written by
JoeUddeme
Researching domain history is important for businesses and website owners, especially when buying a domain. It’s like wanting to purchase a property and checking the record of its past owners, renovations, and sales history before signing the contract.
You’ve arrived at the right place if you’re interested in digging deep into the history of any domain. This article will give you the relevant knowledge and tools to navigate a domain’s history.
Domain name history is important in several cases, mainly when someone wants to acquire a domain. For example, you come across a domain you want to buy but don’t know the owner. Investigating the domain registration history can help you find the owner so you can begin inquiring about purchasing the domain.
These are typical cases that warrant a domain history lookup:
You might find a domain that looks valuable for your business, but the existing website has no official information to contact the owner. In that case, researching the domain name history can help you find the owner’s email address, phone number, physical address, or other contact information.
Due diligence is critical if you’re buying any domain. Checking the domain name ownership history lets you know its reputation with search engines, which can affect your website’s discoverability and brand appeal. This due diligence lets you know if the domain was previously used for any malicious activity, and you can immediately back out if so.
Checking a competitor’s domain name history can reveal valuable information. Who registered the domain? How long has the website existed? How much was the domain acquired for? Has the domain ever been sold? These questions give great insight into your competitors, letting you know how to stand out and win customers.
The WHOIS database is the first place to check a domain name’s history. This public database contains the information collected when someone registers a domain name. You can use it to find relevant information about a domain name’s owner and operational history.
You can query information from the WHOIS database using any WHOIS lookup tool. This database is publicly available, so many websites allow users to type in a domain name and see every information related to that domain in the WHOIS database. Examples of such tools include WHOIS.com, Who.IS, and WHOIS.DomainTools.com.
Type a domain into any of these tools, and you’ll see relevant information about it, including:
A WHOIS lookup always shows a domain’s initial registration date. This information gives you a clue of how long the website has existed. To illustrate, let’s perform a WHOIS lookup for NameExperts.com. We typed this domain into the Who.IS lookup tool and got the following information:
Take note of the registration date in the above picture. You can infer that NameExperts.com was registered in 2000 and has existed for over two decades.
The same screenshot from our WHOIS lookup shows when NameExperts.com was recently updated, i.e., the last domain renewal date.
You can observe that this domain was last updated on the 11th of April, 2024.
A nameserver is the server that translates a domain name into an IP address. A WHOIS lookup shows the nameservers of any domain name.
Our WHOIS lookup shows that NameExperts.com uses Cloudflare nameservers.
A WHOIS lookup tells you when a domain name is set to expire. If you’re interested in buying a domain name, it’s advisable to make your offer near its expiration date, when the buyer will be more likely to sell it.
Our WHOIS domain history lookup shows the expiration date for NameExperts.com (April 11, 2025, as of writing).
DomainTools is a more expansive tool to check the history of a website. It provides detailed records about a domain name, including its hosting history, screenshot history, and other domains that share the same IP address or nameserver.
However, DomainTools is not free. It costs $99 per month or $995 annually for unlimited searches, which is pricey. Alternatively, users can pay a $49 one-time fee to download a single domain name’s history report. Free users only get a preview when they search for a domain name’s history.
A simple Google search can reveal a lot about a domain. If you query a specific domain on Google, you can see reviews or mentions of the website and judge how customers perceive it. If you notice overwhelmingly negative reviews, it’s a signal not to buy the domain because of potential harm to your reputation.
You can also check popular review sites like TrustPilot.com and TrustRadius.com to see reviews about a domain.
A WHOIS lookup usually gives information about the domain name’s owner. The WHOIS database contains the contact information for every domain, including phone number, email address, and physical address.
To illustrate, let’s run a domain history lookup for “Dynadot.com” on Who.IS. We got the following information:
You can see the name, address, phone number, fax number, and email address of the company that owns this domain. Let’s say you’re interested in acquiring a domain– a WHOIS lookup gives you the owner’s contact details, and you can call or email them about your offer.
However, many domain owners use a privacy protection service that replaces their WHOIS contact information with that of an external company. For example, a WHOIS lookup for “Apple.com” gives the below information, wherein every contact detail is redacted for privacy:
Redacted information implies the owner doesn’t want to reveal their contact information to the public. However, don’t fret. You can enlist a domain broker to investigate further and find the owner’s contact information.
Domain name brokers are professionals who specialize in arranging domain deals. They handle all aspects of a domain acquisition, from identifying the owner to negotiating a fair market value and formally closing the acquisition.
