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How to find out who owns a domain and when it expires (WHOIS, RDAP and scam checks)

Look up a domain's registrar, registration date, expiry date and status with RDAP, the successor to WHOIS; why the owner's details are usually hidden, how to request them, and how to use domain data to spot a suspicious site.

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A domain's public record now comes from RDAP, the successor to WHOIS: enter a domain and you see its registrar, when it was registered, when it expires and whether it's locked. The owner's name and contact details are usually hidden for privacy; with a legitimate reason you can request them through ICANN's request service or ask the registrar to pass on a message.

Three ways to look it up

1. ICANN Lookup (web) Enter the domain at https://lookup.icann.org to see the registrar, registration and expiry dates, status and nameservers.

2. .tw domains: TWNIC WHOIS Look up .tw and .台灣 domains at https://whois.twnic.tw.

3. API or command line (for scripts and AI agents)

curl "https://nymwell.com/api/v1/domains/info?domain=example.com"
npx nymwell info example.com

No account or key. The answer includes the registry record, DNS and the website's status. For example.com:

{
  "domain": "example.com",
  "status": "registered",
  "registry": {
    "registrar": "RESERVED-Internet Assigned Numbers Authority",
    "registered_at": "1995-08-14T04:00:00Z",
    "expires_at": "2027-08-13T04:00:00Z",
    "transfer_locked": true
  },
  "dns": {"nameservers": ["elliott.ns.cloudflare.com", "hera.ns.cloudflare.com"]},
  "website": {"https": true, "status": 200}
}

AI agents can call the domain_info tool on Nymwell's MCP server, also with no sign-in.

What you can and can't see

Usually visibleUsually hidden
Registrar, registration date, expiry date, last updateOwner's name, address, phone, email
Status (for example transfer or delete locks)Proof of the owner's identity
Nameservers and whether DNSSEC is on

Why is the owner hidden? Since 2018, to comply with the EU's GDPR, ICANN has required registrars and registries to redact personal data from public records; the formal Registration Data Policy took effect on 2025-08-21. For .tw, contact details are hidden by default since 2023-06-01: domains held by a company still show the company name, country and email, while those held by individuals don't.

Does WHOIS still work? Since 2025-01-28 RDAP is the definitive source for generic domains, and registries and registrars no longer have to run WHOIS (except for .com, .name and .post).

Contacting the owner

  • Generic domains (.com and others): anyone with a legitimate interest can request non-public data from participating registrars through ICANN's Registration Data Request Service (https://rdrs.icann.org).
  • .tw domains: TWNIC has a form that passes a message to the registrant; it can't promise a reply.
  • Want to buy someone else's domain: check whether the website shows it for sale, or ask through the registrar or a domain marketplace.

Using domain data to spot a suspicious site

Domain data alone can't prove a site is a scam, but it gives clues:

  1. A very recent registration date. Phishing sites that imitate a known brand are often only days or weeks old.
  2. A name that's almost right. An extra letter, an l swapped for a 1, an added -login or -secure, or a different ending.
  3. A different registrar and nameservers from the brand's real domain. Compare the two records side by side.
  4. Report it. ICANN suggests reporting abuse to the domain's registrar first; its name is in the lookup result.

Questions

Can I find out who bought a domain? Usually not. Personal details are redacted from public lookups. Company-held .tw domains are an exception and show the company name.

How do I find out when a domain expires? It's the expires_at date in the lookup result. An expired generic domain isn't released at once: it goes through a 30-day redemption period and a 5-day pending-delete period first.

Will the owner know I looked up their domain? Generally no. RDAP and DNS lookups read public data, and the owner isn't notified because you looked.

If a lookup finds no record, can I register the domain? Not necessarily. It may be reserved or covered by a registry rule. To be sure, check it with domain search, which asks the registrar live.

Sources