Finding Out Who Owns A Domain
Many times youll want to know who is behind a domain. This used to be relatively easy to find out in the past: when a person bought a domain, their name was put into a registry, which is sort of like the phonebook of domains.
Back then, to find out who owned a domain, youd just go and look it up, using a service called WHOIS.
Unfortunately, things got more complicated. People who had their email addresses and names in the domain phonebook would get spam email, or the information displayed on the registry would be used to try to hack their site. And many peoplefor example, political dissidentshad good reason to not reveal their names. So, a lot of the registrars started offering masking services, which hide the owner of the domain.
Nowadays, if you want to find out who owns a domain, WHOIS-type services are a good first stop, even though they will usually fail for smaller sites.
To look up domain ownership, we recommend a tool called Domain Dossier. Go to the site and type in your root URL and check all the checkboxes:
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.
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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Search The Whois Directory
Whenever a new domain is registered, the registrar is required to collect some basic contact information. This information is then submitted to the WHOIS directory, creating a large database of who runs each website on the net.
Therefore, searching the WHOIS directory should be the next step on the list if the first method did not work. Simply visit the ICANN lookup subdomain and enter the desired domain name in the search bar. Click Lookup and scroll down. Here you will find all the WHOIS data on the domain name.
If the domain owner did not pick WHOIS Protection, also known as Domain Privacy Protection option when registering the domain, his or her contact information will be seen there.
Of course, in most cases, people opt-in for domain privacy protection, thus you will only see the original domain registrar and the expiration date. In this case, you will know if the domain will be available again soon .
Even if that is not the case, knowing the domain registrar is also a plus because then you can do the following.
How To Hide Your Information From Whois Lookups
Online privacy is incredibly important and some people do not want their contact details publicly available on the internet. For anyone who does not want to sell their domain or be contacted by those browsing the Whois directory, we highly recommend purchasing Advanced Security for all of your domains, which includes Whois Privacy, Domain Lock Plus, and a free SSL certificate. It masks your contact information and prevents spammers and telemarketers from using your information for no good.
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For Domain Name Queries If The Queried Information Is Not Available In Rdap The Query Will Be Redirected To The Whois Service Of The Corresponding Gtld Registry Operator Whois Failover Lookup
Who owns domain. Searching for a domains owner can turn up multiple names provided as contacts for functions such as technical support administration and billing. Find a domain with the best domain registrar on. Domain buyers and sellers can also benefit by using Whois to view site ownership details fast which helps the domain purchasing process go smoothly.
Now its time to contact the owner of the domain name and make an offer. Lets cover the basics first. The WHOIS history of a domain name is also referred to as domain ownership history.
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Hopefully the steps outlined above lead you to some sort of contact information such as an email address. For instance WHOIS information can be used to check domain name availability identify trademark infringement and keep domain name registrants accountable. Check your domain with OnlyDomains.
How Can I Hide My Remaining Public Contact Details From The Whois Database
For Canadians with a .CA domain name, the?Canadian Internet Registration Authority ?automatically provides domain privacy be default. However, non .CA domain names will need to purchase an additional service called a Domain Privacy service. Once purchased, all Registrant information on the WHOIS database is replaced by proxy contact information. In most cases, this information belongs to the operating registrar such as Webnames.ca.
While the details list a registrar or proxy contact information, the true owner of a domain name is still the original registrant.
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The Domain I Want Has Already Been Registered What Now
Dont panic, all is not lost. If the domain you like is currently registered by someone else, you have the option to present an offer to the domain owner, without having to navigate to another page. Select Make offer and start negotiating!
Alternatively, if its free to be registered you can select Add to cart and make your purchase.
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Need help?We’re always here for you.
We make registering, hosting, and managing domains for yourselfor others easy and affordable, because the internet needs people.
- Accessibility
Why Is Determining A Domain Name Registrant Important
Determining a domain name registrant is important for many reasons:
- The lookup can verify that the registrant details of your personal domains are properly entered. If they are not, you may miss renewal notices, purchase offers, partnership requests and the like.
