Simple steps include selecting a domain name and paying for registration to secure your domain online. However, purchasing an existing domain is the best option for your brand. Anyone can purchase expired domain names, but if you have your eye on one already in use, you should know how to find out who owns a domain name.
Then, the owner will contact them about selling it. You may discover who legally owns a domain name, including your own, with the help of online domain owner lookup tools and some research.
Whether you want to do this for research purposes, business discussions, or just to quench your curiosity, first, let us explore the techniques and resources that can enable you to solve the mystery of who owns a website.
Why Look for a Domain Name Owner?
Knowing a domain name owner is helpful for several reasons, not the last of which is to attempt to buy the domain. Checking the ownership of a website is a means to confirm its legality if it appears unsure but claims to be a legitimate one owned by a powerful corporation.
The same is true if a website’s homepage or contact page lacks a way for visitors to contact the site’s owners with inquiries about its goods or services or to report a technical issue.
To protect the security of your website from incorrect or lacking contact information, it is also a good idea to check the domain ownership history. By checking the domain ownership data on an existing site, owners can verify that their information is accurate and that nothing has been changed without their permission.
Depending on the obCheck the WHOIS Directory Jectives of the search, one can find out who owns a domain through public WHOIS databases, website searches, or even email.
When exploring a domain name, several names may be listed as contacts for technical support, administration, and billing tasks. However, the registrant, the individual or organization whose name the domain is registered with a specific domain registrar or hosting provider, is the legal owner of a website.
The domain owner keeps complete ownership of the domain and has the exclusive authority to sell it, whether or not the domain is about to expire, as long as registration fees are paid on time.
Visit the Website
You should start by taking this. If you have verified the domain status and want to discover who owns a domain name, go immediately to the website.
Some domain names are purchased to sell them for more money eventually. In certain circumstances, the current website will prominently display the domain’s availability for purchase and the owner’s contact details.
Check if there is a Contact Us page in the navigation bar or the site’s footer if you put the domain name into the search bar and are directed to a legit website.
The website owner’s contact information or a contact form can be found there. Then, take the opportunity to contact the registrant and purchase the domain name.
WHOIS Domain Lookups
The domain registrar that handles the sale of a domain name must always gather the buyer’s basic contact information. In some instances, that data is subsequently added to the WHOIS directory, which keeps track of who manages each website online. Therefore, the WHOIS directory is the next step to to find out who owns a domain ownership.
Add the domain name you want to search for, then scroll down to see all the information the WHOIS directory lists for it. In some circumstances, that can include the owner’s contact details. You can skip the following step if so.
It will always add at least their domain registrar and domain expiration date, even if it does not. This informs you if the domain’s renewal is approaching shortly. If so, you might purchase it when it runs out for less money than if you were to get it directly from them. You are taking a chance because that only works if they decide not to renew.
In either case, knowing the domain registrar allows you to move forward.
Search with ICANN Domain Name Registration Lookup
The domain name system (DNS) maintenance, IP address distribution, and a few other details of the general Internet infrastructure are all managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
In other words, ICANN maintains an up-to-date database that can be evaluated and interacted with by keeping track of all registered network addresses and domain names.
The ICANN Domain Name Registration Data Lookup is a search engine that offers up-to-date registration information about domain owners. Since ICANN does not maintain this information, it is directly from the registry operators and registrars.
Simply type in the domain name and click Lookup in the search field. ICANN’s lookup tool will access the WHOIS directory, displaying any available information about the domain owner on the following page.
How to Contact Domain Owner?
Nowadays, many domain registrars provide domain name privacy, preventing the owner’s private information from appearing in the WHOIS directory. The WHOIS directory is no longer a dependable resource for locating a domain owner’s personal contact information due to this and GDPR rules.
As a result, you will not often be able to determine the owner’s identity simply from the directory. But you can discover who registered the domain for them.
Even so, this is hardly a dead end. First, look for the domain registrar’s contact details on their website (or just the Google domains name if it is not in the WHOIS data). Then, call or email them and tell them which domain you want to purchase.
Request that they give the owner your contact information. The registrar will have the owner’s contact information on file and will be able to let them know about your interest without violating their privacy.
Hire a Domain Broker
Domain buying and selling is a self-sufficient industry, and various services are available to facilitate these transactions. A domain brokerage or agent might be able to assist if all attempts to locate a domain owner via WHOIS or other methods have failed.
These groups provide services ranging from tracking an elusive domain owner to monitoring every step of a domain name sale. Although brokerages and sales of valuable domain names can be costly, businesses looking for the perfect name to advertise their brand may find these services well worth the expense.
Consider a New Domain Name
Even if you perform all these actions for to find out who owns a domain name, there is a good chance that the person who already owns that domain will either not want to sell or would only accept a price greater than what you are willing to pay.
In that case, you will not be the first person to have to think of a name other than the one you had your heart set on. If the .com is already taken, check to see if the .net or .co are still available and generate new domain name suggestions. You might create something that you like even more than your initial concept.
What Comes Next After You Find Who Owns a Domain Name?
You must consider what the domain owner would demand in return if you desire a domain name already registered to someone else. Use websites that offer domain names to compare the costs of domain names for sale.
Before you approach someone about buying their domain name, you must also consider your reputation. If you already have the following, the domain owner can find out how valuable the name is to you and up the price of the transaction from $1,000 to $10,000 or more.
If you want to remain private when purchasing a domain name, consider using Network Solutions’ Certified Offer service or hiring a domain broker. It can give you the upper hand during negotiations.
You may always register a different domain name if everything else fails. Several hundred million domain names are registered, and billions of other combinations are not. You can choose the best possible alternative for you with enough creativity and research.
Conclusion
Find out who owns a domain name might be the first step in getting it for your use. The ideal domain name increases your visibility and promotes your business. In addition, maintaining the security and integrity of your domain can be helped by regularly checking its ownership.
Identifying the legal owner of any domain or protecting the vital information related to your domain is feasible with online search tools like WHOIS and hiring a domain broker.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Who is the domain name owner?
A: Any individual, company, or business may legally own or own a domain name. This person is known as a domain registrant, and they must maintain their WHOIS contact information updated and their current registration costs.
Q: How trustworthy is WHOIS data?
A: ICANN offers rules to make the WHOIS database as accurate as possible. Since registrants’ contact information may change, registrars like GoDaddy must offer domain owners yearly chances to check and modify their WHOIS domain data.
Q: How do I change my WHOIS details?
A: Your GoDaddy account’s Domain Manager has a WHOIS contact information update feature. You can modify all your contacts at once or just one at a time in just a few easy steps.
