What is WHOIS? 

When you register a domain name, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) requires your domain name registrar to submit your personal contact information to the WHOIS database. Once your listing appears in this online domain WHOIS directory, it is publicly available to anyone who chooses to check domain names using the WHOIS search tool.

As an accredited domain names registrar, Network Solutions® must comply with the WHOIS database requirements set forth by ICANN. However, in an effort to ensure that customers feel comfortable with the visibility of their personal information, Network Solutions offers three options for your WHOIS database listing.

Individuals check domain names for expiration dates

Registrars check domain names
when transferring ownership

Authorities check domain names when investigating criminal activity

WHOIS features

WHOIS Lookup

Our WHOIS lookup services are designed to help you achieve convenience and peace of mind. Our exceptional customer service team is here to help guide you through the simple WHOIS setup process, while our private WHOIS database listing ensures your information is protected. You can also use our WHOIS lookup services to find out when that your domain you have your eye on is set to expire, as well as who owns it, if their information is public. Choose Network Solutions for your reliable WHOIS provider.

Public WHOIS Database Listing

If you're comfortable with having your information available to the public — and don't want the extra fee associated with Domain Privacy + Protection — Network Solutions will submit a public listing to the WHOIS lookup database. This listing will include your name, address, phone number, email address and domain name expiration date. Your website hosting IP address and host name will also be listed.

Private WHOIS Database Listing

Having your personal information made available to the public will increase your risk of becoming a victim of hackers, spammers and even data miners. To keep your contact information out of the hands of those who may use it maliciously, Network Solutions® offers Domain Privacy + Protection. For a small monthly fee, we'll act as your proxy — which means that anyone who does a WHOIS lookup for your domain name information will find our contact information, not yours.