What is Domain Whois?

Domain Whois is the domain name ID that contains information such as the owner of a domain name, expiration date, registration date. The answer to the question “who is the domain owner?” for a registered domain name is revealed with the Whois result. By performing a domain name Whois query, you can quickly access information such as:

  • Domain owner
  • Domain name registration date
  • Domain update date
  • Domain expiration date

How does Whois work?

The Whois method of operation involves the transmission of data relating to the domain name extension to a Whois server hosted by the Registrar or official registrars that manage the domain name extension, through special agreements that allocate authorized IP addresses and security conditions to the database.

What is Private Whois Record/Information?

Some domain names have hidden Whois information, known as domain Whois protection. To contact the owners or financial and technical managers of domains with Whois protection, you must notify the proxy service responsible for maintaining the privacy of Whois information.

According to ICANN regulations, the Whois protection service provider must relay notifications received through its own channels to the domain owner with hidden Whois information. Since this responsibility is based on a declaration, it is primarily the domain owner's responsibility to ensure that all Whois data is accurate and up-to-date.

How Accurate is WHOIS Data?

ICANN has established rules to ensure the WHOIS database contains accurate information. As the information of domain owners may change, domain registrars like Atak Domain send annual emails to domain owners to review and update WHOIS domain data. According to ICANN regulations, refusing to update WHOIS information or providing false information may result in suspension or cancellation of the domain.

ICANN allows users to file complaints and facilitates the resolution of issues if WHOIS domain search data is found to be incomplete or incorrect. In case of a complaint, domain registrars are required to immediately correct and verify the WHOIS information.

How Can I Update My WHOIS Information?

WHOIS information is usually found in the "Domain Management" or "Domain Settings" section of your domain registrar's control panel. From there, you can update your WHOIS information. You can easily complete the process in a few simple steps to keep your contact details up-to-date. It is important to keep your WHOIS information current to comply with ICANN regulations and ensure that WHOIS correspondence reaches the correct email address.

Why is Domain Whois Privacy Important?

If you disable your domain’s Whois privacy, anyone conducting a Whois query can access all of your Whois information. This often leads to receiving unsolicited emails, commonly known as spam, or targeted advertising emails based on the obtained domain information.

What Information is Displayed in a Whois Query?

If domain privacy is not enabled, a Whois query will display the information available in the Whois database. If domain privacy is active, no information will be visible. When domain privacy is not enabled and a Whois query is performed, the accessible information generally includes:

  • Domain owner’s name
  • Domain owner’s address
  • Domain owner’s email address
  • Domain owner’s phone number

Should I Hide My Domain Whois Information?

Enabling Whois privacy is a personal choice, but it is highly recommended to prevent your personal information from being exposed and potentially misused. Without Whois privacy, all your personal identification details can be viewed by anyone conducting a query.

Is Whois Information Stored in the ICANN Whois Database?

Status codes for a domain, also known as Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) domain status codes, indicate the status of a registered domain. Each domain may have one or more status codes.

You can easily determine the status of your domain address using the EPP code. For more information, we recommend reviewing ICANN's EPP Code Explanations.