What is WHOIS

WHOIS (who is) is a query and response protocol that is widely used for querying databases that store the registered users or assignees of an Internet resource, such as a domain name, an IP address block, or an autonomous system, but is also used for a wider range of other information. The protocol stores and delivers database content in a human-readable format

What does Whois Data Reveal?

You can check domain name available or not, check the domain's owner, time of domain name registration and a lot of useful information about the queried domain. Please note that some domains can hide the information by using domain private. And if you are a owner of domains you can use domain private registration service to hide your information from the registrar you already registered domain. This Private option is not free from almost registrar but if you registered domain from DreamHost you can use this option free

Why need to use Whois Tool?

Before you want to purchase domains you need to check that domains are available or not, and sometime we like to view public information about domain. Whois tool is totally free and the legal action on the Internet because the information about owner of domain is grant by ICANN

You can check the time when domain will expire or when that domain was registered and modified

What is WHOIS data used for?

WHOIS is indispensable to the smooth operation of the DNS and is used for many legitimate purposes, including:

• To determine whether or not a given domain is available.
• To contact network administrators for resolution of technical matters related to networks associated with a domain name (e.g., DNS or routing matter, origin and path analysis of DoS and other network-based attacks).
• To diagnose registration difficulties. WHOIS queries provide information that is often useful in resolving a registration ownership issue, such as the creation and expiration dates and the identity of the registrar.
• To contact web administrators for resolution of technical matters associated with a domain name.
• To obtain the real world identity, business location and contact information of an online merchant or business, or generally, any organization that has an online presence.
• To associate a company, organization, or individual with a domain name, and to identify the party that is operating a web or other publicly accessible service using a domain name, for commercial or other purposes.
• To contact a domain name registrant for the purpose of discussing and negotiating a secondary market transaction related to a registered domain name.
• To notify a domain name registrant of the registrant's obligation to maintain accurate registration information.
• To contact a domain name registrant on matters related to the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
• To establish or look into an identity in cyberspace, and as part of an incident response following an Internet or computer attack. (Security professionals and law enforcement agents use WHOIS to identify points of contact for a domain name.)
• To gather investigative leads (i.e., to identify parties from whom additional information might be obtained). Law enforcement agents use WHOIS to find email addresses and attempt to identify the location of an alleged perpetrator of a crime involving fraud.
• To investigate spam, law enforcement agents look to the WHOIS database to collect information on the website advertised in the spam.

Need to add WHOIS script to your website

There are many types of whois script on Internet, It depends on what kind of your server side script eg PHP, ASP.. If your server is running PHP you can find it out on http://www.hotscripts.com, https://github.com/.. And from other site coders who provide free WHOIS script

What is private domain registration

As threats to online security grow increasingly sophisticated, it's important to protect your privacy by adding private registration to your domain name registration. A lot of registrar will provide alternate contact information for the listing of your private domain name registration in the public WHOIS database.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) requires accredited domain name registrars to submit a listing to the WHOIS database each time a domain name is registered. If you do not elect private registration, this online WHOIS listing will include your personal contact information, such as your email address and phone number available to the public through a simple domain search.
You may be charged for using private domain registration from few dollars a year, but if you register domain from Dreamhost you can use this option for free.

Benefits of Using Whois Private Registration

For a small yearly fee, private domain registration delivers benefits that pay off, including:

Privacy
Use of alternate contact information keeps your personal information out of the public eye.
Protection
Private registration prevents emails from spammers and calls from telemarketers.
Email Masking
The registrar will provide a private registration email address that may be changes each time to avoid messages for spam and forward them to your designated email account.read more

Top 5 Domain Registrars to Buy a Domain Name

Choosing the right domain registrar saves you from possible future problems. It not only helps you protect your brand name but also makes it easy to move your website to a new host or service provider.

Based on the criteria we discussed earlier, these are the top domain registrars to buy your domain name from.

1. DreamHost

DreamHost is popular domain name registrar and web hosting service provider. They are offering our readers a free domain name with domain privacy included for anyone signing up for their Shared Unlimited hosting plan.

You can also register a domain name without buying hosting through them for $8.99 / year which also includes free private registration.

DreamHost offers 400+ TLDs and comes with all domain management tools that you can expect from a large domain provider like DreamHost.

2. Domain.com

Started in 2000, Domain.com is one of the most popular domain name registrar on the planet. They allow you to register all top level domain name extensions (TLDs) and even dozens of country code top level domains (ccTLDs).

Domain.com has a quick domain search tool that you can use for your domain name research. Their search also shows you premium domains as well.

You get access to all domain management tools that you would expect from a top domain registrar including private registration, whois privacy protection, free whois, bulk registration, easy transfers, easy DNS management, email account, and other additional services. You can even purchase web hosting from them if you like.

3. Bluehost

Bluehost is one of the largest hosting companies in the world, and they are an official WordPress hosting partner. As part of their web hosting service, they also offer domain name registration.

Bluehost is offering WPBeginner users a free domain name, SSL certificate, and a discount on web hosting which is a perfect deal for anyone looking to make a website.

Basically, you can get started for $2.75 per month, and get a free domain name.

4. HostGator

HostGator is another popular company offering website owners a one-stop shop for domain names and shared website hosting. They offer a nice selection of extensions, domain privacy, and easy to use DNS management tools.

They have an easy to use domain search tool that helps you quickly find a suitable domain name for your business. Their domain management area is beginner friendly and well documented which makes it easy to transfer domains if you need to.

Aside from domain name and hosting, they have also introduced a brand new drag & drop website builder called Gator. They’re offering free domain name and hosting with all of their website builder plans.

5. GoDaddy

GoDaddy is one of the oldest and most popular domain registration company. They manage more than 77 million domain names for over 18 million customers.

They offer a wide variety of popular domain name extensions to choose from. Their prices are highly competitive, and you may even get a significant discount on the first year of your domain’s registration.