WHOIS Privacy Explained

When you register a domain, your personal contact information is stored in a public database called WHOIS. WHOIS privacy protection helps keep your personal details hidden from public view.

What Is WHOIS?

WHOIS is a publicly accessible database that stores information about domain name registrations. When someone performs a WHOIS lookup on your domain, they can typically see:

• Registrant name and organization
• Email address
• Phone number
• Physical mailing address
• Domain registration and expiration dates
• Nameserver information
• Registrar details

Why Is WHOIS Privacy Important?

Without WHOIS privacy, your personal information is exposed to anyone who performs a lookup. This can lead to:

• Spam emails from marketers who scrape WHOIS databases
• Unsolicited phone calls and sales pitches
• Physical junk mail sent to your registered address
• Identity theft risks from exposed personal data
• Domain hijacking attempts using social engineering

How WHOIS Privacy Protection Works

WHOIS privacy (also called ID protection or domain privacy) replaces your personal contact information in the WHOIS database with proxy details:

Emails sent to the proxy address are typically forwarded to your real email, so you do not miss important communications.

Enabling WHOIS Privacy

1. Log in to your {{COMPANY_NAME}} client portal at {{SUPPORT_URL}}
2. Navigate to Domains > My Domains
3. Click on the domain you want to protect
4. Look for the ID Protection or WHOIS Privacy option
5. Toggle it to Enabled
6. Confirm the action (privacy may have an associated fee for some TLDs)

Tip: Enable WHOIS privacy at the time of domain registration during checkout to protect your information from day one.

.in Domains and Auto-Redaction by NIXI

For .in domain extensions (including .co.in, .org.in, .net.in, .gen.in, .ind.in), WHOIS privacy works differently:

• NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India), the .in registry, automatically redacts personal information from public WHOIS lookups
• You do not need to purchase separate WHOIS privacy for .in domains
• Registrant details are protected by default under NIXIs privacy policy
• Only essential information (domain status, nameservers, expiry dates) is publicly visible

Tip: Do not purchase WHOIS privacy add-ons for .in domains — it is already included at the registry level by NIXI at no extra cost.

TLDs That Do Not Support WHOIS Privacy

Some domain extensions do not allow WHOIS privacy due to registry rules:

• .us — Required by US nexus policy to show accurate WHOIS
• .uk / .co.uk — Nominet provides opt-out for individuals but organizations are listed
• .eu — GDPR provides inherent privacy for EU registrants
• .ca — CIRA provides privacy for individuals by default
• .au — auDA requires published organization details

GDPR and WHOIS

Since the implementation of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in 2018, many registrars automatically redact personal data from WHOIS for domains registered by EU residents, regardless of whether you purchase privacy protection.

Troubleshooting

• Personal info still showing after enabling privacy: WHOIS databases cache results. Wait 24-48 hours for the redacted information to propagate.
• Privacy not available for my TLD: Some TLDs do not support third-party privacy services. Check the TLD-specific rules.
• Receiving spam despite privacy: Historical WHOIS records may have been cached by third parties before privacy was enabled.

Related Articles

• Updating WHOIS Contact Info
• Registering .in Domains
• eKYC for Indian Domains

Questions about WHOIS privacy? Contact {{COMPANY_NAME}} support at {{SUPPORT_EMAIL}} or open a ticket at {{SUPPORT_URL}}.