How to perform a WHOIS domain lookup

How to perform a WHOIS domain lookup

A WHOIS lookup shows public registration details for a domain, including:

  • The registrar the domain is registered with
  • Registration and expiry dates
  • The nameservers it uses
  • Its status (for example whether it is locked against transfer)

Personal contact details are usually hidden for privacy.

Using a website

  1. Go to lookup.icann.org (for .uk domains you can also use nominet.uk/whois).
  2. Enter the domain name and search.

Using the command line

On macOS or Linux, open Terminal and run:

whois yourdomain.co.uk

Windows does not include a WHOIS command by default; you can download Microsoft's free Sysinternals Whois tool, or simply use a website.

Why it's useful

WHOIS is the quickest way to check when a domain expires, confirm which nameservers it is using, or find out which registrar to contact before a transfer.

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