What information does the Whois API provide?

The Whois Lookup API returns a comprehensive set of domain registration data in structured JSON format. This includes the registrant organization name and contact details, the sponsoring registrar name and IANA ID, domain creation date, last-updated date, and expiration date, as well as the authoritative nameservers assigned to the domain. You also receive EPP status codes such as clientTransferProhibited or serverDeleteProhibited, which indicate the current lock state of the domain. The API normalizes data across different registrar formats, so you receive a consistent schema regardless of the underlying WHOIS server protocol or TLD-specific variations.

Can I lookup any domain extension with this API?

Yes, the API supports lookups for over 500 top-level domain extensions, including generic TLDs like .com, .net, .org, and .info, country-code TLDs such as .co.uk, .de, .fr, .jp, and .au, as well as newer gTLDs like .io, .dev, .app, and .xyz. Behind the scenes, the API automatically routes your query to the correct authoritative WHOIS server for each TLD and parses the response into a consistent JSON schema. This means you do not need to maintain a mapping of WHOIS servers yourself or handle the varied text-based output formats that different registries produce.

How current is the whois data?

The API performs live queries against the authoritative WHOIS servers for each domain at the time of your request, so data is always real-time. There is no stale cache layer between your request and the registry source. This means that recent changes to registrant information, nameserver updates, domain transfers, or EPP status modifications are reflected immediately. For domains that have transitioned to the newer RDAP protocol, the API seamlessly queries the RDAP endpoint instead, which offers structured JSON natively and is the ICANN-recommended successor to the traditional WHOIS text protocol.

How does domain privacy protection affect WHOIS results?

When a domain owner enables privacy protection (also called WHOIS proxy or privacy guard) through their registrar, the registrant contact fields in the WHOIS record are replaced with the proxy service's information instead of the actual owner's personal details. The API will return whatever data the authoritative WHOIS server provides, so privacy-protected domains will show the proxy organization name, a generic forwarding email, and the proxy service address. However, key technical fields such as nameservers, domain status codes, creation and expiration dates, and the sponsoring registrar remain fully visible regardless of privacy settings, since these are maintained by the registry itself.

What is the difference between WHOIS and RDAP?

WHOIS is the original domain registration query protocol defined in RFC 3912, which returns unstructured plain-text responses with no standardized format across registries. RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol), defined in RFC 7480-7484, is the modern replacement endorsed by ICANN that returns structured JSON responses with built-in support for internationalization, authenticated access, and differentiated access control. Our API abstracts this complexity entirely: it detects whether a TLD supports RDAP and automatically uses the appropriate protocol, then normalizes the output into a single consistent JSON schema. You get the benefits of RDAP coverage and accuracy without needing to implement either protocol yourself.

Can I use the Whois API for brand protection and domain monitoring?

Absolutely. The Whois API is widely used for brand protection workflows such as monitoring newly registered domains that contain your brand name or trademark, detecting typosquatting variations that could be used for phishing campaigns, and tracking expiration dates on domains in your portfolio to prevent accidental lapses. By polling the API on a scheduled basis, you can build automated alerting systems that notify your legal or security team when suspicious domains appear. The structured JSON output integrates easily with SIEM platforms, ticketing systems, and custom dashboards, enabling you to incorporate domain intelligence directly into your existing security operations pipeline.

Comprehensive domain information retrieval for developers

Whois Lookup API

The Whois Lookup API provides developers with instant access to comprehensive domain registration information. Query any domain to retrieve registrant details, registrar information, domain dates, and nameservers in a structured JSON format.

Perfect for domain research, cybersecurity analysis, brand protection, and compliance verification. The API handles multiple TLD formats and provides consistent, reliable data from authoritative whois servers worldwide.

Get a free API key Read the docs

Free tier included, no credit card required. One key works across every API.

Free calls / month: 200
Domain TLDs: 500+
Response Time: <2s
Data Accuracy: 99.9%

Get your free API key

200 free calls on the free plan

Key features

Real-time whois data from authoritative servers
Support for 500+ domain extensions
Registrant and registrar information
Domain creation, expiration, and update dates
Nameserver and DNS information
Domain status and lock information
Structured JSON response format

Built for

Domain research and analysis
Cybersecurity threat intelligence
Brand protection monitoring
Compliance and due diligence
Domain portfolio management
Legal and trademark research
Website acquisition research
Domain expiration monitoring

MCP · for your agent

Hand the Whois API to your agent

Connect Claude, Cursor or any MCP client once, then ask in plain words. Your agent finds this API, reads its docs and makes the call: 5 credits per call, the same as REST, from your team's balance.

Connect your agent

Investigate a lookalike domain

“Someone registered contoso-billing-help.com and is emailing our customers. How old is it, who's the registrar, and does it take mail?”

list_apis · get_api_docsfree

api_request GET /whois/v1/domain?domain=contoso-billing-help.com 5 cr

+ DNS Lookup API5 cr

Registration date, age, registrar and abuse contact, plus its mail servers, for a takedown.

