Domain WHOIS Lookup + Expiry Checker
Find out where any domain is registered and exactly when it expires – and what it costs. Enter a domain to see the registrar, dates, days left, status and nameservers, how much the renewal costs and where it’s cheaper – or, if the name is free, the cheapest place to register it.
What the WHOIS lookup shows
Registrar
The company the domain is registered with (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Hostinger…), its IANA ID and abuse contact.
Dates & expiry
Registration, last update and expiry date – with the domain age and the exact days left before it expires.
Status & transfer lock
Every EPP status code in plain words: transfer lock, hold, redemption, pending delete and more.
Nameservers
Where the DNS is hosted (Cloudflare, Hostinger, GoDaddy…) and the website’s current IP address.
Cheapest price & renewal
Free domain? See the cheapest registrar for the first year. Registered? See the renewal price and where a transfer is cheaper – Hostinger, Namecheap and Porkbun.
Raw WHOIS
For extensions without RDAP we query the registry’s WHOIS server and show the raw reply.
Quick answer
WHOIS (and its modern replacement RDAP) is the public registry record of a domain. It tells you the registrar, the registration and expiry dates, the domain status and the nameservers. Since GDPR, the owner’s name, e-mail and phone are usually hidden – to reach the owner, use the registrar’s contact form or abuse e-mail shown in the result.
How to use it
- Type the domain –
example.com, a full link or an e-mail address all work – and press Look up domain. - Check the expiry date and the days left. Under 30 days? Renew now and switch on auto-renew.
- Make sure the status shows a transfer lock and the nameservers are the ones you expect.
Domain status codes explained
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
ok / active | Normal – no restrictions. | Nothing. |
clientTransferProhibited | Transfer lock is on – the domain can’t be moved without your approval. | Keep it on. Unlock only when you transfer. |
clientHold / serverHold | The domain is suspended – website and e-mail stop working. | Contact the registrar (unpaid renewal, missing verification or abuse). |
redemptionPeriod | Expired and about to be deleted; restore costs extra. | Renew immediately through the registrar. |
pendingDelete | Will be released to the public in about 5 days. | Too late to renew – backorder it if you want it. |
autoRenewPeriod | Renewed automatically in the last days. | Nothing – just check the new expiry date. |
Why is the owner hidden?
Most registrars hide the registrant’s name, e-mail, phone and address by default (WHOIS privacy and GDPR redaction). The lookup still shows the organisation and country when the registry publishes them. To reach a hidden owner, use the registrar’s contact form or the abuse e-mail in the result.
Don’t lose your domain. Expired domains are often grabbed by resellers within days. Turn on free expiry alerts with the uptime, SSL & domain monitor, and renew or transfer cheaper with the Hostinger & Namecheap coupons.
Frequently asked questions
What is a WHOIS lookup?
A WHOIS lookup reads the public registration record of a domain: the registrar, the registration and expiry dates, the status codes and the nameservers. This tool uses RDAP – the official, structured successor of WHOIS – and falls back to classic WHOIS when an extension has no RDAP server.
How do I know when my domain expires?
Enter the domain above and look at “Expires on” and “Time to expiry”. If fewer than 30 days are left, renew it now and switch on auto-renew in your registrar panel.
Where is the cheapest place to register or renew a domain?
If the domain is free, the tool compares the first-year, renewal and transfer prices at Hostinger, Namecheap and Porkbun and marks the cheapest. If it is registered, it shows the renewal price at the current registrar (when we have it) and how much you save by transferring – a transfer includes one year of renewal.
Can I see who owns a domain?
Usually not by name. Since GDPR most registrars hide personal details. When the registry publishes it, the tool shows the organisation and country; otherwise use the registrar’s contact form or abuse e-mail.
Why does the tool say my extension isn’t supported?
A few country extensions – for example .eg – have no public WHOIS or RDAP server. For those, ask the registry or your registrar directly.
Is the domain available if WHOIS finds nothing?
Most of the time, yes – the registry has no record of it. Premium or reserved names can still be blocked, so confirm the price at a registrar before you pay.
Need help with a domain?
I’m Eslam Abdullah – I register, transfer and secure domains, DNS and e-mail for businesses. Send me the domain on WhatsApp for a free consultation.