- If you are interested in making an offer on an already registered domain name, you can easily lookup contact information, such as the owners name, mailing address, email address and telephone number.
- If you are tying to protect your personal information, a lookup can tell you if the privacy controls youve put in place are actually in effect.
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Who Is The Domain Owner
Domain names are owned by whoever first registered the web address with an accredited registrar, such as Domain.com. In order for that person to maintain ownership, they have to pay registration fees and ensure that all of their contact details are up to date.
Once a person has legally registered for a domain name, and has given all of the relevant personal information to an accredited registrar, that individual owns the rights to that web address. They are in sole possession of that web address and have the right to sell it at any time. The owner can transfer domain name ownership to a new user if they care to do so.
Why Domain Names Are Important
Now that weve covered how to find the owner of a domain name, its necessary to understand why domain names are important in the first place. Domain names are there to help websites be located and categorized. However, for companies and individuals, domain names can be the difference between a thriving web presence and one that has trouble getting off the ground.
When youre the owner of a domain name, your business or personal website gains credibility. Many internet users are rightfully skeptical of unknown websites, and when your domain name is tailored to your business, it gives your company a sense of trustworthiness that it might not have otherwise.
If a companys domain name is related to the services they provide, it becomes easier for internet users to find them, even if they havent heard of the company before. People who use a search engine to look up services or goods will have a higher chance of being directed to the companys website, especially if the content on that website has been optimized for search engines.
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Two: Check The Whois Directory
Every time someone registers a domain name, the domain registrar that processes the sale is required to collect basic contact information. In some cases, that information then gets submitted to the WHOIS directory, so that theres a record of who runs each website online.
The WHOIS directory is therefore our next stop for seeking out a domain name owner.
Put in the name of the domain youre looking for and scroll down to find all the data the WHOIS directory lists for it. In a few cases, that may contain the owners contact information. If so, you can skip the next step.
Even if not though, it will always include at least their domain registrar and domain expiration date. That lets you know if the domain will be coming up for renewal soon. If so, you may be able to snap it up for cheaper when it expires than if you buy it from them directly. But that only works if they dont renew, so youre taking a chance.
Either way, knowing the domain registrar enables you to take the next step.
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Consider A New Domain Name
Theres a decent chance that even if you take all of these steps, the person that owns that domain now either wont want to sell, or will only accept a higher price than you can pay.
In that case, youre far from the first person to have to come up with an alternative to the first name you set your heart on. Consider different domain name extensionsif the .com is taken, the .net or .co may still be available. And brainstorm new domain name ideas. You may just come up with something you like even more than your original idea.
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
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What Domain Informationdoes Whois Display
When doing a WHOIS lookup, you can find details such as:
- Status
- The creation, expiry, and updated dates
- Registrar information
- Registrant information*
- Administrative, Technical and Billing Contacts*
*The registrant name and administrative and technical contact information of non-individual registrants, such as corporations, is displayed by default. The registrant name and administrative and technical contact information of individuals, such as Canadian citizens or permanent residents is not displayed in WHOIS per the CIRA Privacy Policy. Generally non-individuals are public and individuals are private.
Discover More Information With Another Tool
In addition to whois.net there is another resource tool that can provide you with further information about domains and website. Its called DomainTools. On their WhoIs lookup search tool youll be able to find other information such as the type of server its on. From a competition point of view, youll also have access to some SEO information. Knowing how many links a site has and an SEO score can give you a competitive advantage.
Information about SEO and how many images are stored on the site can give you a foot up on the competitive ladder. Also, you can use the tool to run a check on your website.
If the information about your domain name isnt correct, you may miss out on receiving notifications regarding it. For example, some domain owners receive purchase offers, partnership requests and the like.
If youre a private person and you dont want to share your personal information with the world, then you can protect your identity by using privacy controls. By searching for your domain name, you can determine whether these privacy controls are being productive.
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