
• Name server 
• The registrar through which the domain was purchased

The WHOIS database is maintained by domain registrars and ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). ICANN is the non-profit that oversees domain registrations globally.

A Brief History of WHOIS

WHOIS was started in 1982 as a way to find user contact details on ARPANET, the early internet. As the internet grew, it became a public tool for looking up domain owners. 

At first, Network Solutions managed domain registrations under InterNIC, but in 1998, ICANN took over. By the 2000s, WHOIS was used to track scams and protect trademarks, but people became concerned about privacy. In 2018, the GDPR law required registrars to hide most personal details to protect users' privacy.

Today, there are restrictions on using WHOIS. Companies and law enforcement rely on RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) and domain brokers to access hidden details legally. RDAP is a new system for looking up domain name information on the internet. It was created to replace WHOIS and is managed by experts from the Internet Engineering Task Force. 

Unlike WHOIS, RDAP works over HTTPS, making it more secure. RDAP is gradually replacing WHOIS because it’s more secure, controlled, and privacy-friendly. ICANN has mandated that registrars support RDAP, and many are already offering RDAP-based lookups

With RDAP:

• General users will see even less domain ownership data due to privacy laws.
• Businesses & security teams will need special access or legal requests to view full details.
• Cybercriminal investigations will rely more on authorized RDAP access. 

But, WHOIS still exists for now, and both systems run in parallel.

What does WHOIS Lookup Do?

Whether you're a domain buyer or security expert or just need website information, you'll benefit from WHOIS Lookup.

Here are some reasons why you would conduct a whois lookup:

• Investigating domain ownership: When you want to buy a domain and want to verify ownership before making a deal. A WHOIS lookup can show the registrant’s name, organization, and contact info unless hidden for privacy.
• Checking domain availability: Before registering a new website, you need to check if the domain is available. A WHOIS lookup shows if the domain has already been taken or is still up for sale. If it’s taken, you can see who owns it and possibly negotiate a purchase.
• Identifying domain expiration dates: If the owner doesn’t renew it, a domain becomes available for others to buy. A WHOIS lookup shows the registration and expiry dates, which can help domain investors monitor valuable domains they want to acquire.
• Protecting against fraud: Scammers often create fake websites for phishing, fraud, or counterfeiting. A WHOIS lookup can reveal if a website is suspicious by checking:
• Tracking cybercriminals: Security experts and law enforcement use WHOIS to track down hackers and cybercriminals. Even if WHOIS privacy protection is enabled, authorities can request full access from registrars.
• Enforcing copyrights: Businesses check WHOIS to protect their brand names. For instance, if someone registers a domain using your trademark or a similar name, you can file a dispute and take legal action using WHOIS data.

Note: There's a difference between a registrar and a registrant. The registrar is the company that sells and manages domain registrations like GoDaddy or Namecheap. A registrant is the person or business that actually owns the domain. If you register a domain for yourself, you are the registrant.

How to Perform a WHOIS Lookup

Bishopi offers a free WHOIS lookup tool. You can easily verify a website’s legitimacy, check domain availability, or investigate ownership details.

Bishopi's WHOIS lookup service is free to use.

Here's how to go about it:

• Open your web browser and go to Bishopi’s WHOIS lookup page. You should see a search bar where you can enter a domain name.

• In the search bar, type the domain you want to check.

• Click the Search button to start the query.

Bishopi will process the request and fetch the public WHOIS records for the domain within seconds.

• Review the WHOIS Information

From the Bishopi domain lookup tool, we see all the domain details, including:

• Domain registrar
• Registrant name
• Contact info
• Address
• Registration date
• Expiry date
• Status, e.g., client transfer prohibited
• Name servers

You can also view the raw WHOIS data, which contains even more technical and administrative details about the domain.

You can conduct this search with any other domain name you have in mind:

• If the domain is available, you can register it.
• If the domain is expiring soon, you can backorder it or negotiate a purchase.
• If the WHOIS info is private, read on. We’ll share alternative methods to get domain details in our next section.

Alternatives to WHOIS Lookup

Since there are strict privacy laws like GDPR, many domain owners hide their personal details in WHOIS records. However, there are still ways to uncover information about a domain.

Let’s look at WHOIS alternatives you can use to obtain domain information.

Use RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol)

WHOIS often redacts personal details. RDAP offers more transparency, depending on the registrar and local privacy regulations.

Here’s how to use RDAP for Domain Lookups:

1. Find an RDAP Lookup Tool. ICANN offers an RDAP search tool linked to their WHOIS lookup page

2. Just like WHOIS, input the domain name you’re investigating.

3. Analyze the Data RDAP provides

RDAP results come in JSON format, unlike WHOIS, which gives simple text-based results. However, ICANN and some registrars format RDAP results into an easy-to-read layout.

Since RDAP pulls data directly from registrars, it might reveal alternative contact information that may not be available in a WHOIS lookup. Even if the owner's details are hidden, you can still see the registrar's name. This allows you to reach out to their support team or use a domain broker to make an offer.

Use Reverse WHOIS Lookup

A reverse WHOIS lookup is when you search for domain names using an email address, phone number, or company name. It’s like looking for a list of websites or domains that are tied to the same person or entity. For example, if you have a contact email from a website but don’t know which other websites they own, you can do a reverse WHOIS lookup to find all the domains connected to that email.

Here’s how to do a reverse WHOIS lookup:

1. Start with information from a WHOIS record, such as an email or company name, such as Daily Mail.
2. Go to a tool that offers reverse WHOIS searches.

1. Input the email or company name into the search field.

1. The tool will show a list of all domains linked to that information.

This method helps you discover other websites owned by the same person or organization, and it’s great for researching or investigating domain ownership.

Check the Website’s "Contact Us" Page

If WHOIS is private, sometimes the easiest solution is to check the domain’s live website for direct contact information. Many domain owners provide alternative ways to get in touch. Go to the domain’s homepage and check for a Contact Us or About Us page. Look for Email Addresses or Forms. 

Many site owners include a generic inquiry form or a sales contact if the domain is for sale. Check the Footer & Privacy Policy. Some businesses list their legal or administrative contact details in these sections.

Make Informed Decisions With Accurate Data 

Understanding domain ownership and website information helps verify a business's legitimacy and enhance your online security. Bishopi Whois Lookup service gives you access to detailed and up-to-date information about any domain. 

If you’re a domain investor, business owner, or marketer, this tool is designed to give you the insights you need quickly and efficiently. Sign up for a free trial today and start exploring the benefits of Whois Lookup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between DNS lookup and WHOIS lookup?

A DNS lookup is the process of translating a human-readable domain name into a computer-readable IP address to help connect users to the right web pages. 

A WHOIS lookup, on the other hand, shows who owns the website, their contact details, when it was registered, and when it will expire.

What is the difference between ICANN and WHOIS?

ICANN stands for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. It’s a global nonprofit that manages and regulates the domain name system (DNS). It oversees domain registrars, enforces policies, and ensures the internet runs smoothly.

WHOIS is a database that allows users to look up who owns a domain when it was registered, and when it expires. It is managed by domain registrars, following ICANN policies.

Who can access the WHOIS database?

Anyone can perform a WHOIS lookup to check basic domain details. However, due to privacy laws like GDPR, personal information like the domain owner’s name and contact details are often hidden. 

Businesses, law enforcement, and cybersecurity professionals can use specialized tools like reverse WHOIS and RDAP to access more detailed WHOIS data when necessary.