Use Domain Name Registrars
This method can be hit or miss since domain registrars pull their information from ICANN. That means domain owners who wish to keep their contact information private will still have their mailing addresses and phone numbers redacted.
You can still attempt to contact the domain owner using all the other information provided by the WhoIs database.
So why use a domain name registrar to look up domain names?
Heres why:
Registrars do so much more than show you domain availability and provide web hosting. A registrar can also act as a domain broker. Not all registrars offer this service but the biggest ones do.
GoDaddy is just one of the companies that offer a domain broker service.
What does a domain broker do?
Say the domain name you want is taken. The broker will negotiate with the owner on your behalf. And there are several reasons why this might be good for you:
A domain registrar wont do this for free, of course. It will charge you an amount plus commission. To give you some idea of what this service might cost, GoDaddy Domain Broker charges $69.99 per domain plus a 20% commission.
Yes, its definitely not cheap, especially for startups and small-sized businesses. And just because you make an offer, it doesnt mean that the domain owner would bite.
But what if youre the kind of person whod rather take care of things yourself and your WhoIs search came up short? What else can you do?
What Is A Whois Ip Lookup
An IP is a unique address of a server on the internet. Similar to how a telephone number allows you to connect to a specific phone on the telecom network, similarly, an IP address allows your computer to connect to a specific server on the internet.
Domain names and IP numbers are the framework upon which the entire world wide web is built.
IP numbers are assigned to networking organisations with a record maintained by governing bodies for each IP number and the organisation to which it has been assigned. A whois IP lookup allows you track the above mentioned details for a domain.
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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An Introduction To Domain Registration And Domain Privacy
If you want to acquire a domain name, youll need to go through a domain registrar. Youll have to pay a fee to use one because only one person can own a domain at a time.
Domain registrars must be certified by ICANN, which keeps a record of a registrants contact details in its WHOIS Database. This record includes a name, phone number, email, and address. Anyone can access this information using the ICANN Lookup tool:
Domain registrars often provide domain privacy protection for owners who want to hide their contact information from the public.
If you opt for domain privacy, your domains public contact details are typically swapped for the general registrars information.
Find The Information You Need In Whois Records
If the domain owner is interested in selling their domain, their contact information is typically available in the Whois records. However, youll sometimes find that the information youre looking for has been blocked by the domain provider for privacy reasons.
If the domain that youre interested in is being sold by someone who is looking for a willing buyer, the steps outlined above is the easiest way to start negotiating a purchase. But if the seller has hidden their contact information or is not interested in selling their domain, dont despair! There are workarounds for those who are interested in a domain that has already been registered.
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Make Sure The Domain Is Registered
You wont know for sure if the domain youre interested in is registered until you check for yourself. The easiest way to check is to search for the domain name at a registrar like Name.com. That way, if the domain is available, or being resold as Premium Domain, you can easily purchase it directly from the registrar. If the domain is listed as unavailable, it is likely already registered and youll need to turn elsewhere for more details.
But before you resort to trying to buy a domain that is already registered , its worth looking into alternative options for domain names. You might find that by using a different or new domain extension, you can get the SLD you want for a fraction of the price.
Contact The Domain Registrar If Looking To Buy The Domain
Since the website owners information is private, the registrar holds the details you need. Unfortunately, you have to communicate with the registrar, and they will pass the information on to the website owner. The WHOIS website should have registrar contact details, such as a phone number or email address. Just mention that youre interested in the domain if and when it becomes available. Some domain name owners are willing to sell them, while others may not be interested in closing a deal. Others plan on dropping the name after it expires.
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Why Finding The Domain Owner Matters
It gets somewhat complicated to figure out who is the owner of a domain name.
Domains are not always purchased for the sole purpose of being utilized immediately. Someone might register a domain with plans to start a business, and then move on without actually using their domain.
Then there are others who actively buy up domains, hoping that someone else will buy it from them.
If the domain that you wanted is already registered, pull up the domain in your browser and see if theres a site on it. If not, chances are good that you might be able to buy the domain off of the current owner. Even if theres an active site, it never hurts to ask, right?
Looking Up Who Owns A Domain Name
The first thing you need to know is that WHOIS is not an acronym. Its a rare internet find where the word just makes sense.
Who is the owner of this domain and how can I find them?
A WHOIS lookup is a simple method to gain contact information and find out who owns a site.
Heres an example of how WHOIS lookup works with ICANN WHOIS Lookup:
Ever wondered who is behind a certain website?
If youre looking for a way to check who owns a domain name, youre in the right place.
In this article, we discuss how you can find out a domain owners information easily by using a WHOIS lookup tool.
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Do A Reverse Email Lookup
In some cases, you can pull massive data about the owner using an email address. And the easiest and quickest way to do that is to use a people search engine.
1. BeenVerified
When it comes to reverse email lookup, youll want to make BeenVerified your first stop. Its a powerful information aggregator that collects billions of records from online and offline sources. By searching an email address on the website, you may find the owners name, phone numbers and 50+ social media profiles.
The Pros: Private Registration Hides These Details
When you get private domain registration, you enter into an agreement with your registrar. In exchange for an extra fee they mask your personal details. Instead of using your name, they use their own name or some kind of anonymous organization. This means none of your details are visible and youre protected from all that unwanted spam!
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Option #: Visit A Domain Name Registrar To Use Whois
Domain name registrars sell domain names, but they generally offer hosting too. If youre not ready for a website, most ICANN-credited registrars dont require hosting services to purchase domain names. The same scenario applies to web hostersthey offer domain name purchases alone. Namecheap.com and Domain.com are a couple of registrar examples. Your domain name searches use WHOIS automatically. However, you can scroll to the bottom of the companys website and access the WHOIS database through their system the same way you would with a web hosting provider.
