How to find out who owns a domain?

Finding out who owns a specific internet address (domain) may seem complicated to a layman, but in reality, you can do it in a few minutes using only simple websites. In this article, we will show you step by step how to do it without having to install or run anything.

WHOIS search engines – basic path

Visit the online WHOIS service

– Go to one of the popular websites, such as whois.domaintools.com, whois.com, or
– For Czech domains, go to nic.cz/whois

Enter the domain you are searching for

Enter the address (e.g., example.com) in the search field and press the "Search" button.

Read the basic information

– You will see when the domain was registered and when it expires.
– If the owner is public, their name, email, and contact address will appear.

Please note: Some data may be hidden (for privacy or GDPR reasons). In such cases, only general registration information and the registrar's contact details will be displayed.

National registries – special interface for CZ and SK domains

CZ.NIC for ".cz" domains

– Go to nic.cz/whois.
– Enter the domain name (e.g., mydomain.cz) in the field and click "Verify."

SK-NIC for ".sk" domains

– Visit sk-nic.sk.
– Same procedure: enter the domain and confirm.

Other European extensions (e.g. .eu, .at, etc.)

Search on the official website of the relevant registrar (e.g., EURid for .eu).

What to do if the data is hidden?

The owner does not want to be contacted.

If no contact details are listed for the domain, other methods must be used, but it is possible that the current domain owner does not wish to be contacted.

Request for release of data

– Registrars in the EU protect personal data in accordance with the GDPR and are not allowed to disclose it to anyone else without the domain owner's consent.
– For legal purposes (e.g., trademark disputes), you can request disclosure of the actual owner.

Archival sources – when all else fails

Wayback Machine (archive.org)

– Enter the domain and see what it looked like before.
– Some older records may contain the original owner information.

Google Cache

– Enter the following into the search engine cache:nazev-domeny.cz.
– If there is an older version of the contact page in the cache, this may help. Just search the page.

Alternative verification via IP address

Finding your IP address

Enter the domain on the ipinfo.io or whatismyipaddress.com website to find out its IP address.

Search for IP owner

– Enter the IP address in the RIPE (for Europe) or ARIN (for North America) tool.
– Organizations that own the "network block" (a larger group of IP addresses) will appear.

Direct contact and commercial register

Website contact form

If the operator provides an email address or phone number directly on the website, send them an inquiry.

Commercial Register (Czech Republic)

– If it is a Czech company, try ARES or Justice.cz.
– Search for the company name by website name and find out its official registered office or statutory representative.

Finding out who owns a domain is relatively easy today thanks to online tools. If you manage to purchase or transfer a domain, don't forget to re-register it in your name to ensure that you are the actual owner.

It is always best to use a verified domain registrar to register or manage a domain. We recommend VEDOS, for example, which is the only registrar to have received a full 5 stars from CZ.NIC. This guarantees you high-quality support and fair treatment.

You can find out how to properly re-register your domain with VEDOS.cz here.