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How to Check Whois Data for Website with the 10 Best Domain Lookup Tools

Want to buy a new site? Already got an eye for a domain with an attractive name? Discovered a new online shop with an attractive gadget at a perfect price? In these cases, you’d want to find the owner’s contact information and verify the domain’s trustworthiness.

Do you want to learn how to do it fast? Good news! You can find information about virtually any domain without effort if you check Whois data for website that interest you. This article explains what to do in order to lookup domain owner. We’ll also introduce you to the best services for checking Whois data.

But what is “Whois data”? Is it available for any website, or are there any limitations? Stick around if you want to know everything about it!

What is Whois Data?

As of early 2020, approximately 1,2 billion websites were operating online. And there’s a Whois data for each one. But what is it, exactly?

Each site has an owner (an individual, a business, or an organization) behind it. When someone wants to create a new site, he or she must provide personal and legal information to independent registrars.

Let’s take a moment to clarify. The term “registrar” refers to accredited organizations that manage domain names and operate in accordance with domain guidelines. At the same time, a person (or a company) that wants to reserve a domain name is called a “registrant.”

A registrant is responsible for providing the correct data about him or herself. That includes name, legal address, telephone number, email, as well as other personal and technical information. That info essentially identifies ownership over the website.

And now, take all that info about the registrant and registrar, add data about the domain’s status and website history.

How to Find Domain Owner (for Any Website)

Need to find domain owner information?

There’s more than one way to acquire insight into the site’s history. However, you shouldn’t worry. There’s nothing complicated about Whois data and IP lookup.

Even though there are myriads of tools and services online, the checkup process is roughly the same for each. Let’s go through it step-by-step.

1. Pick a Whois tool

First, you must choose one of the Whois lookup tools. We have picked the ICANN’s tool for this guide.

However, you are free to pick any of the services listed in our top below.

2. Enter a domain name

Type URL of the site you’d like to check into the empty field and press “Lookup.”

3. Get access to Whois data

You won’t have to wait for the Whois data for long. Expect to have access to publicly available domain information in mere seconds.

4. Extra features

Some services offer additional insight and functionality on top of basic Whois lookup. For example, you can make use of DNS records and registrar data. You can even get a list of similar-looking domain names available for purchase.

So, what popular and feature-rich tools are there for Whois data lookup? Let’s find out!

10 Services and Tools to Lookup Whois Data

Now that you know how to check Whois data for website, it’s time to discover the best ways to do it.

It’s easy to get overtaken by the number of online services that can look up Whois info. We want to introduce you to some of the most reliable ones. Without further ado, here are our top 10 picks.

1. ICANN Lookup

Let’s start with the service we already mentioned above. ICANN is one of the longest-running services that collect information about registered domains. It provides an exhaustive report about any portal if the registrant’s contact and personal data aren’t private.

The ICANN team works on adopting new policies and techniques to improve its Whois service. As of now, you get access to domain information, contact data about registrant and admin of a website, as well as DNSSEC info.

2. Who.is

Who.is is an excellent free tool for anyone interested in the website’s Whois data. Give this service a few seconds, and it’ll collect info about the owner’s personal info and domain history.

You can search for domains or perform checkups using an IP address. Aside from Whois info, the service has other handy features. Although not all of them are free.

For example, you can obtain a website’s performance and uptime statistics. You also get a list of similarly named domains for sale. Who.is can also track selected websites and notify you in case the domain info changes.

3. DomainTools

Looking for a service that can provide in-depth insights into domain history? It won’t hurt to try a premium service like DomainTools. For a hefty but reasonable sum, you get access to insightful Whois data about almost any platform.

What makes DomainTools stand out from others? It offers a complete picture of the portal’s history, including DNS and nameserver records. The service also provides a tool for tracking title alterations and ownership changes. Furthermore, it allows you to see the portal’s high-impact stats.

Sounds interesting? You can order a free demo to see how DomainTools can contribute to your website’s success.

4. Internet Archive Wayback Machine

The Internet Archive Wayback Machine is an open-source tool that’s on the verge of being a classic. It’s widely regarded as a digital library for the World Wide Web. But what can it do?

With Wayback Machine, you can find out about website owners throughout different timeframes. But that’s not the best part! Its most unique feature is the ability to see how any website looked like years or even decades ago. After all, it won’t hurt to indulge in nostalgia from time to time.

5. IntoDNS

IntoDNS is a free tool with a simple design that lets you acquire information about any domain’s configuration and health.

