Key highlights
- Understand how to scan a website’s About or Contact page to uncover ownership details.
- Learn to perform a WHOIS lookup to reveal the domain registrant’s name and contact info.
- Know how to use search engines and social media to trace online presence linked to the website.
- Discover email addresses tied to a domain using tools like Hunter.io to contact the owner directly.
When someone registers a domain name, they’re essentially reserving that web address on the internet for a specific period. This action records their data in the auDA database, along with other registration details.
Whether you’re looking to contact domain owners, inquire about a desired domain or confirm the legitimacy of a site, learning how to find domain name owner details can be essential.
Keep reading to discover how to:
- Use a WHOIS lookup tool to identify a domain owner.
- Access a domain’s registration data.
- Perform a WHOIS domain lookup.
- Use social and technical tools to trace ownership.
- Take action if WHOIS data is private.
Why would you want to find the owner of a domain?
The most common reason is to purchase a desired domain name. Let’s say you search for your perfect domain using a domain availability checker, only to find it’s already registered. In this case, knowing how to find domain owner details could help you get in touch and negotiate a deal.
Other reasons include:
- Verifying the identity of a business
- Investigating suspicious or duplicate content
- Resolving legal or technical issues
- Understanding a site’s origin for brand research
Whether for ownership verification or other purposes, using a WHOIS Domain Lookup service can provide valuable contact information.
Are the domain owner and website owner always the same?
Not necessarily. While the domain and site may be operated by the same party, ownership often depends on how the domain registration was handled.
For example:
- A company may build a website, but register the domain under an individual’s name.
- Agencies may register domains for clients under their own accounts.
- Privacy protection services may mask real personal information, like mailing address, phone number or email.
Every WHOIS record typically includes four contacts: Registrant (legal domain owner), Admin, Technical and Billing. The Registrant is your key contact when trying to find owner of domain info.
How to Find the Owner of a Website
- Search the website for ownership clues.
- Use a WHOIS domain lookup tool.
- Contact a domain broker.
- Leverage search engines and social media.
- Find an email tied to the domain.
1. Search the website for ownership clues
If you want to know how to find the owner of a domain, start with the website. The website itself can be a useful source of information.
If the domain has been registered, but the website is not live yet, skip to step two and look at the domain registration history.
Start with the website itself. Check:
- The Contact Us page
- The About section
- The site footer or privacy policy
These pages often list an email, business address or reference to a domain registrar or developer. While not always available, this is a quick first step.
If the website uses WHOIS privacy, skip to the next section.
2. Use a WHOIS domain lookup tool
This is the most direct way to find the owner of a domain.
A WHOIS lookup pulls data from the WHOIS database, which includes:
- Owner’s name (if public)
- Domain registrar
- Nameserver information
- Registration date and expiry date
- Mailing address or admin email
To access it:
- Visit https://whois.auda.org.au/
- Enter the domain in the search bar
- Click Lookup to reveal the WHOIS information
Note: Visit auDA to find domain owner information for Australian domains (for example, .com.au). For international domains, use https://lookup.icann.org
If the registration data is masked due to privacy protection, you may still find clues like the domain registrar or a general contact email.
If the domain is nearing its expiry date and isn’t renewed, it might become an available domain again. Tools like expired domain lookup tools can help monitor that.
3. Contact a domain broker
If your domain registration history search didn’t yield any results, you might be able to get information from a domain broker. Domain brokers are individuals who facilitate the sale of a domain name.
Some brokers work on behalf of domain buyers and their services include finding domain owners as part of the buying and selling process. But domain brokers have fees for these services.
We only recommend using a domain broker if you ultimately want to buy the domain that you’re researching.
You can use a list of brokers to find the right one for you.
4. Leverage search engines and social media
Sometimes, good old-fashioned detective work can help.
- Search the domain name in Google along with keywords like “owner,” “contact,” or “admin.”
- Use LinkedIn to search for people connected to the business or site.
- Look for job titles like “IT Admin,” “Webmaster,” or “Digital Marketer” tied to the domain.
This technique is especially helpful if the WHOIS data is private but the owner has a digital footprint elsewhere.
5. Find an email tied to the domain
If you can’t find the domain owner through a WHOIS lookup, try finding an associated email using tools like:
These tools analyze domain data to predict or discover associated emails like [[email protected]] or [[email protected]]
Enter the domain name in the lookup tool and you may receive a valid contact to reach out to the current owner.
Final thoughts
Learning how to find the owner of a domain and the information is a valuable skill, especially if you’re securing a new domain, doing market research or verifying ownership.
Thanks to tools like the WHOIS lookup tool, the WHOIS database and registration data access protocols, much of this information is publicly available – unless it’s masked by privacy protection services.
Whether you’re looking to get your next online venture started, build your online business or find the domain registrants behind a web address, there’s a method that works for you.
Need help registering your own domain with clear ownership rights? Go to Bluehost domain registration.
We also offer privacy protection and web hosting with expert support – plus a free domain for one year when you sign up.
FAQs
You can use a WHOIS lookup tool like whois.icann.org to find domain owner details at no cost. Just enter the domain name in the search bar and the WHOIS database will return registration data, including the domain registrar, registration date, nameserver information and sometimes even the owner’s email address or mailing address- unless privacy protection is enabled.
A WHOIS record is a publicly accessible file that contains key registration data about a domain name, including the registrant’s contact details, expiry date and domain registrar. It’s useful when you need to verify ownership, investigate a website or explore domain availability for your desired domain name.
If a WHOIS search reveals that the domain owner has used privacy protection services, the actual personal information- like name, email and phone number- will be hidden. In this case, you can:
1. Contact the domain registrar listed in the record .
2. Use tools like Hunter.io to find emails associated with the domain.
3. Reach out via social media if the site is tied to a known business.
4. Wait for the expiry date and monitor the domain availability.
Yes, if you’ve found your perfect domain and it’s already registered, you can use a WHOIS domain lookup to retrieve the owner’s contact information. If details are not publicly available, consider using a domain broker or submitting an inquiry via the domain registrar. Be respectful and clear about your intent to purchase the domain.
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