This answer will explain what the WHOIS database is, what information is shown on it, and how to view this information.

Why use WHOIS?

WHOIS is a public database which allows you to find out information about a specific domain name. You can find out who registered it, who the registrar is, and who you can contact about the domain name.

Searching the WHOIS is also a useful way to check whether a domain name has been registered.

How does the WHOIS database work?

The WHOIS database contains contact and registration information for every domain registered with a particular registrar. WHOIS databases are maintained by individual registrars and not by the central registry.

For this reason they are not always fully up-to date. Most of the systems are updated every 24 hours, which means the results that they return can be up to 47 hours out of date.

When you register a domain name with us, we pass on the contact details to the WHOIS. These will then be publicly available through WHOIS services. For most domain types this is a legal requirement. However, .uk domains administered by Nominet have an opt out system.

A useful site for checking WHOIS information is allwhois.