WHOIS is a multifaceted term that refers to the directories that store the contact and technical information for your domain as well as the applications used to search these directories.
Whenever you register a domain name - from any registrar - you will also be required by the Internet's governing body, ICANN, to register certain technical and contact information for that domain. Required information includes:
- the domain name
- the domain name registration date
- the owner's name and address
- the physical address, email address, and phone number of the domain's administrative, technical, and billing contacts (these contacts may all be the same)
- name server settings
A WHOIS database stores this information. InterNIC (Internet Network Information Center), the central organization charged with managing the registration of domain names and IP addresses, oversees a central WHOIS database that stores information provided by registrars across the globe. A domain name registrar such as Tucows may also maintain its own searchable WHOIS database.
WHOIS also refers to the set of rules (protocol) that defines how an application can search these directories of domain information. The internal structure of directories managed by InterNIC and individual registrars, as well as any applications or utilities you might use to search the databases, are created using WHOIS protocol.
Why search WHOIS directories? A domain's entry provides information about the network and host with which it's associated, as well as general contact information. The public WHOIS database also allows a domain name registrar to see if a domain has already been registered, as well as when a domain expires.
Note: Due to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), WHOIS information has been changed to comply with GDPR requirements. Learn more.
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