In addition to providing DNS information, this tool has other valuable perks for website owners. IntoDNS forms an exhaustive report which checks NS, SOA, MX, and WWW elements of the portal. It shows DNS errors and provides suggestions on how to fix them. That way, you can improve your website’s performance and SEO ranking.

6. HosterStats

Ready to hear about another excellent free service? HosterStats is a proven tool that dates back to the early 2000s. It’s as straightforward as it gets. However, it allows you to gather useful intel about domains that interest you.

This service has access to statistics from over 7 million web hosters from a wide variety of domain names. What kind of information should you expect? HosterStats offers info about the site’s location, IP address, and other standard DNS details. Furthermore, you can find out about the platform’s unique daily visitors, page views, and backlinks.

But that’s not all! HosterStats shows the site’s safe browsing score and Web of Trust rating. That can be of use when you want to check on an online shop before spending the hard-earned cash.

7. Norton Safe Web

We assume that everyone knows about the Norton Antivirus. This company offers a great solution for internet security called Norton Safe Web.

How can this tool help with Whois data? Norton’s service notifies you if a portal in question is in the blacklist of potentially dangerous or fake websites. Thus, you’ll save time and resources by avoiding a domain name with a shady history.

8. Netim

Netim is a free service that lets you access an extensive database of Whois records. It’s also one of the ICANN accredited registrars with over 15 years of track record.

Netim’s tool is a fast and easy way to get an insight into registration records of any domain name. It offers all the standard intel you expect from a Whois lookup service. You can also make use of Netim if you want to purchase a domain for a reasonable price.

9. Whois Domain Lookup

Whois Domain Lookup is yet another useful and straightforward service. Be careful not to confuse it with another similarly named service on this list (Whois.net).

The service provides essential Whois IP and domain lookup for anyone interested in a particular website. Want to find traces of previous owners or want to check if the domain is available for sale? Whois Domain Lookup can help you no worse than other tools on the list. Also, this service is free!

10. Reverse Whois Search (Whois XML API)

Let’s finish this list with something unique. Reverse Whois Search can help you find all domain names associated with specific identifiers or terms. You should know that it’s a premium tool. But if you keep reading, you’ll learn that it’s worth the price of admission (which isn’t that high, by the way).

What makes Reverse Whois Search so useful? This tool can help you find connections between domains, individuals, and organizations. It’s a valuable and multi-functional feature. For example, governmental bodies use it to find malicious websites and hacker groups, while entrepreneurs utilize its functionality to find new business partners.

The tool can also track Whois data modifications for an unlimited number of domains. As of now, the Reverse Whois lookup database has over 7 billion records. And we’re almost 100% сertain you’re going to find the information you seek with this tool.

Why You Should Check Whois Data for Website

Why is it important to determine the domain’s owner? There are many reasons why you should. Let’s name a few.

You can verify information about a website

Let’s say that you want to buy a domain name. Should you go in blindly without checking who actually owns it? Of course not. Find out who is the registrant of the domain. That way, you can make sure that you’re negotiating with an actual owner instead of a scammer.

Find contact information

Have an exciting business offer or seeking partnership? You can check Whois data for the website to discover the owner’s email address, telephone number, and other contact data.

Check up the data validity of your website

You may also miss important offers if your contact information is incorrect. That’s why it’s crucial to use lookup tools to verify the validity of your website’s Whois data.

Ensure that privacy protection measures are in effect

Whois tools can help you confirm that the privacy protection options for your domain are working correctly.

Learn about the portal’s history

Whois services allow you to find historical data related to the website in question. You can find a lot of curious things about a domain by checking that information. And it also can help you avoid online scams.

Avoid scammers and phishing websites

Imagine that you’ve found an interesting product form a peculiar online shop. Don’t empty your wallet without a second thought! Instead, lookup website owner to verify the shop’s authenticity first. Did you know that over 1.4 million phishing websites are created every month? It’s not hard to fall into a trap. Want to avoid scam and fraudulent websites? Then you must learn how to check Whois data for websites.

Whois Privacy Protection

Sometimes you won’t be able to find the website owner easily. Why? Because many registrars offer Whois privacy protection. It’s a service designed to cover the registrant’s information from the public eye.

If you’re trying to look up website owner but get information about the registrar instead – you’re probably encountering a protected domain.

The privacy applies only to the general populace, though. Privacy protection doesn’t relieve registrars from an obligation to share Whois data with authorities upon official request.

Summary

Whois data is an integral part of the World Wide Web. Now that you know what this term entails, you should understand how crucial it can be to lookup website owner. And, as you see, checking Whois data for website isn’t brain surgery. Remember that a couple of clicks could save you a lot of trouble in the future.

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Article by Seth Kravitz

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