Search For The Domain Registrant Information In The Whois Database
If youre not successful in finding the contact information on the website directly, you can try using a domain lookup tool.
Some domain registrars submit the basic contact details of new domain owners into a WHOIS directory. This directory is an online database that contains data about the registered users and owners of domain names.
There are a variety of lookup tools available online. However, due to privacy concerns, the information may be limited. The information that WHOIS records can provide without infringing on privacy laws is:
- Name and contact information of the registrant .
- Name and contact information of the registrar .
- Domain name registration date and expiration date.
- Nameservers.
Go For A Different Domain Name
There is always a chance that even with all the aforementioned steps, the owner will flat out refuse to sell their domain or name a price that is way outside your budget. In this case, you can consider a different domain name.
Do not forget to try your domain name with different TLDs . If the .com version of the domain is taken, maybe the .net will be available. Check out our article about the different types of domains if you wish to learn more.
Even if that is not the case, sit down and try to brainstorm other domain names. Who knows? Maybe you will come up with one that you like even more than your original idea.
One: Visit The Website
In cases where the owner bought the domain as an investment, theyll make it easy for you to contact them. So start by pulling up the website to see what shows up.
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They may say outright that the domain is for sale, and include contact information or a form you can fill out. Or in some cases where the domain is in active use, youll be able to find contact information on the websites Contact or About page.
If youre lucky enough that this step does the trick and you find the domain owner, you can skip the next two steps.
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Why Is Some Of Registrant Data Still Public
WHOIS can trace its roots back to 1982 when a protocol for a directory was established by ARPANET users. Initially, the directory simply listed contact information that was requested by anyone transmitting data across the ARPANET.
However, as the internet became available to more users, WHOIS began to serve the need of different stakeholders that ranged from Registrants, governments and corporations. For decades WHOIS data was open to the public to ensure that all stakeholders, from Registrant and domain investors to government agencies and corporations are able to quickly determine who owns a domain name online
Check A Domain Registrar Directory
Another way to find out a websites owner is to search for their domain in a registrar directory.
Every time someone registers a domain name, a domain registrar is required to collect basic information, which is stored in a WHOis directory.
A WHOis directory is like a public directory of all the domains. It lets you look up who is responsible for a website.
You can visit ICANN Lookup and search for the domain name in their directory.
If the contact information is available, itll be listed.
For example, when you look up nameboy.com youll find the following contact information:
Youll notice that there is no email or phone number listed. The search continues.
Next, we recommend you check out the domain expiration date. That lets you know if the domain will be coming up for renewal soon.
Since youre still looking for the domain name owners details, its time to visit the registrar that they listed.
Under Registrar Information, you should be able to find out who the domain registrar is, and the contact details they listed.
So, the next step is to contact the domain registrar for more details.
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Domain Owner Lookuphow To Find An Owner
Securing your own domain online is as simple as choosing a domain name and paying the appropriate fees to register it. But, in some cases, the way to get the perfect domain for your brand or business is to buy one that already exists. Expired domain names are available for anyone to buy, but if your sights are set on one thats currently in use, youll need to find out who owns that domain in order to contact them about buying it. With the help of online domain owner lookup tools and some research, you can find out the legal ownership of a domainincluding your own.
Domain.com has the tools you need to continue building your business into a success.
Search For Your Domain Name’s Availability
Once you have found the right domain registrar for you, you’ll need to search for your domain name using the registrar’s search bar. There are millions of domain names out there, with thousands more added daily.
If you have your heart set on a domain name before doing a search, you might be disappointed to find it is already taken. Keep an open mind and incorporate important keywords into your domain when appropriate.
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Further Details On A Domain Name Can Be Helpful
On your mission to find out who the owner of a site is, you could also discover the expiration date for it. If youre interested in buying that domain, then youll be able to take action before the expiry date. You can contact the owner to ask about whether its for sale and if so, whether you can place a bid.
In addition to looking up owners of other domain names, you can check what information there is about your own. Of course, you know that you own it, but youll want to ensure that youre happy with the other information attached to the site such as your contact details. It will also serve as a reminder of when your expiration date is so that you can extend it.
Length Of Domain Ownership
Typically, the standard domain ownership period is two years. However, depending on extensions, its possible to register a domain name for up to 10 years. Renewal is also an option for people who dont want to commit to a multi-year deal.
Domain owners pay an annual fee, which varies based on the TLD theyve chosen. Since the year 2000, Domain.com has offered some of the most affordable TLD registration and renewal fees available.
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Pay For And Transfer Domain Ownership
If the domain is going to cost you over $200, you need to be sure you get an agreement in writing, signed by both you and the individual selling the domain. That way, if anything gets weird or goes wrong, you can point back to the agreement and get the domain you paid for in court.
