Overview
The following information describes how to run a WHOIS query for a domain registration. A whois query displays information about a domain such as where it is registered and where its nameservers are pointing.
How to run a WHOIS query
There are two options to run a WHOIS query.
Option 1 — Using an online tool
The simplest way to search for domain registration information is to use an online tool in the following list:
Option 2 — Running a command line query
To run a command-line whois query, you must log into a terminal via SSH. This can be a terminal on your computer or a DreamHost server.
Open a terminal and run the following command.
[server]$ whois example.com
For some domain extensions, you may need to check the record directly on that specific domain’s WHOIS server. However, there is no current standard for determining the responsible WHOIS server for a domain extension. Some whois lookups require extra work, such as performing the search through the specific registrar of the domain name to retrieve ownership details. You can read more about this here.
In most cases, it is easiest to use a third-party WHOIS site to perform your whois lookup queries.
Understanding a WHOIS query response
There are two parts to a whois query:
- The central registry information
- The registrar information
The central registry information
Domain Name: DREAMHOST.COM Registrar: DREAMHOST, LLC Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID: 431 Whois Server: whois.dreamhost.com Referral URL: http://www.dreamhost.com Name Server: NS1.DREAMHOST.COM Name Server: NS2.DREAMHOST.COM Name Server: NS3.DREAMHOST.COM Status: clientTransferProhibited Updated Date: 27-aug-2014 Creation Date: 23-sep-1997 Expiration Date: 22-sep-2015
The central registry information shows the domain name in question, what company provided registration services, a link to its WHOIS server, the domain status, nameservers, and creation/expiration dates.
The registrar information
After your client retrieves the central registry information, it will connect to the registrar's server to look up the contact information.
The information in the central registry is updated roughly every 24 hours, so if you see information in the registrar's WHOIS section that is different than the central registry, try again in about 24 hours.
Registrar: DREAMHOST Registrar IANA ID: 431 Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited https://www.icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited Registry Registrant ID: Registrant Name: PROXY PROTECTION LLC Registrant Organization: PROXY PROTECTION LLC Registrant Street: 417 ASSOCIATED RD #324 Registrant Street: C/O DREAMHOST.COM Registrant City: BREA Registrant State/Province: CA Registrant Postal Code: 92821 Registrant Country: US Registrant Phone: +1.7147064182 Registrant Phone Ext: Registrant Fax: Registrant Fax Ext: Registrant Email: YW3GAZMC77@PROXY.DREAMHOST.COM Registrar Abuse Contact Email: domain-abuse@dreamhost.com Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +1.2132719359
The registrar information shows the current contact information for the domain. This information should be kept up to date at all times, in case there is an issue (such as a domain ownership problem), which requires ownership details to be accurate in order to be addressed.