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Private Whois Database Listing
Having your personal information made available to the public will increase your risk of becoming a victim of hackers, spammers and even data miners. To keep your contact information out of the hands of those who may use it maliciously, Network Solutions® offers private domain name registration. For a small monthly fee, well act as your proxy which means that anyone who does a WHOIS lookup for your domain name information will find our contact information, not yours.
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How Can I Protect My Privacy Online
If youve registered a domain and dont want your personal contact information listed publicly, why not consider domain privacy protection?
Then, when someone searches for your web address on the Whois database, alternative contact information will be displayed instead of your personal information.
Here at Namecheap, we offer free Domain Privacy with every new registration and transfer.
Our domain privacy service provider does not require your personal information at any stage and any details you share with Namecheap will stay with us.
Plus, if you have privacy protection in place, it also limits the chance of marketing firms and online fraudsters from handling your contact information.
Choose Your Whois Lookup Tool
Theres a bunch of different WHOIS lookup options online to check who owns a domain.
These tools help you quickly search the WHOIS database. They provide such information as:
- Contact details of the domain owner
- The domain name registration.
The Interner Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers provides a simple summary of the WHOIS records. You see:
- The expiry date.
- The owner of the domain.
- The registration date.
- Where the domain points to.
It is available in a number of languages. It also provides useful information about registration policies and other topics.
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How To Find Who Owns A Domain And Why
Selecting a domain name is one of the first steps you need to complete to begin building your website. However, there is a very high chance that someone else already owns it.
In this case, you need to identify who owns the domain name to see if they are willing to sell.
In many cases, people purchase domain names without actually using them. There are multiple reasons why someone would do this, but the most common reason is to sell it at a higher price.
In some cases, you could even end up purchasing a website if it was abandoned by the owner. In any event, expect to pay more than normal for the domain name.
Can The Whois Search Tool Be Used To Register Domains
Yes, it can. When you search for a domain name using our tool, the WHOIS lookup results will show whether the domain name is available for purchasing or not. If it is, you can buy it for your website right there and then.
However, our Domain Checker services are much more convenient for this purpose as they will display more alternative domains and offer different variations of extensions.
We are a web hosting provider on a mission to bring success to everyone who goes online. We do it by constantly improving server technology, providing professional support, and making the web hosting experience seamless.
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Why Check Domain Details
With so many web hosting options out there it is not always practical to go after domain names with a registered owner.
Given the growing trend for domain flipping businesses where people buy domain names to resell them at a higher price take a moment to consider privacy concerns.
Keep in mind that it could harm your reputation as the domain name owner if you buy a domain that has been regularly flipped.
In this instance checking the domain can be a good indicator of the legitimacy of a registrar.
Having a brand name or email that is associated with such websites may put people off visiting your website.
An SSL certificate can defend the privacy of your customers email but it cant protect their opinion of the sites name and its owner.
Tip Top website makers and web hosting providers usually offer domain and SSL security packages as part of their plans. For example, Hosting Data lists the best web hosting sites in the UK, making it easy to compare different providers beforehand.
Need help building your website?
Contact The Domain Name Owner
If one of the steps above leads you to the website owner, its time to reach out! Craft an email letting them know that youre interested in purchasing the domain.
To avoid looking like spam, make sure your email conveys seriousness and professionalism. If you have a professional email address at a domain name you own, that will look more legitimate than one from a yahoo or aol account. If not, consider at least setting up a gmail address, which looks a bit more respectable.
Make sure your email includes:
- Your contact information both email and phone, so its easy for them to choose the method they prefer.
- Language that makes it clear youre willing to pay you may not want to include a specific offer yet , but theyre more likely to respond if they know this is a genuine business offer
- Something that shows your legitimacy how can you show youre a real person with serious intent? Maybe thats a link to a website you already run or a LinkedIn profile.
People get a lot of spam emails, so you want to clarify that youre a real person with real interest. If you can pull that off, the chances of getting a response are much higher.
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Drawbacks Of Making Your Domain Info Private
Putting your domain on a private register may seem to be advantageous, but in certain situations it can prove to be inconvenient.
So, is private domain registration worth the extra few bucks? The answer varies. Keep in mind that the moment you sign up for taking a domain name, youre also registering with ICANN and their WHOIS platform. The organization determines domain owners by their registered name and contact details in WHOIS.
When you put in a different alias or credentials, ICANN sees the name and assumes that its the rightful owner of that particular domain. More importantly, the name and information listed under the WHOIS platform is the legal entity of the domain.
The pros and cons vary when you decide to go for a private domain or not. If youre keen to avoid spam emails and prefer privacy above all else, then go for private registers. If you dont mind having spam emails for the sake of being listed as the legitimate entity, then by all means put your credentials under the WHOIS system.
Conversely, there are other ways to keep your personal information safe while showing up as the owner of a domain name. You can use your PO Box or list a virtual address, or even a second email when youre buying domains. In this way your primary email address and home address wont be available to the public. Also, your real business name will show up and not the proxy ones that get displayed when you sign up as a private domain.
Also Check: How To Start Selling Domains
Why Look Up A Domain Owner
There are many reasons someone would want to look up a domain owner. Often, its because the owner can furnish information about the domain and website that no one else can. Its also common for domain owners to search themselves in order to confirm that their website is being accurately represented online.
Other reasons to look up a domain owner:
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