You can enlist a domain broker like NameExperts to find a domain name’s owner even when their information is blocked from the WHOIS database. To find the owner’s information, brokers can check corporate records, incorporation databases, regulatory filings, and other sources. After getting the information, they can contact the owner on your behalf to negotiate a possible sale.
The Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) is one of the best tools for researching the history of a website. This tool gives website history snapshots of any domain you search for, letting you see how the domain has been used in the past.
It’s like being a time traveler but on the internet. After searching for a domain, you’ll see a calendar showing the years the domain has been active, and you can see how the website looked on specific days, months, and years.
For example, we searched for NameExperts.com and found snapshots from 2004 to 2005 and 2013 to 2024.
We picked a random date in 2019 to see how NameExperts.com looked at that point, and we got the image below. Notice how our website looked significantly different from its current design.
The Wayback Machine provides valuable information about a domain. It shows you if the domain was once used for spammy or malicious activities, and you can back out of acquiring the domain if so.
Norton Safeweb is a free tool for checking a domain’s safety. It shows whether the domain was or is connected to malware or security issues. Type in any domain, and Safeweb provides a simple report showing whether it’s safe or not. If a domain is marked unsafe, it’s a signal to think twice about acquiring it.
Here’s a sample Safeweb report for NameExperts.com:
Checking a domain name history isn’t always rosy. You might run into these common issues:
When checking for a domain name ownership history, you might find outdated information that’s of no use. This usually happens when a domain has not been active for a long time, making it difficult to research its history and find information about the owner.
We’ve mentioned how some individuals or businesses turn on privacy protection for their domains and hide their contact information. This issue is becoming more common because many domain registrars now offer privacy protection for free.
Some domain name owners use third-party services to mask their ownership information. When checking the domain name history, you might see information about third parties who have little control over the domain and refuse to point you to the actual owner.
Don’t fret if you encounter the challenges mentioned above. A domain broker can help you circumvent these issues and find authentic information about a domain’s owner.
The WHOIS database isn’t the end of the domain name lookup. Domain brokers can check other sources, such as corporate registration records, real estate records, press releases, regulatory documents, government databases, tax databases, and more. You’ll be surprised at what a broker can find online or by leveraging their relationships.
Brokers don’t just help you find a domain’s owner. They’re also skilled at appraising a domain name and negotiating acquisition deals, ensuring buyers and sellers are satisfied with the outcome.
Name Experts offers brokerage services to help you buy premium domain names. We offer top-notch service, protecting your anonymity and negotiating the best possible deal. We’ll handle every hectic part of acquiring a domain name; you’ll simply take ownership. Contact us today to see how we can help you.
Premium domains are the best type of domains because they are memorable and tend to draw a lot of organic traffic. To the uninitiated, premium domains are short, catchy, and memorable domain names that have a high potential to become popular web addresses. They also present great branding opportunities for websites. The best places to find premium domains for your business include: Name Experts GoDaddy Sedo Network Solutions Domain.com Namecheap
One of the most important decisions you’ll make about your business is the domain name you choose to acquire. The domain name you give your business is crucial as it becomes your identity on the web. You want it to reflect your brand and fit your business, but you also need it to be easy to find and promote. Acquiring a premium domain name is definitely the way to go but choosing one can be difficult. What criteria should you be following to make sure you end up with the very best when you buy a domain name? To help you answer the question ‘What should my domain name be?’, here are six things you should keep in mind. 1. Pick a Short Name When You Choose a Domain What You Want to Avoid: When you’re just starting out playing with domain names to choose, it can be tempting to combine all your ideas into one long domain name. However, while that may make it unique and descriptive, it may hurt your branding. What to Do Instead: A short name is easy to remember, easier to spell, and thus, has a better chance of becoming a household name. It also makes it easier when you want to branch out into branded items, or you want to create a logo, etc. Unfortunately, the very easy 3-letter names were all taken as early as 1997, but there are plenty of others available that are appropriate. The shorter your domain name is, the easier it is to share through word of mouth. It’s also easier to type into your search bar, especially if you’re using a phone. 