WHOIS Explains: Reading Domain Information and Knowing Limits
What WHOIS data shows, what it is useful for, and the limitations of data protection and interpretation.
The strongest effect usually arises when the topic is not only theoretically understood, but directly checked on real URLs, page types and search intentions.
What WHOIS data shows, what it is useful for, and the limitations of data protection and interpretation. This wiki page arranges the topic practically and shows, When priority arises, which mistakes are often and how you derive concrete measures from them.
Example: The registration date does not explain the website history
A query shows an old domain creation date, but the current website has only recently existed. Distinguish registration, change of operator and publication of content. Depending on the registry and query procedure, different data is publicly visible.
No reliable SEO bonus or proof of trust can be derived from the domain age. When purchasing, additionally check previous use, brand reference and technical contaminated sites. Concealed contact information is not automatically a warning sign.
Can a domain owner query via the Whois protocol?
No, this is no longer allowed for data protection reasons since 2010. Instead, DENIC provides the relevant information via its homepage. This Frankfurt cooperative manages the top-level domain. de. Since the GDPR came into force in May 2018, it only contains the technical information of the name server and an e-mail address for establishing contact. Owners of a domain can request their self-registered data. The query by third parties is only possible for authorities or in legal disputes.
What is Whois for today (2021)?
Before May 2018, the Whois protocol enabled the query about the owner or admin of a website including the name, postal and e-mail addresses and telephone numbers. Today, only data that has no relation to the persons are provided. Excluded from this, as already mentioned, are administrative queries and queries of parties to a proven legal dispute. Otherwise, these data are available:
- Domain expiration date
- Transfer status
- Registrar of a domain
Depending on the domain extension, there may be more information. The purpose of this information is to negotiate with the registrar initial problems regarding rights violations or to agree on technical problems. Domain trading can be an important purpose. If someone considers a domain attractive and finds that there is no activity on it, so it may soon be abandoned, the Whois protocol would tell the expiration date of the domain, which is interesting for the acquisition.
Creation of the Whois Protocol
In the 1960s to 1980s there was already the ARPANET, which connected university libraries, for example. It was the predecessor of today’s Internet. At that time, the Department of Defense DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) centrally managed all ARPANET domains. The ARPANET had its predecessor in a purely military network, from which this administration resulted.
The DARPA administration made it possible to retrieve all information about domains, allocated IP addresses and people from a single DARPA server. The data volumes were still comparatively small, which is why this centralization was practical. During this time, the Whois protocol was developed.