What is WHOIS?

When you register a domain name, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) requires your domain name registrar to submit your personal contact information to the WHOIS database. Once your listing appears in this online directory, it is publicly available to anyone who chooses to check domain names using the WHOIS search tool.

There are a variety of third parties who may check domain names in the WHOIS database, including:

• Individuals check domain names for expiration dates
• Registrars check domain names when transferring ownership
• Authorities check domain names when investigating criminal activity

As an accredited domain names registrar, Network Solutions® must comply with the WHOIS database requirements set forth by ICANN. However, in an effort to ensure that customers feel comfortable with the visibility of their personal information, Network Solutions offers three options for your WHOIS database listing.

Public WHOIS Database Listing
If you're comfortable with having your information available to the public — and don't want the extra fee associated with private domain registration — Network Solutions will submit a public listing to the WHOIS database. This listing will include your name, address, phone number, email address and domain name expiration date. Your host name and IP address will also be listed.

Private WHOIS Database Listing
Having your personal information made available to the public will increase your risk of becoming a victim of hackers, spammers and even data miners. To keep your contact information out of the hands of those who may use it maliciously, Network Solutions® offers private domain name registration. For a small monthly fee, we'll act as your proxy — which means that anyone who does a WHOIS lookup for your domain name information will find our contact information, not yours.

Enhanced Business Listing in WHOIS Database
Network Solutions strives to bring online solutions to small business owners. By advertising your business in the WHOIS database, you can leverage over 30 million people who check domain names in the WHOIS database every month to help drive more traffic to your Website and your offline business location. Your enhanced business listing can be customized to meet your needs and may include: your location, operating hours, products and services, special offers, and even domain names for sale.

Network Solutions® believes that its customers should ultimately decide how their contact information will be listed in the WHOIS database. When you're ready to register a domain name, consider your options before your personal information becomes available to the public.