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Domain registration data

Domain registration data is the information a registrar and, in some cases, a domain registry collect or create to manage a domain name registration. It can identify the domain and its registration dates, the registrar responsible for it, its status, and contact details supplied by the person or organization registering it. Some of this information may appear in a public lookup; other details may be hidden or available only through an authorized request.

What information can registration data contain?

The exact fields depend on the domain ending and the rules that apply to its registrar and registry. Under ICANN's Registration Data Policy for registrars approved by ICANN and generic top-level domain (gTLD) registry operators, required data includes the domain name, registrar details, status codes, expiration information, and registrant contact fields such as name, address, phone, and email. The registrar may also collect other fields, such as nameservers or technical contact details, under the policy's conditions.

Registration data is not necessarily a single public record with every field visible. For example, the registrar may collect a person's email address to manage the registration while the public lookup leaves it out or hides it to comply with the privacy law that applies. A request for nonpublic information follows a separate disclosure process. The fields and disclosure rules can differ for country-code endings and for services outside ICANN's policy.

What can a public lookup tell you?

A registration lookup can help identify which registrar manages a domain, whether the registration has a restriction or pending action, when it was created or is due to expire, and which nameservers are associated with it. The available fields vary. A missing name, address, or email address does not by itself mean that no registrant information was collected; it may not be published.

For example, Maya checks maya-studio.example in a lookup service. The result names the registrar and shows an expiration date, but the contact section is hidden. Maya can still use the registrar field to find the company managing the registration. The redaction does not show who registered the domain, and it does not prove that the registrar lacks contact details.

How is registration data looked up?

Lookup tools use registration data access services. RDAP is the modern set of communication rules used for many current lookups. Its responses use named fields that software can read consistently. WHOIS is the older lookup protocol and service family; it may still be available for some domains or systems. A lookup result can include registration details, but it is not a full report on the website, its hosting, or its email service.

ICANN's Registration Data Policy took effect on 21 August 2025 and applies to ICANN-accredited registrars and gTLD registry operators that have an agreement with ICANN. It describes what those parties must collect, transfer, and publish, including when personal data must be redacted. Other domain endings may follow different rules, so do not assume that one lookup format or disclosure practice applies everywhere.

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