What is RDAP
RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) is an IETF standard that is gradually replacing Whois. Responses come as JSON with well-defined fields, so they are equally readable by people and programs. The protocol runs over HTTPS, supports internationalized names and lets registries control access to personal data flexibly.
What you can look up
- Domain — registrar, statuses, registration and expiry dates, name servers, DNSSEC signing.
- IP address — the network range, regional registry (RIPE, ARIN, APNIC…), country and organization.
- Autonomous system — the AS number holder and contact details.
How we find the right registry
IANA publishes a bootstrap registry that lists the RDAP server for every domain zone, address block and AS number range. We look it up and then query the registry server directly — no middlemen. If a zone doesn’t support RDAP yet (as with some country-code domains), use the Whois lookup.