Free WHOIS Lookup

How WHOIS works

Registering a domain adds an entry to WHOIS, a public database kept by the registry behind that extension. The entry names the owner (the registrant) and the registrar that manages the domain, gives the dates it was registered and will expire, and lists the nameservers in use.

How much you can see depends on the registry: KENIC, which runs .ke, publishes more than many others do. Plenty of owners choose WHOIS privacy protection, which swaps their personal details for a generic forwarding address.

Times a WHOIS check is worth it

• Buying a domain second-hand, to confirm the seller really owns it.
• Tracking down whoever holds a parked or lapsed domain you would like to buy.
• Checking your own expiry date so you can renew before the domain lapses.
• Enforcing a trademark or copyright.
• Making sure a business that operates from a domain is genuine.