How to Check Where a Domain is Registered and Who it Belongs to

Purchasing a domain is one of the most crucial elements in the process of building a website. Often, it's a unique brand name that will be used for years, being the first building block of the strength and image of the brand. Sometimes, we encounter situations where our desired domain is already registered, and the owner is unknown. However, this is not a lost cause. WHOIS comes to our rescue. Thanks to WHOIS, we can find information about the domain registrar, owner details (in the case of companies), and the hosting server to which the domain's DNS points.

What is WHOIS and How Does It Work?

WHOIS is a publicly available database based on the TCP protocol. It sends a query to obtain information about:

• Domain status
• Registration date
• Modification date
• Domain expiration date
• DNS servers to which the domain points
• Domain owner (sometimes)
• Domain registrar

The Polish domain registrar NASK publicly provides the above information, and thanks to WHOIS, we can comfortably verify it. The tool works with a delay of up to 15 minutes compared to the central .pl domain registration system.

Domain green-fields.pl in the WHOIS database

The Most Popular Websites for Checking Domain Ownership Are:

• eurid.eu/en/ - for European domains with the .eu extension
• who.is - for most domains (except .eu)
• whois.com/ - for .org domains

When is the domain owner displayed?

In the case of .pl domains, the owner's information is shown only for companies. Individuals' personal data is protected, and their information remains hidden.

Data visible to companies

Data visible to the individual

End of the Domain's Settlement Period (Expired Domain)

Each domain has its validity period, which is renewed once a year. During this time, we are the full-fledged owners of the domain. The WHOIS tool shows the period from when to when a particular domain is paid for. This information comes in handy, especially when we want to quickly check the validity period or when we plan to purchase a potentially expiring domain. If the deadline is exceeded, the domain enters a 30-day redemption period, meaning it is not available for sale to external parties, and only the original owner can repurchase it - usually at a higher cost. During the redemption period, the website and email associated with the domain will not function. This is a very disadvantageous situation for a company and also affects the SEO of the website.

Option for a Domain – the Right of First Refusal

In a situation where we want to purchase a specific domain, we can establish an option, which is the right of first refusal. In this case, if the domain goes through the redemption period and is not paid for by its original owner, we - as the party with the option on the domain - have the first opportunity to purchase it. The domain is "reserved" for us. This way, we can be sure that no one else will buy it before we have a chance to react. This is particularly useful for businesses that have gone bankrupt, leaving behind only paid domains. It's important to note that the option applies only to .PL domains; there is no such possibility for global domains.

When and Who Benefits from the WHOIS Tool

The WHOIS tool is primarily useful for current and future website owners and SEO agencies. The former can verify the domain registrar and the hosting company. Often, people don’t remember this, and clients who have several domains and hosting services, struggle with finding the right one. WHOIS is often the only solution when a website suddenly stops working, and the problem is not of a technical nature but simply results from an unpaid invoice. 

For businesses, WHOIS is a clear indication of whom to contact when they want to purchase a specific URL that was previously occupied. It's common for individuals or companies to buy domains without creating websites under those addresses. In such cases, the only way to find the owner is through the WHOIS tool. 

SEO agencies use WHOIS to support their clients in finding lost access to hosting services, domain registrars, and also to check the websites and backlinks of competitors.

Summary

The WHOIS tool for checking domain and hosting ownership is invaluable. It supports website owners and SEO agencies, making their work easier and more effective. As an SEO specialist, I often use this tool to verify where a domain is registered and its hosting. 

However, it's essential to remember that although WHOIS provides a lot of information, in complex structures where the domain, web server, and email server are in completely different places, we may not obtain complete information.

Author: Łukasz Pietruszka