In Whois, a domain name has expired but doesn’t appear available for purchase. How can I buy it?

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 a 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.

What is shown on the DomainTools Whois page?

The DomainTools Whois results page consists of four major sections:
– The Domain Profile, which is a summary of key data about the domain that comes from the Whois record itself as well as other data sources maintained by DomainTools.
– The raw Whois record, as provided directly from the authoritative Whois server
– The Tools section, providing access to DomainTools research and monitoring products.
– Available TLDs, showing registration status for the same domain name in other generic and country Top Level Domains (TLDs).
For detailed information about using Whois, please see the Whois User Guide.

Who is responsible for 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/about/agreements/registrars), 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 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.

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.

After a few Whois searches, I am shown an image with distorted characters. What is this?

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 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.

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 DomainTools Whois search bar, data from the Whois record, as well as other information sources in the DomainTools database, are returned on a page displaying a rich profile of the domain name. Whois records can contain information about the registrar, the domain’s name server, and the dates of registration and expiration. The Whois record may also contain contact information about the owner of the domain.

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.

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 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.

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 Screenshot for Update’ link that will appear below the image we have captured.
If you require assistance please contact: memberservices@afellinidomaintools-com/

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.