It’s easier than you think to find who owns a domain name. However, it isn’t as easy as it once was before GDPR allowed owners to hide their details.
Regardless, it’s always worth checking the WHOIS database to see what you can find out about a domain name for free.
When you look up a domain name you can usually find the name of the person or business who owns it, and other information such as an email, addresses, and other contact information. You’ll also find when it was registered and when it expires.
It’s worth noting if you find that multiple people have owned a specific domain name, then beware, it could have been used for spam.
Why might you want to look up the owner of a domain name?
Checking the registrant details might be important for a few reasons:
- If the domain name is yours, you might want to check all the details are correct and that it is also registered under your name and not someone else’s details, e.g., your web developer. Incorrect details might mean missing renewal notices or even disputes over ownership. A domain name is an important business asset and should be controlled by someone in authority in the business. Whoever controls your domain can shut down your website or lose it for you altogether.
- If you want to make an offer to buy a registered domain name, you can easily look up contact information or if the information is hidden, send a contact request via the registrar since their details are always available.
- A lookup can tell you if the privacy controls you’ve put in place are actually in effect and your private information is not available to the public.
- You can usually find IP addresses of the hosting server or even the nameserver information which might help you locate where a domain name is registered and where the website is hosted.
What is a WHOis look up tool?
Whois is a widely used Internet record listing that contains the details of who owns a domain name and how to get in touch with them. Using WHOIS tools is most often FREE.
Use our FREE WHOis look up tool!
You can also find WHOIS look up services searching Google or use one of these popular tools:
Why is the WHOIS information hidden?
Domain privacy services offered by registrars, along with GDPR law, can make it more difficult than in the past, to find out who owns a domain. A domain name owner’s information can now be hidden from WHOIS searches. However, all is not lost, you can try to contact the domain registrar to see if they can forward your request to the registrant.
The domain owner’s information will often be hidden, but the domain name registrar will be visible.
