WHOIS is a way to look up key information about a domain, such as registration details and (for Web2) expiration dates and registrar data. Domain privacy is a Web2 feature that can hide personal registrant details from public WHOIS results.
Freename offers a tool called WHOIS Domain Lookup for Web3 only at: https://freename.com/whois/
For Web2 domains, you can use standard WHOIS services such as ICANN Lookup or other WHOIS providers depending on the TLD.
Freename WHOIS Domain Lookup is a search tool for Web3 naming. It helps you check information for supported Web3 names and is compatible with multiple chains (for example Polygon, BSC, and others, depending on current support).
You can use it to search Web3 naming by entering:
Note: Web3 lookup availability depends on whether the asset is minted and whether the chain is currently supported by the tool.
For Web2 domains, registrars typically require registrants to provide contact information under ICANN policies. That information can appear in WHOIS results, depending on the TLD rules and the registrar’s privacy options.
Domain privacy is a registrar service that helps protect your personal contact information from being publicly visible in WHOIS. When enabled, your registrar may replace registrant contact details with generic or masked details.
If your Web2 domain is already registered on Freename, you can enable the Privacy option from the domain management page in your account (if supported by the TLD).
If you are transferring a Web2 domain to Freename, you can also choose the Privacy option during the transfer flow (if available for that TLD).
For Web2 domains, you can use:
2) Can I use Freename WHOIS Domain Lookup for Web2 domains?
No. At the moment, Freename WHOIS Domain Lookup is Web3 only. For Web2 domains, use ICANN Lookup (https://lookup.icann.org/en/lookup) or a WHOIS service specific to your TLD.
3) What can prevent a Web3 domain or TLD from appearing in WHOIS Domain Lookup?
Two common reasons are:
4) I searched for my Web3 domain and it does not appear. What should I do?
First, make sure the Web3 domain or Web3 TLD is minted. If it is minted and the issue still appears after 24 hours, the chain you minted on might not be supported yet. Contact us at support@freename.com so we can verify.
5) I searched for an emoji domain or emoji TLD and it does not appear. What should I do?
Try searching using the Punycode version. You can use free conversion tools found via search engines to convert from Unicode to Punycode, then search again using the Punycode format.
6) What is domain privacy for Web2?
Domain privacy is a registrar feature that helps hide registrant contact details in public WHOIS results by replacing them with masked or generic information.
7) How do I enable Privacy for a Web2 domain on Freename?
If the domain is already registered on Freename, you can enable Privacy from the Web2 domain management page (if supported by the TLD). If you are transferring a domain to Freename, you can also select Privacy during the transfer process, before starting the transfer.
8) Is WHOIS information always accurate?
WHOIS data depends on updates from registrants and registrars. For Web2, ICANN policies require accurate data, and inaccurate records can lead to issues for the domain. For Web3, visibility depends on on-chain data and tool support.
9) Where can I check Web2 WHOIS information?
Use https://lookup.icann.org/en/lookup or search for the WHOIS service specific to your Web2 TLD.