How To Find Out Who Owns A Domain
Why would you ever need to know the ownership of a domain?
Well, sometimes youre just curious about who owns a website but sometimes domain info can be much more valuable.
If you want to know how to find out who owns a domain name, then you need to start with a who is?
Stick around and we will show you how to find out the owner of a domain, why you need to check a domain, and how to search for a domain of your very own.
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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.
Who Is The Owner Of A Domain
When searching for a domains owner, multiple individuals contacts can surface as representatives for technical support, billing, and administration. The complete legal owner, however, is the registrant .
As long as the registration fees are paid on time, this is the person who had the full rights to the domain and full control over selling it if he or she wishes to.
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How Is The Gdpr Applicable To Webnamesca
Under Recital 23 of the GDPR, Webnames.ca claims no nexus with the EU, EEA nor the citizens of either, and therefore claims non-applicability of the GDPR to any and all aspects of its business.
Despite this, many of the domain Registries that Webnames is partnered with to provide domain extensions must comply fully with the GDPR. The changes to policies and procedures required of these partners will affect what information is collected, shared and displayed, and may result in changes to agreements and terms.
Notwithstanding, many domain Registries with whom Webnames.ca contracts must fully comply with the GDPR, and therefore these Registries may implement policies or procedures relating to WHOIS data which result in changes. These changes may include, but are not limited to,?variations in what WHOIS data is included and how it is displayed via the Webnames’s WHOIS lookup page.
Therefore, in regards to WHOIS output:
Where the domain Registry is the sole source of Registrant WHOIS data for the queried domain, the WHOIS data will be displayed by Webnames in whatever form it is received from the Registry, without alteration of any kind. This may result in some fields, particularly those containing Personally Identifiable Information being absent, blank or redacted.
Find Out Who Is The Owner Of A Domain Name
Have you ever wanted to have a certain domain name, but it was taken? Today we will walk you through the steps of finding out who owns the domain.
So, you have a new and amazing idea for a site. Great, you spent hours trying to come up with a simple yet catchy domain name. Now you try to register it, but a very unfortunate thing happens someone has already claimed your desired domain name.
Although initially, it could be a little bit of a let-down that your dream domain name is already taken, there are a few solutions you could try. One option is to rebrand and come up with a different name or try to purchase this name from the owner, the latter option being the best if you already have a part of the site ready.
Do not forget, even a registered domain name is still possibly available if you can find the owner. Actually, buying and reselling domains is a big business in itself.
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Uncovering Secrets With Dns
Every domain has DNS info that is public. You can browse this on many sites but I like to use leafdns.com. DNS is what points domain services to different servers like pointing your email to Google and your website to Bluehost. This may not tell you who owns your domain but it can tell you HOW your domain is being used which may be an important step in recovering your website files if youve lost those in addition to the domain. I often use this when Im on a call and a prospect doesnt even know where their site is hosted. It makes me look really smart!
The Whois Directory And Your Privacy
Having WHOIS information available to the public is a good thing. Its one element of keeping domain owners accountable. If someone is using a domain for nefarious reasons, for example, there is an easily accessible record of whos responsible for it. It can also serve as a way for customers to get the contact information of a websites owner. And hey, lets not forget the bragging rights!
However, as you can imagine, there are other, less pleasant reasons why someone would want a domain owners contact information. Unscrupulous types like spammers and identity thieves can gain access to your contact details just by looking up your domain name on any WHOIS look-up website. There are even services out there that watch for and list new domain registrations, which makes it that much easier for such people to find potential targets.
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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.
Contacting The Domain Owner
First, we would recommend contacting the owner via email as this is the most common and considerably professional way to contact an individual for a business proposition .
Ensure that your email conveys seriousness and professionalism to avoid it looking like spam. Here is a basic list of contents your email should include:
- Your own contact info putting your phone number along with an email will show the domain owner that you are serious in this offer.
- Language clarifying your willingness to pay in the initial contact email, it is probably best not to disclose the exact amount you are willing to pay, however, the owner is more likely to respond if they think it is a genuine business offer.
- Proof of legitimacy if you already own a domain, linking it might help assure the person you are contacting that you have serious intent.
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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.
How Can You Protect Your Information
To combat the negative things that can happen when your private information is published, registrars usually offer an optional WHOIS privacy service. Such services allow the registrar to act as a proxy of the registrant. They publish the proxy contact information on the WHOIS directory, and keep the registrants information private.
Ideally, you should purchase this kind of service when you register your domain. This prevents the information from getting indexed or cached by WHOIS look-up websites and search engines. However, it can be purchased any time after the domain is registered. The service GoDaddy offers is called Private Registration.
Its also important to note that not every type of domain is eligible for this privacy service. Some domain extensions dont allow registrants to use a proxy. Others provide their own privacy service. A good rule of thumb is if privacy isnt offered when you purchase the domain, it will either not allow a proxy or will have an alternative service.
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How To Find Out Who Owns A Website Or Domain
You can also find out when it’s going to expire
Wouldnt it be nice to know who owned a certain website? Previously, I wrote about how you can find out who is hosting a website, but that only tells you where the server is located. If you want to verify the owner of a domain name or see when one expires , performing a WHOIS lookup is the way to go.
If you perform a search in Google for WHOIS, youll get a bunch of results, but normally the first one is whois.net. By visiting www.whois.net, you can not only find out who owns a certain domain name, but also when it was purchased and more importantly, when it is due to expire.
Looking up a domain name on www.whois.net is very simple. All you have to do is enter in the web address you want to look up and presto all the information you wanted will appear. For example, if you look up the website address for the WHOIS site, you will find out some important information. In the screen shot below, we can tell that the domain name was purchased in 1997 and they have paid for it through 2018 .
While WHOIS is a great reference for when you want to find information about someone elses website, but it can be a problem when its the other way around. When purchasing a domain or even afterwards, most companies provide a private registration benefit that will remove any personal information about the owner.
Three: Contact The Domain Registrar
Many domain registrars now offer domain name privacy, which keeps the owners personal information from being listed in the WHOIS directory. Between that and GDPR legislation, the WHOIS directory is no longer a reliable way to find a domain owners personal contact information.
That means in many cases, you wont be able to learn directly who the owner is via the directory. But you will be able to find out who they registered the domain with.
This still isnt a dead end. Go to the website of the domain registrar , and look for their contact information. Give them a call or write them an email letting them know what domain youre interested in buying, and ask them to pass along your information to the owner. The registrar will have the owners contact details on file, and will be able to share your interest with them without violating any privacy concerns.
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Search For The Domain Name Youre Interested In
Now, simply type in the domain name you want to find out more information about into the search bar and press enter. Whenever a domain owner decides to register the domain, theyre required to include information such as their name, address, email, and phone number. A Whois lookup can also tell you which registrar the domain is at, when it was registered, when it could potentially expire, and more.
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.
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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.
Perform A Whois Search
The WHOIS service offered by NETIM and the access to the records in the WHOIS database are provided for information purposes only. It allows the public to check whether a specific domain name is still available or not and to obtain information related to the registration records of existing domain names. NETIM cannot, under any circumstances, be held liable in case the stored information would prove to be wrong, incomplete or not accurate in any sense. By submitting a query you agree not to use the information made available to: * allow, enable or otherwise support the transmission of unsolicited, commercial advertising or other solicitations whether via email or otherwise * target advertising in any possible way * to cause nuisance in any possible way to the registrants by sending messages to them.
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