Domain expiry checker and WHOIS lookup
Enter a domain to see when it expires, how many days are left, who it's registered through and what its status codes mean. Works for .co.uk, .uk, .com and most other common endings.
You can paste a full web address. We'll trim it down to the domain.
Only the domain name is sent to our server, which asks the official registry. We don't show or keep owners' personal details, and nothing is stored.
How this tool works
When you press Check, the domain name is sent to our server, which looks it up with the official registry for that ending using RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol), the modern replacement for WHOIS. Nominet answers for .co.uk and .uk, Verisign for .com and .net, and other registries for other endings, as listed by IANA.
We show the public, non-personal parts of the record: when the domain was first registered, when it was last changed, when it expires, the registrar it's managed through, its nameservers and its status codes, explained in plain English. The days remaining are counted from today to the expiry date. If the registry has no record of the name, it's shown as available.
Registries publish the dates they hold, but a registrar may renew a domain automatically, so the expiry date can move forward without the owner doing anything.
Tips for keeping your domain
- Turn on auto-renew. Most lost domains simply weren't renewed in time. Auto-renew at your registrar is the easiest fix.
- Keep your card and email up to date. Renewal reminders go to the email on your account, and renewals fail if the card has expired.
- Renew for more than a year. Many registrars let you renew for several years at once, so there's less to remember.
- Leave the transfer lock on. A "transfer prohibited" status is normal and stops anyone moving your domain without your say-so.
- Check the registrar is the one you expect. If you don't recognise it, your web designer or an old provider may hold the domain for you. Ask them for access.
Frequently asked questions
What happens when a domain expires?
It doesn't vanish straight away. For .co.uk and .uk, Nominet usually suspends the domain about 30 days after expiry, so websites and email stop working, and cancels it about 90 days after expiry, when anyone can register it. For .com and most other endings, registrars usually give a grace period of up to about 45 days, followed by a 30-day redemption period where the owner can still restore it for a fee. Exact timings depend on the registrar.
Why don't you show the owner's name and address?
Since GDPR, registries hide personal details of domain owners from public lookups, and we only show what's public and non-personal. If you need to contact an owner, Nominet and most registrars offer a contact or data request process.
What does "client transfer prohibited" mean?
It's a lock set by the registrar so the domain can't be moved to another registrar until the owner unlocks it. It's a normal security setting, not a sign of a problem. "Server" statuses are the same kind of lock but set by the registry.
Why can't I check some endings, like .io or .de?
A few registries, mainly some country endings, don't offer a public RDAP lookup yet. For those, use the registry's own WHOIS search on its website.
Is WHOIS the same as RDAP?
They show the same kind of registration data. RDAP is the newer, structured version that registries are moving to, and it's what this tool uses.
Do you store the domains I look up?
No. The domain name is sent to our server only to ask the registry, and the answer is passed straight back to your browser. Nothing is logged or kept.