DomainTools Help
We're working on improving our products every day. Even so, we realize that there may be times when you have problems or questions about our site, our products, or domain names in general. Find the answers to common questions below. For general issues about domain names themselves, we suggest you look in our ever-expanding Learn section for information on a broad range of topics.
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Whois
How does DomainTools access and distribute Whois records?
DomainTools performs a Whois query when requested by a client. Single Whois records are free to obtain on DomainTools.com; access to lists of Whois records are available for a fee through the Domain History and Reverse Whois services.
Top of page ^What is an ICANN accredited registrar?
An ICANN registrar is any registrar that has been accredited to resell domain name registrations to individuals. GoDaddy is an example of an ICANN registrar. To find out about the responsibilities and details of accredited registrars, visit http://www.icann.org/en/registrars/ra-agreement-17may01.htm.
Top of page ^I want to buy a domain name that, according to the Whois record, has expired and does not appear available for purchase. How can I do this?
When domain names expire they are sometimes temporarily deleted, in which case they are not available for purchase for some time after their expiration date. It is in your best interest to use DomainTools Drop Catching service to ensure you are first in line to purchase the domain once it becomes available, and register it with an ICANN accredited registrar.
Top of page ^Do I have to hold a DomainTools membership to use Whois search?
As a guest, you are allowed to perform a limited number of Whois searches. Although it is not necessary to be a member to use Whois search, it is suggested as with a membership your Whois search limit will increase.
Top of page ^What is the Whois service?
The Whois service allows you to gather information about a domain name. When you enter a domain name into the Whois search bar, the Whois record is return on a page displaying a comprehensive list of gathered information about that particular domain name. Whois records contain information about the registrant, the server the registrar's record points to, and the website that resolves for the www subdomain. The Whois record also contains contact information about the owner of the domain.
Top of page ^What is MyWhois?
As a DomainTools member, you can configure a custom view of Whois pages you search. To customize your Whois output pages, login to your DomainTools account, or create a new DomainTools account, and click the MyWhois tab on the Whois search page.
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Whois Contents
What is a Whois server?
A Whois server is set-up by an ICANN accredited registrar to acquire up-to-date information about domains that are registered within it. Every ICANN registrar is mandated to maintain a Whois server according to the ICANN agreement.
Top of page ^What do Title Relevancy and Description Relevancy mean?
Title Relevancy and Description Relevancy refer to the relevancy of the domain's title and body to the domain's meta keywords. A higher match percentage will often yield higher SEO scores.
Top of page ^What do the rankings in the Whois record mean to me?
These rankings may help you determine whether or not your website needs SEO optimization and how many people visit your website in an allotted time period. The Indexed Data ranking refers to the popularity (number of visitors) to a domain. The Front Page Information rankings deal with page construction as conducive to various search engines.
Top of page ^The thumbnail image for my domain is not current. How can I update it?
If the thumbnail image we present is not current, please locate the 'Queue this Domain for Update' link that will appear below the image we have captured. Please note that if your website is a 'parking' page the image will not be allowed to be updated as we do not present such thumbnails. If you require assistance please contact: memberservices@domaintools.com
Top of page ^After a few Whois searches, I am shown an image containing distorted characters. What is this and how do I retrieve the Whois results?
This image is called a CAPTCHA. A CAPTCHA is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to ensure the response is generated by a human and not a computer. We use the CAPTCHA to ensure that users are not scripting or indexing our site. It is generally triggered when one of our hard-coded thresholds is breached by the user. To retrieve your Whois results, enter the correct solution to the CAPTCHA in the space provided and your will be redirected to the Whois results page.
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Whois Privacy
Are Whois records private?
No. By design, Whois records are intended to be public to provide accountability and openness within the domain name system. WHOIS services provide public access to data on registered domain names, which currently includes contact information for Registered Name Holders. The extent of registration data collected at the time of registration of a domain name, and the ways such data can be accessed, are specified in agreements established by ICANN for domain names registered in generic top-level domains (gTLDs). For example, ICANN requires accredited registrars to collect and provide free public access to the name of the registered domain name and its nameservers and registrar, the date the domain was created and when its registration expires, and the contact information for the Registered Name Holder, the technical contact, and the administrative contact.
Top of page ^What is a private registration?
A private registration, also referred to as a proxy registration, occurs when an individual registers a domain through an obfuscation service. All email and other mail goes directly to this service, rather than the individual. It is then forwarded to the individual as to ensure privacy. This method of registration does increase privacy; however, it can often be dangerous because the registrant is actually the service and not the individual using the service. Thus, the individual has limited access to manage their registration records and no control over their domain in the event that the third-party service goes under.
Top of page ^What does it mean when a domain is privacy protected?
When a domain is privacy protected, it means that the domain owner opted to use a privacy service offered through their current registrar. All privacy services are a third-party service that replaces domain owner's personal information with their third-party information in WHOIS records. Domain owners may opt to use privacy protection so that they can remain anonymous. When a domain is privacy protected protected, you have no way to contact the domain owner directly. You may contact the privacy service provider at the email provided in the WHOIS record for information pertaining to further contacting the domain owner. You may also visit the privacy service providers website in order to contact the registrant.
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Obtaining and Updating Whois Records
Who is responsible for the information in the Whois records? How do I update my information if it is incorrect?
The information in a WHOIS record is maintained by the domain's Registrar. It is the responsibility of the domain owner to contact their domain registrar if information contained within a WHOIS record is incomplete or incorrect. According to ICANN's registrar agreement (http://www.icann.org/en/registrars/ra-agreement-17may01.htm#3), the registrar to which a domain is registered is required to maintain up-to-date contact information about the owner of that domain. DomainTools displays WHOIS is records as reported by the registrar of the particular domain. If your domain's WHOIS record is incorrect, please contact your registrar to update the information.
Top of page ^Do I have to hold a DomainTools membership to use Whois search?
As a guest, you are allowed to perform a limited number of WHOIS searches. Although it is not necessary to be a member to use WHOIS search, it is suggested as with a membership your WHOIS search limit will increase.
Top of page ^Do you offer a programmatic way to access Whois records?
No. Unfortunately it is against the ICANN Whois agreement to script access to current Whois records. However, check your email for DomainTools updates as we may soon be offering a new service that scripts pre-recorded Whois records.
Top of page ^The Whois information for my domain is not accurate. Can DomainTools fix this for me?
All of the information we display comes directly from the source registrar. DomainTools has no authority or capacity to change or update any WHOIS record on our site. You should already have an established user account with your registrar from which you can manage your domain name. If your current WHOIS data requires updating it is up to the registrant to do so. If you need assistance please contact your Registrar's Support Team. Once you have updated the information with your registrar, the information we show will also update accordingly.
Top of page ^What does it mean when a WHOIS look up returns no information?
When a domain or IP address is not found in a WHOIS search, it generally means that the domain name is not currently registered by an accredited ICANN registrar and may available for purchase. It can also mean that the name has entered the 'Redemption/Delete' period or the WHOIS server for that data is not being provided to us.
Top of page ^Is an API available for Whois search?
Yes, a Whois API is available to you on a contract basis. The Whois API queries is considered a Custom Request so it is in your best interest to please submit a ticket to our Client Relations Team at http://support.domaintools.com. for more information. General API pricing for Whois is as follows: 10,000 Searches per month - $1300($0.13/search) 25,000 Searches per month - $2000($0.08/search) 50,000 Searches per month - $2500($0.05/search)
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