What Is RDAP? A Guide to Domain Registration Data Lookup
RDAP stands for Registration Data Access Protocol. It is a standard protocol for looking up registration data for domains, IP addresses, and autonomous systems using structured JSON.
What RDAP improves
Traditional Whois responses are plain text and vary widely between registries. RDAP returns standardized JSON with clearer fields, statuses, entities, and links.
What RDAP can return
Domain RDAP responses often include registrar, event dates, domain status, nameservers, DNSSEC, entities, and official links. Registrant contact details may be hidden for privacy.
Why WhoisNative uses RDAP
WhoisNative queries IANA and registry RDAP endpoints, then turns structured data into readable registrar, expiration, DNS, EPP status, and raw RDAP sections.
Common Questions
Q: Will RDAP replace Whois?
A: RDAP is the modern replacement direction for Whois, though users still commonly search for Whois lookup. Modern tools often support both terms.
Q: Why is RDAP returned as JSON?
A: JSON is easier for software to read, validate, display, integrate, and monitor.
Related Guides
Learn Whois, RDAP, domain status, privacy protection, and common TLD lookups.
What Is Whois
Learn what Whois is, which domain registration details a Whois lookup can reveal, and how to check registrar, expiration date, DNS nameservers, and domain status.
Whois vs RDAP
Compare Whois and RDAP by data format, privacy handling, parsing reliability, and how to choose the right source for domain registration lookup.
clientTransferProhibited
Learn what the clientTransferProhibited EPP status means, whether it affects websites, and how it relates to domain transfer locks.
Domain Privacy Protection
Understand domain privacy protection, WHOIS Privacy, GDPR impacts, and why many Whois lookup results do not show the real domain owner.