Checking a domain's WHOIS and nameservers
A domain’s WHOIS (or RDAP) record is its public registration record. It shows the registrar, the registration and expiry dates, the domain’s status and its nameservers. Personal contact details are usually hidden for privacy.
Look up a domain
Section titled “Look up a domain”.com,.net,.organd other international domains: use ICANN Lookup..ngdomains (.com.ng,.org.ngand so on): use the WHOIS search on NiRA’s website.
Enter the domain name and search.
What to look for
Section titled “What to look for”| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Registrar | Which company the domain is registered with. If it’s Ruachost, you can manage it in our client area. |
| Expiry date | When it must be renewed. See Renewing an expired domain. |
| Status | ok or active means normal. clientTransferProhibited means registrar lock is on, which is normal. clientHold or serverHold means the domain is suspended; see ServerHold and ClientHold explained. redemptionPeriod or pendingDelete means it has expired. |
| Name servers | Where the domain points. For Ruachost hosting, they should be nsa.ruachost.com and nsb.ruachost.com. |
Check nameservers from your computer
Section titled “Check nameservers from your computer”You can also check the nameservers directly:
- Windows: open Command Prompt and run
nslookup -type=ns example.com - macOS or Linux: open Terminal and run
dig ns example.com +short
Replace example.com with your domain.