Domain status codes
RDAP spells the EPP status codes as words. The ones starting with client are set by the registrar, those starting with server by the registry.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| active | Registered and resolving; nothing pending |
| client transfer prohibited | Transfer lock on — turn it off at the registrar before moving the domain |
| client delete / update prohibited | The registrar blocks deletion or changes; a normal protection |
| server hold | The registry has taken the domain out of DNS — often unpaid, or a legal or abuse case |
| auto renew period | Renewed automatically at expiry; the registrar can still undo it for a while |
| redemption period | Deleted after expiry; the holder can still restore it, at a fee |
| pending delete | Leaving the registry within days; then anyone can register it |
When a domain expires
For generic top-level domains such as .com, .net and .org, an expired domain goes through fixed stages: up to 45 days of auto-renew grace, during which the registrar decides whether to renew; 30 days of redemption, in which the holder can still buy it back; then five days of pending delete, after which it is free for anyone. Country-code domains have their own rules. The Expires date above is the registry’s; your registrar may stop the domain from resolving some days earlier.
RDAP from a terminal
RDAP is plain HTTPS and JSON, so curl is enough. IANA’s bootstrap files say which server to ask — the same files this lookup reads.
# which server answers for .com
curl -s https://data.iana.org/rdap/dns.json | grep -A3 '"com"'
# the registry's record of a domain
curl -s https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/example.com
# an address block at RIPE NCC
curl -s https://rdap.db.ripe.net/ip/193.0.6.139To see where a domain points right now, rather than where it is registered, use the DNS lookup; to see which network announces an address, the ASN lookup.
Frequently asked
What is RDAP, and is it the same as WHOIS?
RDAP is WHOIS's successor: the same registration data, as structured JSON over HTTPS instead of free text over port 43. Since January 2025 ICANN no longer requires registries and registrars of generic top-level domains to run the old WHOIS service. This lookup uses RDAP only and asks the registry that IANA's directory names for the domain, address or AS number.
Why are the owner's name and address hidden?
Most registries and registrars withhold personal data since the GDPR took effect in 2018; an organisation's name is sometimes still shown. To reach a domain's holder, use the contact form or the abuse address of its registrar.
Why is there no result for my domain's ending?
Some country-code registries — .de, .eu and .io among them — have not listed an RDAP service with IANA, and this lookup only asks services in IANA's directory. The page links IANA's entry for the ending, which leads to the registry's own website and WHOIS search.
How do I report abuse from an IP address?
Look the address up here and write to the abuse contact of the network that holds it — that is the address the regional registry has on record for exactly this. Include the date and time with the time zone, the address, what happened and the relevant log lines.
Why does a .com lookup show so little?
The .com and .net registry keeps only the registrar, the dates, the status and the name servers; the rest is with the registrar. This lookup asks the registry, as listed by IANA, and does not follow the link to the registrar's own RDAP service.