What is WHOIS Information?

Whois is a widely used Internet record listing that identifies who owns a domain and how to get in contact with them. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) regulates domain name registration and ownership. Whois records have proven to be extremely useful and have developed into an essential resource for maintaining the integrity of the domain name registration and website ownership process.

A Whois record contains all of the contact information associated with the person, group, or company that registers a particular domain name.

Typically, each Whois record will contain information such as the name and contact information of the Registrant (who owns the domain), the name and contact information of the registrar, the registration dates, the name servers, the most recent update, and the expiration date. Whois records may also provide the administrative and technical contact information (which is often, but not always the case)

Many WHOIS Records are Private. Why?

It is important to note that there is no way to hide domain registration informatio since anyone can check Whois to confirm the status of a domain. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) requires that the contact information of those who own and manage a domain name to be made publicly available via Whois directories. This includes mailing addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.

Some domain registrars offer private registration services (also known as proxy services) in which the registrar’s contact information is shown, and not that of the registrant. With this “private registration”, the organization providing the domain privacy service is the domain registrant and contact.

*It is also important to note that even if domain privacy services are used, it is not a guarantee of true anonymity. Registrars may be bound by law to release private information.

---