What you can learn about a domain
A domain like my-company.com has to be registered with an official registry and paid for every year. Some of this information is public. NetScanner shows it to you in plain language:
- Registered via: which company the domain was bought from, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, Hostpoint or Infomaniak
- Age: how long the domain has existed, for example “12 years ago”
- Expires: until when the domain is paid for (not every registry publishes this; for .ch domains, for example, it isn’t shown)
- Status: whether the domain is active or locked, for example to prevent it from being moved
- Available or taken: whether the domain you want is still available
When is this useful?
You are looking for a new domain. Check in seconds whether the name you want is still available.
Your domain is about to expire. Forgotten domains are a common reason why websites and emails suddenly stop working. Check until when your domain is paid for.
You no longer know where your domain is registered. Under “Registered via” you see the provider you need to contact.
You received a suspicious email. If the sender’s domain was registered only a few days ago, that’s a clear warning sign of fraud.
Who owns the domain?
The owner’s name and address used to be public. Today, most registries hide this data for privacy reasons, including SWITCH for .ch domains. If you want to reach the owner, for example because you’d like to buy the domain, contact the registrar shown. Many offer a contact form for this.
For pros
Under “Technical details for pros” you see status codes, name servers, DNSSEC and the registry’s complete response. For every domain extension, NetScanner queries the responsible registry directly, using the modern RDAP or classic WHOIS. You can also check IP addresses: you then see the responsible network and the abuse contact. To see where the website for a domain is hosted, use the website hosting checker.