WHOIS Lookup API
Look up WHOIS and RDAP data for any domain — registrar, dates, nameservers
api.robotdomainsearch.com/whois
── Try It Live ──
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Enter a domain above to look up WHOIS data │
│ Results will appear here in real-time... │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
── How It Works ──
1
Send a Request
Pass any domain to the WHOIS endpoint — no API key needed
2
Get Structured Data
Receive registrar, dates, nameservers, and DNSSEC info as JSON
3
Build With It
Use WHOIS data for monitoring, compliance, or security tools
── What Data You Get ──
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ Registrar Name, IANA ID, URL, abuse contact │ │ Dates Created, updated, expires (ISO 8601) │ │ Status Domain status codes (clientTransferProhibited, etc.) │ │ Nameservers All nameservers for the domain │ │ DNSSEC Delegation signed status │ │ Registrant Name, organization (when publicly available) │ │ Source Whether data came from RDAP or legacy WHOIS │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ ▸ Registrar info │ │ ▸ Created / Expires dates │ │ ▸ Domain status codes │ │ ▸ Nameservers │ │ ▸ DNSSEC status │ │ ▸ Registrant details │ │ ▸ Data source (RDAP/WHOIS) │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────┘
── RDAP vs Legacy WHOIS ──
┌─ RDAP (Modern) ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ ▸ Structured JSON responses — no parsing needed │ │ ▸ ICANN-mandated standard replacing WHOIS │ │ ▸ Internationalization support (Unicode) │ │ ▸ Standardized error codes and rate limiting │ │ │ ├─ WHOIS (Legacy) ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ ▸ Plain-text format — requires parsing │ │ ▸ Varies by registry — inconsistent formats │ │ ▸ Still used by some ccTLDs │ │ │ ├─ RobotDomainSearch ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ ▸ Uses RDAP first, falls back to WHOIS automatically │ │ ▸ Returns consistent JSON regardless of source │ │ ▸ Reports which protocol was used in the response │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │ RDAP (Modern) │ │ ▸ Structured JSON │ │ ▸ ICANN standard │ │ ▸ Unicode support │ ├──────────────────────────────────┤ │ WHOIS (Legacy) │ │ ▸ Plain-text format │ │ ▸ Varies by registry │ ├──────────────────────────────────┤ │ RobotDomainSearch │ │ ▸ RDAP first, WHOIS fallback │ │ ▸ Consistent JSON always │ └──────────────────────────────────┘
── Code Samples ──
# Look up WHOIS data
$ curl "https://api.robotdomainsearch.com/whois?domain=google.com"
# Force a fresh lookup (bypass cache)
$ curl "https://api.robotdomainsearch.com/whois?domain=google.com&refresh=true"import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.robotdomainsearch.com/whois",
params={"domain": "google.com"})
data = r.json()
print(f"Registrar: {data['registrar']['name']}")
print(f"Created: {data['dates']['created']}")
print(f"Expires: {data['dates']['expires']}")
print(f"Source: {data['source']}")const res = await fetch("https://api.robotdomainsearch.com/whois?domain=google.com");
const data = await res.json();
console.log(`Registrar: ${data.registrar.name}`);
console.log(`Created: ${data.dates.created}`);
console.log(`Expires: ${data.dates.expires}`);
console.log(`Nameservers: ${data.nameservers.join(", ")}`);── Related APIs ──
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ → Domain Availability API — Check if a domain is available │ │ → Domain Intelligence API — Parked detection and screenshots │ │ → Domain Auction API — Browse live domain auctions │ │ → Full API Reference — Complete /whois endpoint documentation │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
── Frequently Asked Questions ──
What is the WHOIS API?
RobotDomainSearch's WHOIS API provides domain registration data including registrar, creation and expiry dates, nameservers, DNSSEC status, and registrant information. It uses RDAP (the modern replacement for WHOIS) with fallback to legacy WHOIS for maximum coverage.
What is the difference between RDAP and WHOIS?
RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) is the modern, ICANN-mandated replacement for WHOIS. It returns structured JSON data, supports internationalization, and has standardized error handling. RobotDomainSearch uses RDAP first and falls back to legacy WHOIS when needed.
Do I need an API key?
No. RobotDomainSearch is free during beta with no API key required. You get 60 requests per minute with full access to all endpoints.
What data does the WHOIS API return?
The API returns: registrar name and URL, domain creation/updated/expiry dates, domain status codes, nameservers, DNSSEC delegation status, and registrant contact information (when available). Response also includes the data source (RDAP or WHOIS).
Can I force a fresh lookup?
Yes. Add the refresh=true parameter to bypass the cache and get fresh WHOIS data directly from the registry. Cached responses are typically updated within 24 hours.
Does it work for all TLDs?
The WHOIS API supports lookups for virtually all gTLDs and most ccTLDs that provide public WHOIS or RDAP access. Coverage spans 500+ TLDs.
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ Ready to get started? │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ Ready to get started? │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────┘