Choosing the perfect domain name for your website can be challenging and even a chore. Then, once you land on your ideal name, you need to double-check that it’s available for purchase. If it’s not, you might need to find out who owns a domain name to get in touch with them and make an offer.
Luckily, unearthing the owner of a domain name is pretty straightforward. You’ll just need to use a domain lookup tool. Alternatively, you can reach out to owners via a privacy proxy or search for a contact page on the website of the domain you want.
An introduction to domain registration and domain privacy
If you want to acquire a domain name, you’ll need to go through a domain registrar. You’ll have to pay a fee to use one because only one person can own a domain at a time.
Domain registrars must be certified by ICANN, which keeps a record of a registrant’s contact details in its WHOIS Database. This record includes a name, phone number, email, and address. Anyone can access this information using the ICANN Lookup tool:
Domain registrars often provide domain privacy protection for owners who want to hide their contact information from the public.
If you opt for 🔒️ domain privacy, your domain’s public contact details are typically swapped for the general registrar’s information.
How to find out who owns a domain name
There are a few reasons you may want to look up 🔎 who owns a domain name. However, the primary motivation is to determine if it’s available for purchase. If you discover that it isn’t, you can take steps to try and purchase it from the existing owner.
As we mentioned, the easiest way to find out who owns a domain name is by searching for it in the ICANN database. Simply go to the ICANN Lookup tool page and input the domain name in question. Be sure to include the full web address, including its domain extension. Then, select Lookup:
The resulting page will show you key information about the domain. For example, it will tell you when the domain name was registered and when it will expire. This information can be helpful because it lets you know if your desired domain will soon be available or up for auction.
As a requirement, all domains in the ICANN WHOIS database also include contact information for the domain registrant, admin, and technical liaison.
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This article was written by John Hughes and originally published on ThemeIsle Blog.