WHOIS History Lookup

WHOIS History Lookup

Discover a domain's past owners and details with our free WHOIS History tool.

Powered by Historical WHOIS Database

Our Historical WHOIS Database contains over 2.18 Billion WHOIS records of about 608 Million domain names. This powers our WHOIS History API, which lets you quickly see the complete WHOIS history of any domain name that was ever registered.

How can WHOIS History be useful for you?

Domain names can change ownership multiple times over the years as domains are bought, sold, expire, and re-registered. The historical WHOIS archive shows all the previous registrants and entities associated with that domain name going back over time. Analyzing the WHOIS history provides valuable insights for assessing the reputation and risk factor of a domain name.

By looking up historical WHOIS records:

  • you can see who owned the domain previously;
  • get details on past registrants;
  • examine when the domain lapsed or changed hands;
  • and identify any red flags associated with that domain in the past.

Some key indicators that can signal high risk are:

  • frequent ownership changes;
  • registrations by entities associated with spam or malware;
  • or a past history of registrants being flagged as abusive.

By researching WHOIS history, domain buyers, web developers, and cybersecurity professionals can make more informed decisions about a domain name.

What to look for in WHOIS History?

The historical WHOIS data for a domain name can reveal many useful details. Some of the main things to look for include:

Previous Registrants and Physical Addresses: The names and physical addresses listed for prior registrants can provide insights into who owned the domain in the past. This information can help assess risks.

Suspicious or High-Risk Owners in the Past: If the prior registrants have connections to malicious activity like cybercrime, spam, malware, etc. that's a red flag. You can research names and addresses to uncover issues.

Frequency of Ownership Changes: Frequent changes in registrants over a short time can indicate a domain was used for illicit purposes and repeatedly abandoned. Many ownership changes increase risk.

Lapses in Registration or Dropped Status: Periods when the domain registration lapsed can mean it was unused. Allowing a domain registration to expire can indicate past owners didn't find much value in it.

Changes in Name Servers: The historical records can reveal if name servers changed multiple times, especially to servers in suspicious host countries. This may also suggest frequent changes in ownership.

Checking the WHOIS history of a domain name can provide valuable insights to assess the reputation and potential risks of that domain before purchasing or using it. Looking up previous registrants can uncover associations with spam, malware, or other abusive behavior in the past. Researching WHOIS history can reveal if a domain was ever flagged for distributing spam or hosting malware. Domains that have changed ownership frequently over a short period of time may be riskier to work with.

Conversely, a domain name that has been registered to the same owner for years with no lapses generally signals a more reputable and trustworthy domain. The longer a domain has been continuously registered and the fewer owners it has had, the safer it typically is to work with. Overall, examining WHOIS history provides valuable context to thoroughly evaluate the reputation and potential risks associated with a domain name before using it for your business or online projects.

WHOIS History for Cybersecurity Investigations

Historical WHOIS data can be a valuable resource for cybersecurity professionals investigating threats like botnets, malware, phishing sites, and other attacks. By looking up the WHOIS history of domains associated with these threats, investigators can:

  • Identify past owners of botnet and malware domains to look for connections or patterns.
  • Research the WHOIS history of domains found communicating with infected hosts to discover relationships.
  • Get historical registration details on attackers, hackers, and owners of phishing domains.
  • Look for connections between malicious domains by cross-referencing WHOIS data.

In summary, WHOIS domain history provides valuable insights that can help assess the risk and reputation of a domain name. By looking up historical WHOIS records, you can view previous registrants, identify any suspicious or high-risk owners in the past, and see how often the domain has changed hands.

Powered by WHOIS History API

Get the historical WHOIS records of any domain name using our powerful WHOIS History API.

https://api.bigdomaindata.com/?key=XXXXX&database=historical&domain_name=yahoo.com

Replace the key "XXXXX" with your own API key, generated through the Members Area. 

