NameRobo
Free RDAP Lookup Tool
What RDAP is and why it replaced WHOIS
RDAP — Registration Data Access Protocol — is the IETF-standardized replacement for the decades-old WHOIS protocol. Where WHOIS delivered unformatted plain text over an unencrypted TCP connection with no consistent field structure, RDAP delivers the same registration data as structured JSON over HTTPS. ICANN mandated that all gTLD registries and accredited registrars implement RDAP access, which happened in phases from 2019 onward. The motivation was threefold: consistency across registries, support for secure and authenticated access, and proper handling of internationalized domain names that WHOIS could not represent cleanly.
When to reach for RDAP over WHOIS
For a one-off manual lookup, WHOIS and RDAP return equivalent data and either works. The difference becomes significant the moment you need to process more than a handful of domains. RDAP's JSON response has a defined schema — registrar details, dates, name servers, status codes, and events all appear at predictable JSON paths that any script can traverse without text parsing. Integrating registration data into monitoring tools, expiration alerts, portfolio dashboards, or registrar-agnostic bulk checks is meaningfully simpler with RDAP. ICANN's bootstrap service routes your RDAP query to the correct registry automatically, so you do not need to maintain a list of per-TLD WHOIS server addresses.
Limitations to account for before relying on it
RDAP coverage is comprehensive for gTLDs (.com, .net, .org, and all new gTLDs) but uneven for country-code TLDs. Many ccTLD registries have their own data-sharing policies and some have not deployed RDAP endpoints at all — for those, WHOIS remains the only protocol. Rate limits vary by registry and are not always documented; automated scripts that query aggressively may receive throttled or blocked responses. Privacy redaction under GDPR and equivalent regulations applies identically to RDAP — the structured format makes clear which fields are redacted, but it does not restore access to information that registrars have chosen not to share publicly.
Common questions
Is RDAP just a JSON version of WHOIS?
At a high level, yes — both protocols surface domain registration data. But RDAP adds a standardized schema, HTTPS transport, support for authentication, access control tiers for sensitive data, and proper internationalized domain name handling. It is not a translation layer on top of WHOIS; it is a separate protocol with its own RFC stack (7480–7484) and bootstrap mechanism.
Does every TLD support RDAP?
All ICANN-managed gTLDs are required to. Most large country-code TLDs (.uk, .de, .fr, .au) have deployed RDAP as well. Smaller ccTLDs and some legacy operators have not, and for those, WHOIS remains the only option. IANA maintains a public list of RDAP base URLs by TLD that you can query programmatically.
Will RDAP show me the registrant's name?
For most individual-registered domains: no. GDPR-era privacy rules apply identically to RDAP. The structured format makes the redaction explicit — you will see a "redacted for privacy" notice in the appropriate JSON field rather than simply missing data. For corporate registrants, the organization name often remains visible while personal contact details are redacted.
Should I use RDAP for automated scripts?
Yes, for any automation that targets gTLDs. The consistent JSON schema eliminates the registrar-specific text parsing that makes WHOIS automation brittle. Respect each registry's rate limits — they vary and are not always published — and build in exponential backoff. For ccTLDs without RDAP, maintain a WHOIS fallback.