Research a domain before buying

“We want to buy northwind-traders.ai. Who's the registrar, when does it expire, and is the site just a parked page?”

list_apis · get_api_docsfree

api_request GET /whois/v1/domain?domain=northwind-traders.ai 5 cr

+ Web Scraper API5 cr

Registrar, key dates and status, plus what the site shows today, to shape your offer.

Document an upstream IP

“Which registry and organization is 8.8.8.8 allocated to? I'm documenting the DNS resolvers in our network config.”

list_apis · get_api_docsfree

api_request GET /whois/v1/ip?ip=8.8.8.8 5 cr

The responsible registry, the organization and the network range for the address.

$ claude mcp add --transport http apicodex https://mcp.apicodex.io

Illustrative asks; the calls and prices are real. Claude, Cursor, VS Code and Windsurf setup: mcp.apicodex.io

Try it

Build the request for your data

Edit the parameters below and see the exact request and curl command you'd send. No key required to preview.

GET /whois/v1/domain

Open in Playground

Parameters

domain

Request · HTTP

GET /whois/v1/domain?domain=example.com HTTP/1.1
Host: api.apicodex.io
X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY

Response · JSON 200 OK

{
"domain": "example.com",
"registrar": "Example Registrar Inc.",
"registrant_name": "Example Organization",
"registrant_email": "[email protected]",
"creation_date": "1995-08-14",
"expiration_date": "2025-08-13",
"updated_date": "2024-07-12",
"nameservers": [
  "ns1.example.com",
  "ns2.example.com"
],
"status": ["clientTransferProhibited"]
}

Run it with your key

Documentation

Whois Lookup API Documentation

The Whois Lookup API provides comprehensive access to domain registration information from authoritative whois servers worldwide. Query any domain to retrieve registrant details, registrar information, domain dates, nameservers, and domain status in a structured JSON format.

Base URL

url

https://api.apicodex.io/whois

Authentication

Authenticate every request with your API key: send it in an X-Api-Key header, or pass it as an ?apikey= query parameter.

headers

{
"X-Api-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}

Request and response

Illustrative values. Confirm current endpoint behavior, quotas, and data freshness in the API documentation before production use.

request · http

GET /whois/v1/domain?domain=example.com HTTP/1.1
Host: api.apicodex.io
X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY

response · json

{
"domain": "example.com",
"registrar": "Example Registrar Inc.",
"registrant_name": "Example Organization",
"registrant_email": "[email protected]",
"creation_date": "1995-08-14",
"expiration_date": "2025-08-13",
"updated_date": "2024-07-12",
"nameservers": [
  "ns1.example.com",
  "ns2.example.com"
],
"status": ["clientTransferProhibited"]
}

Code examples

JavaScript/Node.js

const axios = require('axios');

const options = {
  method: 'GET',
  url: 'https://api.apicodex.io/whois/v1/domain',
  params: {domain: 'example.com'},
  headers: {
    'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY'
  }
};

try {
  const response = await axios.request(options);
  console.log(response.data);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
}

Python

import requests

url = "https://api.apicodex.io/whois/v1/domain"

querystring = {"domain":"example.com"}

headers = {
    "X-Api-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=querystring)

print(response.json())

cURL

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.apicodex.io/whois/v1/domain?domain=example.com' \
  --header 'X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY'

Endpoints

GET /v1/domain

WHOIS record for a registrable domain: registrar, registrant (where published), key dates, nameservers and status codes. Subdomains and URLs are reduced to the registrable domain. Optional: source=auto|whois|rdap, raw=true.

/v1/domain?domain=example.com

GET /v1/ip

Network allocation record for an IPv4 or IPv6 address from the responsible regional registry (ARIN, RIPE, APNIC, LACNIC or AFRINIC). Optional: raw=true.

/v1/ip?ip=8.8.8.8

Pricing

Whois Lookup API Pricing

This API costs 5 credits per request. Credits are shared across every API on your plan.

Estimate your monthly cost

Drag the slider to match your expected request volume. We'll recommend the cheapest plan that covers it.

Requests per month 10,000

Recommended plan

Starter

$29.99 /month

Credits used

Credits included

Cost per 1K requests

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Free

1,000 credits · ~200 requests/mo · 2 rps

All APIs included
No credit card required
Full documentation and examples
MCP server for your AI agents
Up to 5 active API keys

Start for free

Starter

Popular

$29.99 /month

50,000 credits · ~10,000 requests/mo · 10 rps

All APIs included
Email support
Usage dashboard and analytics
MCP server for your AI agents
Up to 5 active API keys

Start with Starter

Pro

$99.99 /month

250,000 credits · ~50,000 requests/mo · 25 rps

All APIs included
Priority support
MCP server for your AI agents
Up to 5 active API keys

Start with Pro

FAQ

Whois Lookup API

Key features

Built for

Hand the Whois API to your agent

Investigate a lookalike domain

Research a domain before buying

Document an upstream IP

Build the request for your data

Whois Lookup API Documentation

Base URL

Authentication

Request and response

Code examples

Endpoints

GET /v1/domain

GET /v1/ip

Whois Lookup API Pricing

Free

Starter

Pro

Need a different plan?

Frequently asked questions

Related APIs