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Domain, DNS & network

WHOIS lookup

See who a domain is registered with, when it expires, whether it’s locked, and where its DNS lives, straight from the registry.

Try digitalgreenhouse.com.au or wikipedia.org. A web address or email address works too.

Your lookup goes from our server to the domain’s registry, because browsers can’t ask registries directly. Our code doesn’t keep a record of what you look up or who asked; a registry’s answer is held for 15 minutes so repeat lookups don’t bother the registry.
Using an AI agent or a script? Call this tool as an API

AI agents and scripts can call this tool directly, to check their work or look something up, and get JSON back with the same answer this page gives. No key needed.

GET https://digitalgreenhouse.com.au/api/tools/whois-lookup?domain=digitalgreenhouse.com.au
  • domain — string, required. Domain name. A URL, email address or subdomain also works; the registered domain is looked up. Also accepted as d, name.

The API answers from our server, and our code doesn’t store what you send. Fair-use limits apply. API guide · all endpoints (JSON) · OpenAPI

What WHOIS and RDAP are

Every domain is held through a registrar (the company you pay, such as VentraIP, GoDaddy or Crazy Domains; many smaller Australian providers resell through a wholesale registrar such as Synergy Wholesale, which is the name you’ll see here) and recorded by a registry that runs the whole extension (for .au, that’s auDA’s registry; for .com, Verisign). WHOIS was the old way to ask a registry who holds a domain. RDAP is its modern replacement: the same information, as tidy data, over a secure connection. This tool asks the right registry using RDAP and puts the answer in plain English.

Reading the result

  • Expires is the date the domain must be renewed by. If it’s close, renew it or turn on auto-renew with your registrar, because an expired domain takes your website and email down with it.
  • Status codes such as client transfer prohibited are locks. They’re normal protection against someone moving your domain without permission. Ask your registrar to remove the transfer lock before you move to a new one. A status ending in hold means the domain has been switched off.
  • Nameservers decide where the domain’s DNS lives, which in turn decides where the website and email go. Use our DNS lookup to see the records themselves.
  • DNSSEC signs those DNS answers so they can’t be forged on the way to you. It’s worth having, but many domains go without it.
Why can’t I see the owner’s name and contact details?
Privacy rules mean most registries now hide the people behind a domain. You’ll see the registrar and, for most domains, the dates. The .au registry still shows the registrant’s name and their ABN or ACN for business domains, but hides the dates and the contact details. To reach a domain’s owner, contact the registrar shown, or report abuse to the address listed.
Why are there no dates for my .au domain?
The .au registry doesn’t publish when a domain was registered or when it expires. Your registrar’s control panel shows both, and so does the renewal notice from them. Be wary of letters from other companies offering to “renew” your domain; they’re often trying to move it to themselves at a higher price.
It says “not registered”. Can I have it?
Probably, but check with a registrar first. Some names are reserved or restricted (for example, .au names need an Australian connection) even when no one holds them.
Why doesn’t it work for .io, .nz or .de?
A few country registries don’t offer RDAP yet. For those, the tool tells you so and links to IANA’s entry for that registry, which lists where to find its own lookup.
Can I look up lots of domains at once?
No. Registries allow look-ups of one domain at a time but not bulk or automated harvesting, so the tool is limited to a few lookups a minute.

Related tools

DNS record lookup →A, MX, TXT, NS and more for any domain. MX & email setup check →Is a domain’s email set up properly? What’s my IP →Your public address and network facts.

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