How To Find Out Who Owns a Domain in 2025: WHOIS Lookup

Have you ever seen a domain name or website’s address and wondered, who was quick (or early) enough to register it? In 1994, when domain name ownership was a bit of a wild frontier, a San Franciscan programmer registered Milk.com on a whim. He wasn’t in dairy, didn’t have a startup idea. He just liked chocolate milk and thought the nickname “Milk Boy” was funny. 

Thirty years later, that whim is now prime internet and search engine optimization (SEO) real estate, valued at anywhere from hundreds of thousands of dollars to more than a million. That’s the reality of domains: even a random word can be worth a fortune. 

So when the name you want for your business is already taken, the first question is simple: who owns it?The fastest way to find out is with a WHOIS (pronounced “who is”) lookup. You’ll run into privacy shields and RDAP records that hide details, but there are still ways to trace ownership and get in touch.

What is WHOIS lookup?

A WHOIS lookup lets you see who registered a domain and how long they’ve held it. Think of it like property records: just as every house is logged with a local authority, every domain is recorded in a registry, with details on the owner, registrar, and expiration date.

Every domain purchased through an accredited domain registrar is recorded in the global WHOIS database.

When you enter a domain (or even an IP address) into a WHOIS search tool, the system queries the relevant registry and returns the most recent record on file. That record can include:

• Ownership details: The name, organization, or proxy service listed as the registrant.
• Registration and expiration dates: When the domain was first created and when it’s set to expire.
• Registrar information: The company through which the domain was purchased.
• Contact information: Email or anonymized proxy address for reaching the owner.
• Name servers: The DNS information showing where the domain points and who hosts it.

Historical WHOIS lookup

A basic WHOIS lookup tells you who owns a domain today. A historical WHOIS search goes deeper, showing ownership records, registrar changes, and technical details from years past.

You see every owner who came before, kind of like pulling old property deeds for a house.

But why bother?

• To track down security threats: In Q2 2025 alone, more than 26 million domains were registered. Many get used in phishing or malicious campaigns, or recycled for bad behavior. Historical WHOIS lets you spot patterns and flag repeat offenders.
• To build law-enforcement cases: When registrants hide behind privacy shields or RDAP anonymization, historic records can fill in missing links, helping trace ownership changes, suspicious activity, or domain misuse over time.
• To run due diligence before you buy: There were about 368.4 million registered domains globally as of Q1 2025. Chances are, the name you want was used before. You’ll want historical data to check for spam, malware, or prior bad behavior that could hurt your brand or email deliverability.
• To validate SEO potential: A domain with age can offer search authority if its history is clean. Historical WHOIS reveals whether a domain stayed active, changed hands often, or was dropped and reused with questionable intent.

Several providers maintain archives of WHOIS records, some going back more than 15 years. Here are the most useful options in 2025:

• DomainTools: A widely used archive with many years of ownership history
• WhoisXML API: This tool offers bulk historical WHOIS datasets, and tracks newly registered and expired domains daily, letting you monitor changes in registrar, registration dates, etc.
• ViewDNS.info: A good option for quick snapshots and small-scale checks for SEO consultants and small business use

How to find out who owns a domain

Here are five easy steps to find out everything you need to know.

1. Find a WHOIS lookup tool

These tools query the global domain registry and return details such as the registrar, registration and expiration dates, name servers, and (if not hidden)—ownership contact information.

Start with the Whois domain lookup tool, which makes it easy to enter a domain name and see who owns it. 

If you find your name is available, you can search for it using Shopify’s domain search tool. Simply enter the domain you want and view the most popular domain name options and available extensions. If you find an available domain name you love, lock it down on the same page.

Depending on your needs, you may also want to try one of the following providers:

• ICANN Lookup is the official registry lookup run by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, and it provides authoritative results across all accredited registrars.
• GoDaddy WHOIS is widely used. It has a simple interface and is especially helpful if you want to explore purchasing through GoDaddy’s brokerage service.
• Hostinger WHOIS is a straightforward free tool that small business owners often rely on for quick checks.
• Network Solutions WHOIS is one of the original registrar tools and still offers extended WHOIS details today.
• DNSimple WHOIS was built with developers in mind. It features a clean interface and integrations with DNS management services.

2. Search for the domain name URL

To find domain information, enter the domain URL into the WHOIS search bar and hit the Search button.

First, WHOIS will show basic information: the domain’s history, ID, domain registrar server and URL, and creation date. The example below shows shopify.com was created on March 11, 2003, and is registered with Markmonitor:

You can also select “View more information” to expand the window and see more WHOIS data about the domain name.

📚 Read: How to Find the Domain History of Any URL (2025)

3. Detect if the contact information is private

When you run a WHOIS lookup, you won’t always see the registrant’s name and email. Instead, many domain owners use privacy shields or proxy services that replace their personal details with a generic contact point. In those cases, you might only get:

• A redacted email address (like a masked proxy email that forwards to the real owner)
• The name of a privacy service provider rather than the registrant
• A catch-all contact form provided by the registrar

This doesn’t mean the trail is cold. You can still reach out via the anonymized email or registrar contact listed in the record.

