Quick answer
How do I check what WHOIS shows for my domain?
Go to lookup.icann.org, type the domain and read the RDAP result. Isthmus Domains is an offshore domain registrar in Panama: register any domain with no KYC and pay in crypto. As of 19 October 2026, its domains show no personal data in the public record by default. With Domain protection, at $29 a year, the record shows DomaineGoat LLC.
WHOIS lookup at a glance
| Official tool | lookup.icann.org, free, no account |
|---|---|
| Protocol | RDAP, which replaced WHOIS for gTLDs on 28 January 2025 |
| Data rules | ICANN Registration Data Policy, in effect since 21 August 2025 |
| Covers | Generic extensions (.com, .net, .org, .xyz…); many country codes, such as .io or .de, need their registry's own tool |
| .com and .net | Thin registries: Verisign's RDAP shows the registrar, the nameservers and the dates, and no registrant contact data |
| Isthmus Domains, standard | Your email, the only contact data we collect, stays out of the public record where the extension allows it; what stays public depends on each registry |
| Isthmus Domains, Domain protection | Registrant shown as DomaineGoat LLC |
| Time needed | About one minute |
Four steps to look up a domain
Open ICANN Lookup
Go to lookup.icann.org/en in any browser. It is ICANN's own tool, it is free and it needs no account.
Type the domain
Enter the name with its extension, for example example.com, without http:// or www. Then press Lookup.
Read the registrant section
Look for the Registrant or Contact entries. A private domain shows redacted fields or a company name, not a person.
Check the status codes
Find the Domain Status lines. clientTransferProhibited means a transfer lock is on, which blocks moves to another registrar.
What does each part of the result mean?
An RDAP result has a few standard parts. Here is what to look at:
- Domain information: the name, its registry ID, and the creation, update and expiry dates. Check the expiry date against your renewal settings.
- Domain status: EPP codes such as clientTransferProhibited (transfer lock) or clientHold (the domain does not resolve). A status starting with "server" was set by the registry, not the registrar.
- Nameservers: the DNS servers the domain points to. They must match your DNS settings.
- Registrar: the ICANN-accredited registrar the domain is registered through, with its abuse contact. For an Isthmus Domains domain, it is our ICANN-accredited registrar partner.
- Contacts: the registrant, administrative and technical contacts. On a private domain, personal fields read as redacted.
If you see your own name, address or phone in the Contacts part, the domain is not private.
What an Isthmus Domains registration shows
The public RDAP record of a .com, by option. Verisign, the .com registry, is thin: the registrant fields come from our registrar partner's record. The registrar, dates and nameservers are public in both cases.
| Field in the public record | Standard registration | With Domain protection |
|---|---|---|
| Registrant name | Redacted | DomaineGoat LLC |
| Registrant organisation | Redacted, or empty | DomaineGoat LLC |
| Registrant country | Not collected (we ask only for an email); redacted or empty | Panama |
| Registrant email | Not shown; a contact form or relay may be listed | Not yours |
| Postal address and phone | Not collected, so nothing of yours to publish | Not yours |
| Transfer lock (clientTransferProhibited) | As you set it | On by default |
| Registrar, dates, nameservers | Public | Public |
What the registry itself stores is a separate question. The .com and .net registries (Verisign) are thin and hold no registrant contact data. Registries such as .org (PIR) or .io (Identity Digital) hold the registrant record: built from your verified email for a standard registration, that of DomaineGoat LLC with Domain protection.
How do I check a country-code domain such as .de or .uk?
Use the registry's own lookup, because many country codes do not publish in ICANN's RDAP system. ICANN Lookup often returns no data for them.
- .de: the DENIC lookup on denic.de.
- .uk: the Nominet WHOIS on nominet.uk.
- .nl: the SIDN lookup on sidn.nl.
These registries hide personal data of individuals under their own rules. At Isthmus Domains, .de, .uk and .nl are sold with Domain protection only, so their record shows DomaineGoat LLC. A .de costs $36.99/year in total. Each extension's rules are on its page, listed under domain extensions.
What should I do if my name shows in WHOIS?
First check whether the registry allows privacy for that extension. If it does, your current registrar can usually turn privacy on in its settings.
If you would rather move the domain, transfer it to Isthmus Domains at the renewal price, for example $11.99/year for a .com. WHOIS privacy is free where the registry allows it. For the registry to hold a company's details instead of yours, add Domain protection for $29 a year.
Old records can stay in third-party archives after a change. A new lookup shows only the current record.
Why did WHOIS become RDAP?
RDAP returns structured data over HTTPS, while the old WHOIS protocol returned plain text with no standard format. ICANN ended the WHOIS requirement for generic extensions on 28 January 2025, and RDAP became the official source.
The Registration Data Policy came into effect on 21 August 2025. It sets which fields registrars collect, which they publish, and which they redact. Many tools still call the result "WHOIS", but the data now comes from RDAP.
Checking WHOIS: FAQ
Is lookup.icann.org free to use?
Yes. ICANN Lookup is free, needs no account and works in any browser. It queries the official RDAP servers of registries and registrars. Third-party WHOIS sites also exist, but they can show cached or outdated data. For a current record, ICANN's tool or the registry's own lookup is the safer choice.
Why does my record say "REDACTED FOR PRIVACY"?
Because the registrar hides your personal data from the public record, as the Registration Data Policy allows. The data still exists at the registrar and, for registries that hold registrant data, at the registry. At Isthmus Domains, the only contact data behind it is your verified email. DomaineGoat LLC releases it only when Panamanian law requires it (a Panamanian court or prosecutor's order), or in a UDRP case.
Does the registrar name reveal who I am?
No. The registrar field shows the ICANN-accredited registrar the domain is registered through, and its abuse contact. It does not show you, and it is the same for every customer of that registrar. At Isthmus Domains, it is our ICANN-accredited registrar partner.
How long after a change does the record update?
Usually within minutes for RDAP, since it queries the live data of the registry and registrar. Some third-party WHOIS sites cache records for days. If you added Domain protection, look up the domain again at lookup.icann.org to see DomaineGoat LLC as registrant.
Can I see who owned a domain before?
Not from RDAP: it shows only the current record. Paid history services keep old WHOIS snapshots, sometimes from before privacy was turned on. This is why turning privacy on at the first registration matters more than doing it later. A new domain registered with privacy from day one has no such history.
Sources (3)
- ICANN Lookup — ICANN (checked 2026-10-19)
- ICANN update: launching RDAP, sunsetting WHOIS — ICANN (27 January 2025)
- Registration Data Policy now in effect — ICANN (21 August 2025)
Keep your details out of the public record
Register with free WHOIS privacy, or add Domain protection so the registrant record shows our company name.