Items in the WHOIS use and information category

• How do I perform a WHOIS lookup on a domain name?

  Detailed answer
   

  WHOIS stands for “Who is?” and is a utility used to look up information on domain names.  This includes contact information as well as some technical information such as the domain’s name servers (DNS) used for service, and certain Status information such as if the domain is Locked.

  Enter the domain name in the form below to perform a WHOIS Lookup on it:

  WhoIs Lookup

  CancelContinue

  PLEASE NOTE: Some types of domains (TLDs) will not show all information (or will not show any information at all) from WHOIS utilities used outside the the Registry’s website for that type of domain name.

  If you think you’re not being shown all information available, or no information comes through at all, please see the WHOIS section of this website and see if there’s an alternative WHOIS lookup  for the type of domain you need information about.

  The WHOIS section of this website will also contain information that explains certain things you need to know about some types of domain names, as well as what some Status codes mean.

   

  Close

   

• Can I hide my .UK Registrant information from WHOIS?

  Related Topics: .UK, WHOIS Privacy

  Detailed answer
   

  .CO.UK/.ORG.UK domain owners who wish to opt-out of the Nominet WHOIS database may do so by submitting their request to their Domain Provider.

  If you are not sure who your Domain Provider is there are a few ways to find them.

  If your Provider has any questions about the procedure they may contact Tucows directly for assistance.

   

  Close

   

• I just registered a .CN domain, why is is not showing in the WHOIS at HTTP://WHOIS.CNNIC.NET.CN?

  Related Topics: .CN

  Detailed answer
   

  The HTTP://WHOIS.CNNIC.NET.CN website will currently only work for domains that were registered directly with CNNIC in China.

  New .CN domains that are registered through Tucows (via NeuLevel) are added to a separate WHOIS database at CNNIC, however that database has not been made public yet.

  No domains registered via NeuLevel for any Registrars are available via whois.cnnic.net.cn as of yet.

  To view .CN domains that are registered through Tucows, please use our WHOIS server

   

  Close

   

• Where can I find the WHOIS for a .CA domain?

  Related Topics: .CA

  Detailed answer
   

  CIRA operates the .CA registry.  CIRA is the Canadian Internet Registration Authority and is a not-for-profit organization mandated to operate the dot-ca top-level domain.

  Their authoritative WHOIS is: http://whois.cira.ca/

   

  Close

   

• Why does my domain show INACTIVE in the WHOIS output?

  Related Topics: Why is my domain not working?

  Detailed answer
   

  All domains must have at least 2 name servers listed for them at all times.

  If there is only 1 nameserver listed the Registry will place the domain into an inactive state and it will not resolve/function.   For any other DNS issues please contact your hosting provider directly.

   

  Close

   

• Can I hide my .UK Registrant information?

  Related Topics: .UK, WHOIS Privacy

  Detailed answer
   

  .CO.UK/.ORG.UK domain owners who wish to opt-out of the Nominet WHOIS database may do so by submitting their request to their Domain Provider.

   

  Close

   

• Can I prevent my contact information from displaying in the WHOIS?

  Related Topics: WHOIS Privacy

  Detailed answer
   

  All domain owners are required to have full and valid contact information listed in the WHOIS database.  This is part of the registration agreement and failure to do so can result in having your domain name deleted.

  Some types of domains do allow you to have placeholder information of another company as the domain owner.   Speak to your Provider about “WHOIS Privacy” and if this service is available for your domain.

   

  Close

   

• Why is my domain on “CLIENT HOLD” or REGISTRAR-HOLD in the WHOIS lookup?

  Detailed answer
   

  A domain name with the Status of “CLIENT HOLD” or “REGISTRAR-HOLD” is expired.

  You will need to contact your Domain Provider to renew your domain name.

  Depending on where you perform the WHOIS lookup, the output may show the expiry date as being next year. This is a temporary year given by the Registry in order to allow the domain name to still remain registered to you even though the domain has expired.

  If the domain is not renewed within 40 days of the expiry date the Registry will revoke the “extra year” and the domain name will be deleted from our system.

   

  Close

   

• Some WHOIS utilities state my domain expires next year, but your WHOIS servers states this year! Which one is correct?