And it’s increasingly common: as of July 2025, 53.1% of newly registered domains (NRDs) had redacted WHOIS records. That’s more than half of all new registrations, so expect privacy barriers to be the rule, not the exception.

What if the record is masked? Don’t give up. You’ll need to use the proxy contacts provided, run a historical WHOIS search, or take additional steps (like checking DNS or SSL records) to get closer to the owner.

4. Find registrant contact information

If the domain owner’s identity is hidden, do a web search to find information about the company that owns the domain. You might see a Contact Us or About Us page naming the company’s leadership, founders, owners, and so on. If unavailable, you may be able to learn where the company is registered and find relevant databases that list information about registered companies.

Look for the secretary of state or department of revenue websites for the corresponding location.

For example, suppose a Florida-registered business owns a domain. In that case, you can use local databases to look up business ownership by company LLC name, employer identification number (EIN), address, phone number, or even registered agent name. 

Just remember that the person who owns the business may not be the same person who owns the domain. 

5. Use reverse WHOIS for related domains

A standard WHOIS lookup shows you details about a single domain. A reverse WHOIS search flips that around. 

So instead of starting with a domain, you start with a piece of registrant information, like an email address, organization name, or phone number; and see all the other domains registered with it.

This can be a powerful tool in several scenarios:

• For security investigations: Spot malicious networks by uncovering dozens of phishing or spam domains tied to the same registrant.
• For brand identity protection: Identify cybersquatters who register multiple variations of your brand name (for example, “yourbrand-shop.com,” “yourbrand-sale.net,” “yourbrand.io”).
• For cybercrime research: Connect the dots between suspicious sites that look unrelated on the surface but share the same underlying registration data.
• For due diligence: Before partnering with or buying from a company, check if their domain portfolio raises any red flags.

Because many domains now use privacy shields, reverse WHOIS often works best when you have at least one solid data point (like an email address) to pivot from. Paid providers such as DomainTools and WhoisXML API offer comprehensive reverse WHOIS capabilities, making it possible to trace registrants across dozens, or even hundreds, of domains.

What to do when you find out who owns a domain

Once you know who owns a domain you want to acquire, it’s time to find out how to reach them and negotiate a deal to transfer domain ownership.

Contact the domain owner

First things first: you need to contact the domain owner. The tips above might help you find their physical mailing address. But if you want to reach out on another channel—like email—start with a Google search. 

Simply enter the person’s name on Google to see what comes up. Or search “[name] email address” or “[name] contact information.” If that doesn’t yield results, check out databases like Hunter.io or Linkedin.

Negotiate a deal to acquire the domain

Once you establish contact with the domain owner, be prepared to negotiate. Have a sum in mind, but expect a counteroffer.

When preparing your quote, consider domain authority or how much search equity the existing site has. If it’s outdated and doesn’t rank high in search engine result pages (SERPs), you can quote a lower fee. However, an updated site with good SEO and a robust digital presence across multiple channels will cost you more.

Perform due diligence on the domain

A clean record protects your brand, SEO, and email deliverability once the transfer is complete.

Here are the key checks to run:

• Trademark conflicts: Search databases like the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to confirm the domain isn’t tied to an existing trademark. Buying a domain that infringes on someone else’s mark could put you at risk of legal disputes or forced transfers.
• Phishing or abuse history: Check sites like PhishTank to see if the domain has ever been reported for malicious activity. A past reputation for phishing or spam can hurt your credibility and email deliverability.
• Blocklist status: Run the domain through blocklist monitoring tools to make sure it hasn’t been blacklisted by security vendors or email providers. If it has, recovering trust can be slow and costly.
• Advanced ownership data: If WHOIS and RDAP results are redacted, you can use ICANN’s Registration Data Request Service (RDRS) to submit a request for registrant data. This is often used in legal, law enforcement, or brand protection contexts where more than public information is required.

💡Tip: Don’t skip this step even if the domain looks clean at first glance. A quick WIPO search or PhishTank check can uncover hidden risks—like an active trademark claim or a history of phishing—that could cost you thousands in legal fees, SEO penalties, or lost customer trust.

Migrate your site to the new domain

Once you secure ownership, you can migrate your existing site to the new domain. There are several relatively simple options for migrating a site to Shopify.

If you’re starting a website from scratch, skip this step and begin building your website. Shopify makes it easy to connect a third-party domain to your store.

What to do if you can’t acquire your desired domain

Sometimes, even after a WHOIS lookup and outreach, the owner won’t sell, or the asking price is simply too high. You still have several smart options.

Come up with new ideas for your domain name

If you didn’t secure ownership of your desired domain, it’s time to reach out to a different domain registrant or brainstorm new ideas.

