WHOIS Domain Lookup

About WHOIS Lookup

Understand domain ownership and registration data

WHOIS (pronounced “who is”) is a public database service that stores information about registered domain names. When you look up a domain, the WHOIS record reveals details such as who owns the domain, when it was created, when it will expire and which registrar manages it. This tool helps you find that information instantly. It’s valuable for verifying domain availability, investigating suspicious websites or simply learning who stands behind a web address.

What’s in a WHOIS record?

A typical WHOIS record contains several fields:

• Domain name and ID – the exact domain you queried and an internal registry identifier.
• Registrar – the organisation that registered the domain (e.g., Namecheap, GoDaddy, Mercantile for .np domains).
• Registrant details – the name, organisation, email and phone number of the domain owner (unless privacy protection is enabled).
• Administrative & technical contacts – contacts responsible for managing the domain and its DNS settings.
• Creation & expiry dates – when the domain was first registered and when it will expire.
• Name servers – the DNS servers pointing to the website’s hosting.
• Status codes – codes such as “ok”, “clientTransferProhibited” or “pendingDelete” that show the domain’s current state.

Thick vs. thin WHOIS

Depending on the domain extension, WHOIS data is stored and accessed differently. In a thick WHOIS registry (e.g., .com, .net), all registrant details are stored centrally at the registry. In a thin WHOIS registry (e.g., .com.np, .uk), the registry holds only basic data and refers you to the registrar for full details. This is why some WHOIS results return a referral link or partial information.

Using our WHOIS Lookup tool

1. Enter a domain name (with or without “www”), such as example.com or mybusiness.com.np.
2. Click “Search” – the tool sends a query to multiple WHOIS servers.
3. View summary results showing domain availability, registrar, registrant and key dates.
4. Expand the raw WHOIS record to see all fields exactly as they appear in the registry.
5. Use the information to register an available domain or contact an owner if needed.

Registration in Nepal (.np domains)

For Nepali ccTLDs such as .com.np or .org.np, domain registrations are overseen by Mercantile Communications on behalf of the Nepal Telecom Authority. To register a .np domain you must:

• Have a business or personal connection to Nepal (citizenship or company documents).
• Submit an application form and provide a scanned copy of a citizenship certificate or company registration.
• Wait for manual approval, which may take a few days.
• Ensure your chosen domain name matches your registered business or personal name.

Our tool can check if a .np domain is already registered, but actual registration requires contacting Mercantile and following their process.

Protecting your privacy

Many registrars offer WHOIS privacy services (also called Domain Privacy or WHOIS Guard). These services replace your personal information with proxy details in the public WHOIS database. If privacy is enabled on a domain, you may see limited contact information. Remember that while WHOIS data is public, using it to spam domain owners is prohibited.

Example lookup

Limitations & next steps

• Not all registries provide real-time data; some may cache results for minutes or hours.
• If a registrar uses privacy protection, contact details may not be visible.
• .np domains require manual review; our tool cannot complete the registration for you.
• For any domain you wish to purchase, always check trademark databases and verify that the name doesn’t infringe on existing brands.