{
    "success": true,
    "query": {
        "database": "historical",
        "domain_name": "yahoo.com",
        "sort_by": "query_time",
        "sort_order": "asc",
        "page_size": 100
    },
    "count": {
        "total": 48,
        "relation": "eq",
        "current": 48
    },
    "unique_domains": "yahoo.com",
    "results": [
        {
            "num": 1,
            "domain_name": "yahoo.com",
            "domain_keyword": "yahoo",
            "domain_tld": "com",
            "query_time": "2012-11-18 08:00:00",
            "create_date": "1995-01-18",
            "update_date": "2012-11-08",
            "expiry_date": "2013-01-19",
            "registrar_name": "MARKMONITOR INC.",
            "registrant_name": "Domain Administrator",
            "registrant_company": "Yahoo! Inc.",
            "registrant_address": "701 First Avenue",
            "registrant_city": "Sunnyvale",
            "registrant_state": "CA",
            "registrant_zip": "94089",
            "registrant_country": "US",
            "registrant_email": "[email protected]",
            "registrant_phone": "14083493300",
            "registrant_fax": "14083493300",
            "name_servers": [
                "ns1.yahoo.com",
                "ns2.yahoo.com",
                "ns3.yahoo.com",
                "ns4.yahoo.com"
            ],
            "domain_status": [
                "clientDeleteProhibited",
                "clientTransferProhibited",
                "clientUpdateProhibited",
                "serverDeleteProhibited"
            ]
        },
        {
            "num": 2,
            "domain_name": "yahoo.com",
            "domain_keyword": "yahoo",
            "domain_tld": "com",
            "query_time": "2015-03-26 00:00:00",
            "create_date": "1995-01-18",
            "update_date": "2015-01-14",
            "expiry_date": "2023-01-19",
            "registrar_iana": 292,
            "registrar_name": "MARKMONITOR INC.",
            "registrant_name": "Domain Administrator",
            "registrant_company": "Yahoo! Inc.",
            "registrant_address": "701 First Avenue",
            "registrant_city": "Sunnyvale",
            "registrant_state": "CA",
            "registrant_zip": "94089",
            "registrant_country": "US",
            "registrant_email": "[email protected]",
            "registrant_phone": "14083493300",
            "registrant_fax": "14083493301",
            "name_servers": [
                "ns1.yahoo.com",
                "ns2.yahoo.com",
                "ns3.yahoo.com",
                "ns4.yahoo.com"
            ],
            "domain_status": [
                "clientDeleteProhibited",
                "clientTransferProhibited",
                "clientUpdateProhibited",
                "serverDeleteProhibited"
            ]
        },
        {
            "num": 3,
            "domain_name": "yahoo.com",
            "domain_keyword": "yahoo",
            "domain_tld": "com",
            "query_time": "2015-06-22 02:56:03",
            "create_date": "1995-01-18",
            "update_date": "2015-01-14",
            "expiry_date": "2023-01-19",
            "registrar_iana": 292,
            "registrar_name": "MARKMONITOR INC.",
            "registrant_name": "Domain Administrator",
            "registrant_company": "Yahoo! Inc.",
            "registrant_address": "701 First Avenue",
            "registrant_city": "Sunnyvale",
            "registrant_state": "CA",
            "registrant_zip": "94089",
            "registrant_country": "US",
            "registrant_email": "[email protected]",
            "registrant_phone": "14083493300",
            "registrant_fax": "14083493301",
            "name_servers": [
                "ns1.yahoo.com",
                "ns2.yahoo.com",
                "ns3.yahoo.com",
                "ns4.yahoo.com"
            ],
            "domain_status": [
                "clientDeleteProhibited",
                "clientTransferProhibited",
                "clientUpdateProhibited"
            ]
        },
        {
            "num": 4,
            "domain_name": "yahoo.com",
            "domain_keyword": "yahoo",
            "domain_tld": "com",
            "query_time": "2015-08-22 12:55:24",
            "create_date": "1995-01-18",
            "update_date": "2015-08-18",
            "expiry_date": "2023-01-19",
            "registrar_iana": 292,
            "registrar_name": "MARKMONITOR INC.",
            "registrant_name": "Domain Administrator",
            "registrant_company": "Yahoo! Inc.",
            "registrant_address": "701 First Avenue",
            "registrant_city": "Sunnyvale",
            "registrant_state": "CA",
            "registrant_zip": "94089",
            "registrant_country": "US",
            "registrant_email": "[email protected]",
            "registrant_phone": "14083493300",
            "registrant_fax": "14083493301",
            "name_servers": [
                "ns1.yahoo.com",
                "ns2.yahoo.com",
                "ns3.yahoo.com",
                "ns4.yahoo.com"
            ],
            "domain_status": [
                "clientDeleteProhibited",
                "clientTransferProhibited",
                "clientUpdateProhibited"
            ]
        },
        {
            "num": 5,
            "domain_name": "yahoo.com",
            "domain_keyword": "yahoo",
            "domain_tld": "com",
            "query_time": "2015-08-28 01:02:23",
            "create_date": "1995-01-18",
            "update_date": "2015-08-26",
            "expiry_date": "2023-01-19",
            "registrar_iana": 292,
            "registrar_name": "MARKMONITOR INC.",
            "registrant_name": "Domain Administrator",
            "registrant_company": "Yahoo! Inc.",
            "registrant_address": "701 First Avenue",
            "registrant_city": "Sunnyvale",
            "registrant_state": "CA",
            "registrant_zip": "94089",
            "registrant_country": "US",
            "registrant_email": "[email protected]",
            "registrant_phone": "14083493300",
            "registrant_fax": "14083493301",
            "name_servers": [
                "ns1.yahoo.com",
                "ns2.yahoo.com",
                "ns3.yahoo.com",
                "ns4.yahoo.com"
            ],
            "domain_status": [
                "clientDeleteProhibited",
                "clientTransferProhibited",
                "clientUpdateProhibited"
            ]
        },
        // remaining results truncated for easy viewing...
    ],
    "stats": {
        "total_time": 0.053,
        "api_credits_used": 0,
        "cost_calculation": "1 (database[historical]) + 1 (search_fields[domain_name])"
    }
}

For more details, kindly see our complete WHOIS History API usage guide.

API Pricing and Packages

Can be used for Current WHOIS API, Bulk WHOIS API, WHOIS History API, Reverse WHOIS API and Fuzzy Domains API.

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250,000 API Credits 250,000 $750 $3.00 Buy Now
1 Million API Credits Most Popular 1,000,000 $2,000 $2.00 Buy Now
10 Million API Credits 10,000,000 $10,000 $1.00 Buy Now

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