Follow these tips to accelerate choosing a domain name: 

• Try a different top-level domain (TLD): A TLD is the series of letters following the dot in a web address. For example, many websites use a .com TLD, but you can check if your desired domain name is available at an extension like .co, .org, .shop, .biz, etc.
• Add a word to your domain name: Words like “shop” and “buy” make excellent additions to your domain name. For example, if shoes.com isn’t available, you could try shopshoes.com or buyshoes.com. Alternatively, opt for a TLD such as .shop or .store.
• Use a domain name generator: Shopify’s free domain name generator spins your ideas and keywords into creative domain names for your business.

Consider domain auctions and marketplaces

Domain auctions provide a middle ground for domain owners and prospective buyers. Escrow services protect both parties by holding funds until the successful transfer of domain names. 

These marketplaces are great for accessing premium domains, but domain prices can add up because some owners use auction-style bidding to get the best price for their premium domain.

Understanding WHOIS privacy and GDPR changes

The way WHOIS data is collected, stored, and shared has shifted a lot since GDPR (the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation) began in 2018. These changes mostly protect personal data, but they also make domain ownership information less visible.

In August 2025, ICANN’s new Registration Data Policy (RDP) officially replaced interim rules, bringing stricter standards on what data registrars must reveal and how.

Here’s what’s changed:

• Under the updated policy, WHOIS/Registration Data Directory Services (RDDS) by default redact or limit public access to many contact fields unless a registrant explicitly opts in or unless the registry requires them.
• Registrars and registries had to comply by August 21, 2025, meaning public WHOIS searches now routinely hide or omit fields like billing, administration, and technical contacts.
• The “Organization/Company” field in domain contact details now carries legal weight: if filled in, the organization is recognized as the domain’s registered name holder (i.e. “owner”). If the organization field is empty, the individual named in the registrant contact is considered the owner. 

Your action steps under the new policy:

1. Review your current domain details: Make sure your Organization field (if used) and your registrant name are correct. This will define legal ownership under the new rules.
2. Check what is shown to the public: Do a WHOIS/RDDS search to see which fields are redacted. That helps you know what is visible and what is private.
3. Save proof: If you need contact details (admin, billing, etc.) for future use, keep records now—before everything gets masked.
4. Use other tools: If WHOIS isn’t giving what you need, rely on historical WHOIS, RDAP, reverse WHOIS, or ICANN’s RDRS. These can often bridge gaps in public information.

For merchants, this means protecting your own details while also knowing what to expect when checking if a competitor, reseller, or impersonator owns or has parked a domain.

How can you protect your privacy online?

The same as you may want to find the owner of a private domain when researching a competitor or tracking down a suspicious site, when you register a domain; your name, email, and sometimes even phone number can end up in the public WHOIS database. 

That means spammers and scammers can scrape and misuse your contact information.

Take these privacy measures if you don’t want your details publicly available on the WHOIS database. 

Use a domain privacy service

A domain privacy service swaps your details for theirs on the WHOIS register. This way, whenever someone looks up your domain, the privacy services details come up instead of yours.

Register your domain with privacy protection

Domain registrars often offer to replace your details with theirs during domain registration. Some registrars add this feature for an additional fee. With a few WHOIS exceptions, Shopify includes WHOIS privacy protection as a standard feature.

Limit personal information on WHOIS records

A WHOIS record typically includes the domain owner’s full name, email address, mailing address, and contact number. If you’ve opted out of a domain privacy service, you can still limit how people access your personal information by:

• Using a PO box, virtual mailbox service, or business address
• Creating a dedicated email for domain registration
• Using a free business phone number provider

Consider using a business entity for registration

A business entity like an LLC or corporation separates your business from yourself. It’s useful for tax and credibility purposes, and you can use it to register a domain. This will prevent your personal details from appearing on the public WHOIS database.

“If the domain is being registered for a business, make sure to use the business details to register the domain, as those details are likely already public,” advises independent UX/UI designer Dave Smyth.

Regularly monitor your domain registration

You can’t buy a domain outright—rather, you lease it from a registrar, meaning you’ll need to renew your contract every few years to maintain ownership.

Registrars often use WHOIS information to contact domain owners regarding issues with their domain, such as transfer requests or renewal notices. Keep your details up to date to avoid missing notifications. Worst case, someone could snap it up and ransom it or, worse, use it to phish or harm your customers and brand.

Amazingly, even Google lost its domain for one minute when a slip-up allowed a former employee to buy it. The individual amicably settled with Google for a donation to his favorite charity. 

Setup your domain with Shopify

Ready to get started with your new website domain? Registering your domain with Shopify gives you automatic access to Shopify’s full suite of business tools to help you manage your domain and beyond.

Shopify makes it easy to build a successful business online with tools that streamline inventory management, shipping and fulfillment, marketing automations, and more.