Port 43, inconsistent labels, limited internationalization, brittle parsing.
All tools
IDENTITY TOOL / 14Domain registration
Domain registration
& RDAP inspector
Use IANA’s bootstrap to reach the responsible registry and turn standardized registration data into a lifecycle and operational-risk view.
- Authoritative RDAP discovery
- Dates, status locks, and registrar
- Nameservers, DNSSEC, and raw JSON
Domain object
DISCOVERY PLAN
IANA bootstrap → .com registry → /domain/emailbump.comNo WHOIS scraping and no commercial registration-data API.
The browser requests IANA’s RDAP bootstrap and the listed registry service. The registry sees the queried domain and normal request metadata.
WHOIS was a text dump. RDAP has a data model.
Read dates as events, contacts as role-bearing entities, locks as statuses, and redaction as explicit registry policy—not brittle lines of scraped text.
domainexample.com
events[]status[]entities[]nameservers[]
01 / MODERN LOOKUP
This is the useful successor to a WHOIS lookup.
RDAP delivers registration data over HTTPS as standardized JSON. Events, entities, statuses, links, notices, nameservers, and DNSSEC evidence have explicit fields instead of registry-specific text labels. For generic top-level domains, ICANN made RDAP the definitive registration-data source when WHOIS obligations were sunset in January 2025.
Bootstrap discovery, JSON objects, roles, links, notices, status arrays, differentiated access.
02 / BOOTSTRAP
The TLD chooses the registration-data service.
The client first reads IANA’s DNS RDAP bootstrap registry. It finds the service mapped to the domain’s top-level label, appends domain/<name> to that base URL, and requests the object. The result therefore comes from the service selected by the namespace, not a hard-coded commercial lookup provider.
INPUTexample.com
IANA.com → service base
REGISTRY/domain/example.com
03 / LIFECYCLE
An expiration timestamp is not a release timestamp.
RDAP events can include registration, expiration, last change, transfer, and the last update of the RDAP database. The registry chooses which events to publish. After an expiration event, auto-renew grace, registrar renewal, redemption, pending deletion, registry reservation, and auction rules can prevent immediate third-party registration.
ACTIVE TERM
Normal registration and renewal operations.
EXPIRATION
A contract or registry event, not instant public availability.
GRACE / REDEMPTION
Provider and registry recovery rules can preserve the holder’s options.
PENDING DELETE
Deletion may follow after the applicable lifecycle period.
04 / STATUS
Locks are usually protective; holds affect resolution.
RDAP status values commonly map from EPP. A client transfer prohibited status is a familiar registrar lock. Client or server update and delete prohibitions restrict changes. Client hold or server hold is more operationally urgent because it can remove the domain from the DNS zone and disrupt websites and email.
client transfer prohibitedRegistrar-side transfer lock; often deliberate account protection.
server transfer prohibitedRegistry-side transfer lock; investigate before a planned move.
client holdRegistrar-side DNS publication hold; service resolution can stop.
server holdRegistry-side DNS publication hold; can indicate dispute, abuse, or policy action.
redemption periodPost-deletion recovery phase that normally requires registrar restoration.
pending deleteLate lifecycle state; ordinary renewal may no longer be possible.
05 / ACCESS & REDACTION
Missing personal data is not a lookup failure.
RDAP supports differentiated access. Public responses can omit or redact registrant contact data because of law, policy, contractual requirements, and server access level. Registries and registrars can return notices explaining disclosure or request processes.
VISIBLE HERE
Lifecycle, registrar role, public identifiers, nameservers, DNSSEC, statuses, and registry notices.
NOT INFERRED
Ownership identity, private contacts, intent, legal entitlement, valuation, or guaranteed availability.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Domain lookup FAQ.
Is RDAP the same as WHOIS?+
It serves a similar registration-data purpose, but RDAP uses HTTPS, service discovery, and structured JSON. ICANN made it the definitive source for gTLD registration data in January 2025.
Can this tell me whether a domain is available to buy?+
No. A missing RDAP object is not an availability guarantee. Reserved names, premium rules, registry policy, unsupported services, rate limits, and lifecycle states can intervene. Confirm with an accredited registrar.
Why is the registrant hidden?+
Public registration responses can redact or omit personal data under law and policy. RDAP supports different access levels; missing public contact fields do not mean the registration lacks a holder.
Does the expiration date mean I can register it the next day?+
No. Auto-renew grace, redemption, pending deletion, registrar auctions, registry reservations, and policy can extend or change the lifecycle.
Does unsigned DNSSEC mean the domain is unsafe?+
No. It means the response reports no signed delegation. DNSSEC protects DNS authenticity when correctly deployed, but many legitimate domains remain unsigned.
PRIMARY MATERIAL
OWN THE DOMAIN LIFECYCLE
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