WHOIS is a protocol that is widely used for querying databases that store the registered users or assignees of an internet resource, such as a domain name, an IP address block, or an autonomous system. This protocol is used to provide information about the domain name registration and the networking contact points. WHOIS can be accessed by anyone through various websites that offer WHOIS lookup services or via command-line interfaces provided by operating systems. The information provided by WHOIS includes the name of the domain owner, contact details, domain availability status, registration date, expiration date, and where the domain’s nameservers are located. This can be particularly useful for a variety of purposes, such as verifying the owner of a domain, contact information for networking administration, or for legal or investigative purposes. However, due to privacy concerns, some of the information might be redacted or privacy-protected, depending on the registrar’s policies and the domain owner’s preferences.
