---
type: "data"
canonical: "https://unique.domains/whois"
data_last_checked: "2026-10-12"
---

# WHOIS lookup

Look up a domain in its registry, free: the registrar, where it points, its age, the lock, the status codes in plain words, and the exact drop date of a name in pending delete on the endings whose drop period we have verified. One live lookup a day, no account needed.

## Today's counts (as of 12 October 2026)

- Names in redemption: 2,316
- Names in pending delete: 6,400
- Names dropping this week: 0
- Endings covered: 505 (486 by RDAP, 19 by WHOIS)

Counts are among the names Unique Domains tracks. The page never lists the names: a lookup answers one typed name at a time.

## From expiry to drop

- Registered: The name is held and renews on its expiry date.
- Grace period: After the expiry date the registrar keeps the name for up to 45 days, and the holder can still renew it at the normal price.
- Redemption: Then 30 days in which only the last holder can restore the name, at the registrar's restore fee.
- Pending delete: Then 5 days in which nobody can renew it. The registry deletes the name at the end.
- Dropped: The name is free to register again, first come, first served.

Country endings set their own rules. When a registry publishes no status codes, the tool shows no drop date and says so.

## Questions about WHOIS, expiry and drops

### How long after expiry does a .com drop?

Up to 45 days of grace set by the registrar, then 30 days of redemption, then 5 days of pending delete, after which the registry deletes the name. As of 12 October 2026, 6,400 names we track are in pending delete and 0 drop this week.

### What does pendingDelete mean, and how long does it last?

Nobody can renew the name any more, and the registry deletes it when the period ends, 5 days later on most gTLDs. The tool gives an exact drop day, in UTC, only on endings whose 5-day period we have verified from our own readings, only when we saw the name move from redemption into pending delete between two of our readings, and only while the status was read in the last 36 hours. Otherwise it shows the stage and no day, never an estimate.

### What does clientTransferProhibited mean?

The registrar locked the name against a transfer to another registrar. It is a normal safety setting: it does not mean the name is for sale, disputed or about to expire.

### What is the redemption period?

A 30-day window after the grace period in which only the last holder can restore the name, at the registrar's restore fee. 2,316 names we track are in redemption today.

### Is the answer WHOIS or RDAP?

Whichever the registry runs. Of the 505 endings we cover, 486 answer through RDAP and 19 through WHOIS. Each answer says which one it came from and when it was read.

### How many free lookups do I get?

One live lookup a day, reset at 00:00 UTC. A name already in our records shows its stored record with its date and costs nothing. A free account reads 100 names live a day.

## Definitions

- Registry: The organization that runs an ending, such as .com, and keeps the record of every name on it.
- Registrar: The company the holder registered the name with, and pays to renew it.
- RDAP: The registries' newer lookup protocol, with structured answers. WHOIS is the older text one.
- Nameserver: The server that says where a name points: its website, its email.
- Transfer lock: A status that stops the name moving to another registrar. A normal safety setting, not a dispute.
- Drop: The moment the registry deletes an expired name and anyone can register it.

## Cite as

Unique Domains, WHOIS lookup, counts as of 12 October 2026. https://unique.domains/whois

## Related pages

- [Check if a name is free and what it costs to hold](https://unique.domains/availability)
- [Compare what each registrar charges for the ending](https://unique.domains/registrars)
- [Watch an expiring name until it drops with a Watchlist](https://unique.domains/product/watchlists)