2. Pick Something Easy to Spell, Pronounce, and Remember What You Want to Avoid: A name that is difficult to spell can negatively impact your traffic because it can mean that users don’t land on your page. They might even end up with a competitor, instead. You’ll also want to avoid using multiple spellings and the use of hyphens, numbers, or special characters. Your customers will often misunderstand numbers or misplace hyphens. People who hear your web address might not know whether you’re using a numeral or if it’s spelled out. What to Do Instead: This name needs to be easy to remember. Your customers need to be able to spell it correctly and pronounce it easily, so that they can easily share it with others. Imagine you’re naming a child – you want something unique for your site, but you also don’t want a name that will create difficulties because of spelling or pronunciation. If you absolutely need to include special characters or terms that are more difficult to spell in your domain name, make sure you register different variations of it to be safe. Some of the most famous and brandable names out there are extremely simple: Google. Facebook. Amazon. These are giants who created an excellent product or service, but who also knew how to brand themselves by acquiring premium domain names. 3. Use Relevant Keywords What You Want to Avoid: A word of caution, here – if your domain is entirely made up of keywords, you run the risk of creating a brand that sounds too generic, or unrecognizable. Especially if you’re starting a blog or a personal page, you need something with a bit of personality. What to Do Instead: You’ll notice that a lot of the heavy players have names that are composed of two words, and one of them is usually a keyword. That is a very clever choice, because a) it’s descriptive of your business, b) it majorly contributes to SEO, and c) it makes your name easy to remember. So, if you’ve got an interior design business, for example, you’ll want a premium domain that ideally includes a relevant keyword, like “design”, “interior”, “decorator”, “home”, “style”, etc. That will tell your potential customers all they need to know about your business. Your name is also likely to pop up in whatever Google search they try for “interior design” or similar keywords. If your business is local, you might consider including your city or state in your domain. That way, customers in your area can find your name and remember it easier. Often, when doing keyword research for your business, you’ll find that city and state will most likely be included. 4. Avoid Anything Confusing or Inappropriate What You Want to Avoid: You want to pay attention to not pick a name that is confusing (either because of spelling or sheer peculiarity), awkward, or inappropriate. If the initials of your business make up an inappropriate word, scrap the name immediately. What to Do Instead: Also pay attention to what a domain looks like when you spell it out, if it’s made of multiple words. You’ll be surprised at how many other words you may inadvertently spelling. The other thing to look out for is that picking a name that has no relation to your line of business can be very confusing. 5. Avoid Names that Already Exist or Are Trademarked What You Want to Avoid: Don’t go ahead with a name that is extremely similar to an existing one or that is trademarked, because a) that is confusing for your customers and you risk losing traffic, and b) you may, someday, be served with a legal notice that may create problems. What to Do Instead: However, there is a caveat, here. If the name is already trademark-protected, that’s a bit of a dead-end. There can’t be another Burger King, for example. If, however, the domain name you want is just taken by someone else, there are ways around that and you are still able to buy a domain name that is already owned. 6. Choose a .com TLD, but Purchase All Available Extensions What You Want to Avoid: If you only acquire the domain name you want and no other similar ones, you run the risk of having someone else purchase other variations of your domain. They will get the traffic that should have been directed towards your page. What to Do Instead: The most popular domains are .com ones, and they are the most widely used, so it’s the ideal premium domain to acquire. But your work doesn’t stop here. Once you’ve bought that, you also want to purchase every other available variation of your domain name. For example, let’s say your domain name is www.carsforsale.com. You should try to buy www.carsforsale.net, www.carsforsale.org, www.carsforsale.biz, etc. That way, no one else can take these domains and possibly steal traffic that was meant to go your way. Once you have these domains, you can make sure the traffic redirects to your main .com domain. Bottom Line When Deciding How to Choose a Domain Name Choosing a domain name can be a delicate process. Pick the wrong one, and your business may suffer. Pick the right one, and it can catapult you into quick notoriety, or at least it can help make branding easier. The most important things to remember when choosing what domain to acquire is that it should be something easy to spell and remember, non-trademarked, and that ideally includes a keyword. If you manage to find the perfect one, purchase every variation to make sure that you can take advantage of 100% of the traffic going to these domains.
How to avoid expiration of your premium domain name While it’s not possible to buy a domain name forever in the classical sense, there are ways to ensure long-term control over your domain. Website registration typically involves leasing a domain name for a specific period, usually between one to ten years. However, some registrars offer lifetime domain registration options or auto-renewal features that can help you maintain ownership for an extended period to buy a domain name. By opting for these services, you can avoid the hassle of frequent renewals and ensure that your domain name remains yours for as long as you need it. This approach provides peace of mind and stability for your online presence, allowing you to focus on building and growing your website without worrying about losing your domain.
Name Experts offers personalized domain brokerage services, assisting clients in buying or selling premium domain names with expert appraisal, negotiation, and complete transaction management while ensuring confidentiality.
Some of our most
successful stealth acquisition and sales