# WHOIS Domain Lookup & Availability Checker (RDAP) (`tidelane/domain-lookup`) Actor

Check if domains are available or registered and get registrar, creation and expiry dates, days until expiry, status, nameservers and DNSSEC from the official RDAP registries (the successor of WHOIS). 1,200+ TLDs including .com, .org, .de, .uk, .ai, .app. Bulk lists, no personal data.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/tidelane/domain-lookup.md
- **Developed by:** [Tidelane Data](https://apify.com/tidelane) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, SEO tools, Lead generation
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.28 / 1,000 domain lookups

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## WHOIS Domain Lookup & Availability Checker (RDAP)

Check hundreds of domains at once: is it **available or registered**, who is the **registrar**, when was it **created**, when does it **expire**, and which **nameservers** and **status codes** does it have. The data comes straight from the official registries through **RDAP**, the modern, structured successor of WHOIS.

- ✅ **1,200+ TLDs**: .com, .net, .org, .de, .uk, .fr, .nl, .ai, .app, .dev, .shop, .xyz and every other TLD with a public RDAP service
- ✅ **Availability check**: `available` when the registry has no such domain
- ✅ **Expiry monitoring**: `expiresAt` and `daysUntilExpiry` for renewals, drop-catching and portfolio checks
- ✅ **Paste anything**: domains, website URLs, email addresses or internationalized names (münchen.de); subdomains are reduced to the registrable domain
- ✅ **Fast**: 34 domains in 2 seconds in our tests, with polite per-registry rate limits
- ✅ **No personal data**: only registry and registrar facts; registrant contacts are never collected

### What can you use it for?

- **Domain investors and brand protection:** watch expiry dates and status of your portfolio or competitors' domains
- **Name brainstorming:** check a long list of ideas for free .com, .de or .ai names
- **IT and security:** audit nameservers, DNSSEC and transfer locks of all company domains
- **Lead and market research:** enrich website lists with domain age and registrar

### Input example

```json
{ "domains": ["apify.com", "https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/X", "bbc.co.uk", "my-new-startup-idea-2031.com", "münchen.de"] }
```

### Output example

Real output from a test run:

```json
{
    "domain": "bbc.co.uk",
    "tld": "uk",
    "availability": "registered",
    "registered": true,
    "status": ["server delete prohibited", "server transfer prohibited", "server update prohibited"],
    "registrar": "British Broadcasting Corporation",
    "registrarIanaId": null,
    "registrarUrl": null,
    "registrarAbuseEmail": "nominet.admins@bbc.co.uk",
    "createdAt": "1994-12-13T03:49:48.000Z",
    "updatedAt": "2025-10-29T03:51:11.009Z",
    "expiresAt": "2034-12-13T03:49:48.000Z",
    "daysUntilExpiry": 2975,
    "nameservers": ["ddns0.bbc.co.uk", "ddns0.bbc.com", "ddns1.bbc.co.uk", "ddns1.bbc.com", "dns0.bbc.co.uk", "dns0.bbc.com", "dns1.bbc.co.uk", "dns1.bbc.com"],
    "dnssec": false,
    "rdapServer": "https://rdap.nominet.uk/uk/",
    "error": null,
    "checkedAt": "2026-10-20T21:04:58.525Z"
}
```

`availability` is one of:

- `registered`: the domain exists at the registry
- `available`: the registry has no such domain, so it can usually be registered (reserved or premium names can still be blocked; your registrar has the final word)
- `unsupported`: the TLD has no public RDAP service (for example .io, .ch, .jp), not charged
- `unknown`: the registry did not answer, not charged

Some registries publish less: .de, for example, shows status, nameservers and last change but no registrar or dates. A summary with all counts and invalid inputs is saved as `OUTPUT` in the key-value store.

### Pricing

You pay per domain with a result (`registered` or `available`). Invalid inputs, unsupported TLDs and registry errors are free.

Paid Apify plans pay less: 10% off on Starter, 20% on Scale and 30% on Business and higher plans.

### FAQ

**Is this WHOIS?** RDAP is the official replacement for WHOIS, run by the same registries, with clean JSON instead of free text. ICANN requires it for all generic TLDs.

**Is it allowed?** RDAP is a public service meant for this kind of lookup. Each registry has terms of use (DENIC for .de, for example, allows use for technical and administrative purposes and forbids advertising use). Use the results accordingly. You are responsible for your use of the data.

### More tools from Tidelane Data

- [Tech Stack Detector](https://apify.com/tidelane/tech-stack-detector): CMS, frameworks and technologies of any website
- [Wayback Machine Scraper](https://apify.com/tidelane/wayback-machine): snapshots, archived URLs and site history
- [UK Companies House Search](https://apify.com/tidelane/uk-companies-house-search): companies by SIC code, postcode or town
- [Website Screenshot API](https://apify.com/tidelane/website-screenshots): full-page and mobile screenshots without cookie banners

All our tools: [apify.com/tidelane](https://apify.com/tidelane)

***

#### Impressum

Levi Griesinger, Tidelane Data\
Besigheimer Straße 18\
74369, Löchgau, Deutschland\
E-Mail: LeviGriesinger@gmail.com

# Actor input Schema

## `domains` (type: `array`):

One per line. Plain domains, website URLs or email addresses all work; subdomains are reduced to the registrable domain (www.shop.example.co.uk -> example.co.uk). Internationalized names like münchen.de are supported.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "domains": [
    "apify.com",
    "wikipedia.org",
    "bbc.co.uk",
    "my-new-startup-idea-2031.com"
  ]
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All results of the run as dataset items.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Summary per input with status (ok, error and the reason).

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "domains": [
        "apify.com",
        "wikipedia.org",
        "bbc.co.uk",
        "my-new-startup-idea-2031.com"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("tidelane/domain-lookup").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "domains": [
        "apify.com",
        "wikipedia.org",
        "bbc.co.uk",
        "my-new-startup-idea-2031.com",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("tidelane/domain-lookup").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "domains": [
    "apify.com",
    "wikipedia.org",
    "bbc.co.uk",
    "my-new-startup-idea-2031.com"
  ]
}' |
apify call tidelane/domain-lookup --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,tidelane/domain-lookup"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/Zi94Y0EZMAa5UULvu/builds/RX9hc8JWUUkQnDmut/openapi.json