How do I find out where my domain is registered?
The short answer
Search for your domain at ICANN Lookup (lookup.icann.org). It shows the registrar, the company you rent the domain from, and the expiry date. Then search your email for that company’s name to find the account and its renewal notices.
- Go to ICANN Lookup and enter your domain.
- Note the registrar and the expiry date.
- Search your inbox, and your web designer’s if they set it up, for emails from that registrar.
- Sign in, or use “forgot password” with the email address that receives those notices.
Owners’ personal details are usually hidden for privacy, so the lookup shows the registrar rather than your name. Since 28 January 2025 the lookup for .com and other generic domains uses RDAP, which replaced the old WHOIS system. Country domains such as .com.au or .co.uk follow their own rules, and the lookup may send you to the national registry’s own search.
Words used here
- Domain registrar
- The company you buy (rent) your website name from — e.g. Namecheap, Cloudflare, Porkbun or GoDaddy.
- Domain expiry
- The day a domain registration ends. After a short grace period, anyone can register the name — including your competitors.
- Domain (WHOIS) privacy
- Hides your name, address and phone number from the public records of who owns a domain. Many registrars include it free; some charge for it.
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