You should then create an account where the domain owners domain is registered for easy transfer. Pay the owner for the domain with the payment method they request, and then you should see the domain in your own account within one to two business days from the transfer start.
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A Paid Tool For Tougher To Find Info: Domainiq
Whether youve hit a brick wall, or youre simply happy to pay to take a shortcut, or this is a problem you hit regularly & the time saving and extra info is worth it, our favourite paid domain hunting tool is DomainIQ.
DomainIQ is a tool from Intelium Corp .
DomainIQ offers a huge range of features aimed at helping you to find out who owns a particular domain, or which domains a particular person owns.
Heres an example of two of the primary features of the tool. Firstly, the core overview report for a domain :
You can also see there at the top, the tabs Portfolio, Whois , Whois History , and Related Domains.
Whois History is perhaps the most useful of those. Heres an example:
Obviously the example weve used is Samsung, but in the case of a privately owned domain this can be extremely useful for finding out who owned the domain in the past, or simply for searching back prior to a domain falling under a privacy protection system.
Aside from the above, the core set of features is as follows:
Most of these features are available with every level of access, but with limitations around how frequently you can use them:
Outside of these core features, there are also many others. For example, the Snapshot History tool has a database of historical snapshots for most websites over a certain size. This is sometimes useful for seeing older versions of sites, from which you can sometimes get contact info:
What Is The Process To Lookup Domain Name Details
The domain name registration process has been engineered in a very transparent way. Everybody has an open access to obtain information about domain name registrant and the ownership of a domain by just clicking on certain informative links. It also helps in keeping a track of domain name expiry dates and the start date of registration.
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Who Owns Your Domain Name
- only register domains for yourself
- create and use accounts that only you should be able to access
- register domains only as an individual and not tied to any company or organization
- dont have any business partners, someone building your website, etc.
- never die
congratulations! You probably wont end up in a sticky situation regarding who owns your domains.
Most people never give a second thought to domain ownership after registration. Its one of those things that might cross your mind or prompt you to log in once a year, but as we see on a fairly regular basis, things can become difficult, or downright contentious, pretty quickly.
Why Finding A Domain Owner Is Important
Finding a website owner could be important for 2 reasons:
For instance, if nameboy.com was resold by a lot of different website owners and wasnt protected with an SSL certificate, it could be unsafe. It couldve even been hacked!
This could lead to more work on your part by having to get additional online security for that website.
A site thats unsafe can affect website rankings in the search engines, in a bad way. If it hasnt been maintained, that could be bad for search.
If youre not sure how to find this out, heres how to measure your websites SEO performance with Google Analytics to help.
So, how do you find out who owns a domain name to see if its safe? Lets find out.
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How To Determine Who Owns A Domain Name
Naeem MobasharDecember 28, 2010 | Updated: December 9, 201570
The International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is the organization that authorizes registrars to issue or assign domain names to public. A registrant is the person or entity who is considered to be the domain name owner authorized to make or request for changes to be made in vital information related to domain name. It is, therefore, critically important to know the owner registrant of a domain name and also the person or entity having administrative, billing and technical rights related to domain.
How To Find Out Who Actually Owns A Domain Name
Last updated on June 2nd, 2021 by Editorial Staff | Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. See how WPBeginner is funded, why it matters, and how you can support us.
Do you want to find out who actually owns a domain name?
Looking up who owns a domain can help you find the owners contact information, so you can purchase the domain name.
In this article, well show you how you can find out who actually owns a domain name, step by step.
Why Find Out Who Owns a Domain Name?
Finding out who owns a domain name can tell you valuable information about the domain name owner.
Usually, this information will include an email address and other contact information, so you can get in touch to purchase the domain name.
It also shows you useful domain name information, like the last time it was registered, how many owners the domain has had, and more.
If you find that multiple people have owned a specific domain name, then this increases chances of the domain being used for spam.
When youre creating a WordPress website, one of the biggest decisions youll make is choosing the perfect business name and matching domain.
If youve found a great domain, but its already registered, then youll want to reach out to the owner to see if theyre willing to sell it to you.
Method 1: Search for a Domain With Domain.com WHOIS Lookup Tool
Then, the tool will display the available WHOIS results.
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Other Methods For Searching Domain Ownership
If you attempt to find a domain name owner through the WHOIS databases but fail to uncover the desired information, there are a few other research methods you should try before giving up.
Carefully inspect the website
Even if the domain name owner has hidden their information on the WHOIS database, the website itself might be able to furnish contact information. Scroll around, paying particular attention to the top and bottom of the page, searching for links that read contact information, or something similar. Even if it doesnt connect you directly to the owner, they might point you in the direction of someone who knows.
Social media
Scan any and all social media accounts associated with the domain name or website youre looking into. Consider resources like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Again, look for any reference to contact information or email addresses that might be visible.