About WHOIS WHOIS isn’t an acronym, though it may look like one. In fact, it is the system that asks the question, who is responsible for a domain name or an IP address?
1. What is WHOIS? Every year, millions of individuals, businesses, organizations and governments register domain names. Each one must provide identifying and contact information which may include: name, address, email, phone number, and administrative and technical contacts. This information is often referred to as “WHOIS data.” But the WHOIS service is not a single, centrally-operated database. Instead, the data is managed by independent entities known as “registrars” and “registries.” Any entity that wants to become a registrar must earn ICANN accreditation. Similarly, registries are under contract with ICANN to operate a generic top level domain, such as .COM, .ORG, or one of the new ones that may soon be under operation. ICANN’s Affirmation of Commitments requires it to “implement measures to maintain timely, unrestricted and public access to accurate and complete WHOIS information....” To do that, registrars and registries provide public access to data on registered names. Anyone can use the WHOIS protocol to search their databases and identify the registered name holder or “registrant” of a domain name.
2. Registrant Benefits and Responsibilities Registrants play a key role in ensuring the accuracy of WHOIS. As a registrant, you are required to provide accurate WHOIS contact data, and maintain its accuracy throughout the term of your registration period. When you register a domain name, you must give your registrar accurate and reliable contact details and correct and update them promptly if there are any changes during the term of the registration period. This obligation is part of your registration agreement with the registrar. If you give wrong information on purpose, or don’t update your information promptly if there is a change, your domain name registration may be suspended or even cancelled. This could also happen if you don’t respond to inquiries by your registrar if they contact you about the accuracy of your contact information. On an annual basis, your registrar is required to send you an annual reminder of your obligation to maintain the accuracy of your WHOIS. Please review the information provided by your registrar in this reminder carefully and make any necessary corrections. If you find that your WHOIS information is inaccurate, please refer to: About Correcting my WHOIS Data. Depending on the version of the Registrar Accreditation Agreement your registrar has contracted with ICANN, there are different rights, benefits or responsibilities that apply. For the version of the Registrar Accreditation Agreement applicable your registrar refer to: http://www.internic.net/alpha.html Learn more about the 2013 RAA - Registrant Benefits and Responsibilities as documented in the 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement for maintaining accurate WHOIS data. Learn more about the 2009 RAA - Registrant Rights and Responsibilities as documented in the 2009 Registrar Accreditation Agreement for maintaining accurate WHOIS data.
3. History of WHOIS WHOIS traces its roots to 1982, when the Internet Engineering Task Force published a protocol for a directory service for ARPANET users. Initially, the directory simply listed the contact information that was requested of anyone transmitting data across the ARPANET. As the Internet grew, WHOIS began to serve the needs of different stakeholders such as registrants, law enforcement agents, intellectual property and trademark owners, businesses and individual users. But the protocol remained fundamentally based on those original IETF standards. This is the WHOIS protocol that ICANN inherited when it was established in 1998. Learn more about the History of WHOIS.
4. What's on the Horizon? It’s very likely that WHOIS will change dramatically in the future. The process of re-inventing WHOIS began in November 2012, when ICANN’s Board approved a two-pronged strategy to embrace the recommendations made by the WHOIS Review Team (RT) to improve the manner in which the current WHOIS system was being overseen by ICANN. Learn more about What's on the Horizon to update the WHOIS system.
5. About this Site This site represents the development of a three phased approach at improving WHOIS data accuracy. Learn more About This Site and how it intends to improve WHOIS.