  Related Topics: .COM/NET

  Detailed answer
   

  The expiry date located in the Tucows WHOIS database is always correct.  To provide you with a 40 day grace period when the domain expires, we must submit a temporary renewal to the Registry.

  This is what you are seeing when you perform a WHOIS lookup at a central Registry (such as Internic for .COM/.NET domains) on your expired domain name.

  Please note this DISCLAIMER presented in the Internic WHOIS:

  NOTICE: The expiration date displayed in this record is the date the Registrar sponsorship of the domain name registration in the registry is currently set to expire.   This date does not necessarily reflect the expiration date of the domain name Registrant Agreement with the sponsoring Registrar.  Users may consult the sponsoring Registrar’s WHOIS database to view the Registrar’s reported date of expiration for this registration.

   

  Close

   

• What does “CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED/TRANSFER”, REGISTRAR-LOCK, and REGISTRAR-HOLD mean?

  Detailed answer
   

  If you have chosen to lock your domain name to prevent unwanted transfers and name server changes, the domain status will show as REGISTRAR-LOCK or “CLIENT UPDATE/TRANSFER PROHIBITED”.

  A REGISTRAR-HOLD or “CLIENT HOLD” is normally applied to your domain name when it expires.

  The main difference between the two is that REGISTRAR-HOLD or “CLIENT HOLD” will prevent the domain name from working.

  To enable or disable locking please contact your Domain Provider directly.

   

  Close

   

• What is the difference between the WHOIS at Tucows (or OpenSRS) and the one at Internic?

  Related Topics: .COM/NET

  Detailed answer
   

  WHOIS is a tool that permits people to access information about a particular domain name.

  In some cases the information in this system is not updated right away in “real time”.  For example, if a domain name has transferred ownership, it’s possible this fact wouldn’t be visible in WHOIS for 15 minutes.

  The Tucows WHOIS information has an update delay of around 15 minutes.  In general, if you need to be certain that your domain name information is correct we recommend you use the Tucows WHOIS 15 minutes after you make a change.

   

  Close

   

• What does REDEMPTION PERIOD or PENDING DELETE RESTORABLE mean?

  Detailed answer
   

  A domain with the status “REDEMPTION PERIOD” or “PENDING DELETE RESTORABLE”  has been expired for some time and was not renewed.  When most domains expire they go into a post-expiration grace period that vary by domain type that usually lasts for 40 days.

  *NOTE* Link to other article or placing a timeline in here would be ideal

  Domains which are not renewed during their grace period are partially deleted, after which point the central Registry will hold the domain in the REDEMPTION PERIOD/PENDING DELETE RESTORABLE for 30 days.

  Tucows does not have the contact information associated with this domain since it was deleted.  However, you can see its current status by using a Registry-level WHOIS. (For .COM/.NET domains use http://www.crsnic.net , for .ORG domains use http://www.pir.org, for .INFO domains use http://www.afilias.info/whois_search/)

  Before the domain expires, attempts are made to email the various contact email addresses on the domain name.  For this reason, it’s important to keep the contact information up to date.  Having valid contact information on the domain was also highlighted in the agreements made when the domain was first registered.  Important information is sent to these contacts, and having an invalid email address or aggressive SPAM filters may prevent delivery of these messages.

  The Registry-imposed REDEMPTION PERIOD/PENDING DELETE RESTORABLE state usually lasts for 30 days, and during this period it is still possible to recover a domain in this state.  The domain can only be redeemed by the original owner of the domain as listed on the WHOIS prior to the deletion.

  Do not contact the Domain Provider or Tucows if you are not the original listed owner of the domain.

  If you are not the original listed owner of the domain, speak with your favourite Registration company to find out when a REDEMPTION PERIOD/PENDING DELETE RESTORABLE domain will be available for registration.

  Redeeming a domain is more time consuming and complicated than if the domain was renewed  during the first 40 days of expiration. The original Domain Provider facilitates its recovery, and so you should contact them to begin this process.

  If you are unable to contact your Domain Provider please contact our Compliance Department and they will determine if your Provider is still in business, and will help you remedy the situation.

  Note: At the end of the grace period, some domain names may be sold in an auction system before they enter the redemption period.  If the domain name is sold at auction, it will not be available for re-registration.

   

  Close