Short answer: To see who owns a domain, look it up in ICANN Lookup at lookup.icann.org. Since January 28, 2025, RDAP, the system behind it, is the definitive source for generic domains like .com. You’ll see the registrar, the dates and the status, but the owner may show as a privacy service, as ours does.
What a domain lookup shows
A lookup returns the registration record of the domain. RDAP was created as the replacement for WHOIS and delivers the same kind of registration data in a standard format. Since January 28, 2025, registries and registrars for generic domains no longer have to offer WHOIS, except for .com, .name and .post. The table gives the meaning of each field and the values for our own domain.
| Field | What it tells you | Our domain |
|---|---|---|
| Registrar | The company where the domain is registered | GoDaddy.com, LLC |
| Registration date | When the domain was first registered | September 5, 2018 |
| Expiration date | The date to renew it by | September 5, 2027 |
| Status | Locks and states set by the registrar or the registry | Four registrar locks, among them one against transfers |
| Name servers | The servers that answer for the domain’s DNS | Four ui-dns servers |
| Registrant | The owner, or the privacy service that stands in | Registration Private, Domains By Proxy, LLC |
From ICANN’s RDAP pages and our own lookup through the .com registry and our registrar, read November 3, 2026.
How to look up who owns a domain
- Open ICANN Lookup at lookup.icann.org.
- Type the domain name, such as yourbusiness.com, and run the lookup.
- Note the registrar, the company where the domain is registered.
- Check the expiration date and put it in your calendar.
- Read the status codes. With clientTransferProhibited, the registry rejects any transfer of the domain to another registrar.
- Look at the registrant. If a privacy or proxy service appears, the owner’s details are behind that service.
- If the data isn’t public and you have a legitimate interest, use ICANN’s Registration Data Request Service. If the registrar doesn’t take part, ask it directly.
Your domain’s DNS also holds the records that protect your email, covered in our SPF, DKIM and DMARC guide. If you ever change domains, a 301 redirect sends visitors and Google to the new one.
Keep your own domain from expiring
ICANN requires registrars to send two renewal reminders, about one month and one week before a domain expires, and another within five days after. Keep your contact details current so the reminders reach you. If you use auto-renew, keep your payment details current too.
If the registrar deletes a domain after it expires, the domain enters a 30-day redemption period in which it can still be restored. Then it spends five days pending deletion, and after that anyone can register it.
What our own lookup shows
We looked up feedback-studios.com on November 3, 2026. The .com registry lists GoDaddy as the registrar, a registration date of September 5, 2018 and an expiration date of September 5, 2027.
The registrar’s record shows the owner as Registration Private, from Domains By Proxy, LLC, with the email hidden. So the public record doesn’t name us. The registration agreement with the registrar ties a domain to its owner, and ICANN says you can review it at any time.
The registry also lists four registrar locks on our domain, among them the one that blocks transfers.
Before you call your domain safe
- You know which registrar holds your domain.
- The registrar account is in your business’s name and you can sign in.
- The expiration date is in your calendar.
- Auto-renew is on and the payment details are current.
- The contact email at the registrar is one you read.
- The domain is locked against transfers.
RememberLook up your own domain once a year and check the registrar, the expiration date, the status and the email that gets the reminders.
If you want help taking control of your domain and your website, see our web design service.
Quick answers about domain ownership
How do I find out who owns a domain?
Look the domain up in ICANN Lookup at lookup.icann.org. Since January 28, 2025, RDAP, the system behind it, is the definitive source for generic domains like .com. If the owner uses a privacy service, you see that service instead of a name.
What is RDAP?
RDAP, the Registration Data Access Protocol, was created to replace WHOIS. It delivers the same kind of registration data in a standard format, and ICANN made it the definitive source for generic domains on January 28, 2025.
Why does a domain show a privacy service instead of the owner?
The owner uses a privacy or proxy service, so the public record shows the service and not their details. Our own domain shows Registration Private, from Domains By Proxy, LLC, with the email hidden.
How can I get the owner’s details if they’re hidden?
ICANN says to check ICANN Lookup first. If the data isn’t public and you have a legitimate interest, request it through ICANN’s Registration Data Request Service, for registrars that take part, or contact the domain’s registrar directly.
What happens if my domain expires?
Your registrar sends reminders before and after the date. If the registrar deletes the domain, it enters a 30-day redemption period in which it can still be restored, then five days pending deletion, and then anyone can register it.
Sources
Read on November 3, 2026. ICANN: Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP), ICANN Update: Launching RDAP; Sunsetting WHOIS, Registration Data Request Service and FAQs for Registrants: Domain Name Renewals and Expiration. Also from ICANN: Registrants’ Benefits and Responsibilities and EPP Status Codes. Our own case: the RDAP records of feedback-studios.com from the .com registry and our registrar, November 3, 2026.