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Cloudflare Domain WHOIS: How to Protect Your Privacy and Security
Published: 08 Sep, 2023

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If you own a domain name, you might have heard of cloudflare domain whois. This is a service that allows you to hide your personal data from the public WHOIS database, which can expose your contact information to anyone who queries your domain. In this article, we will explain what cloudflare domain whois is, why it is important for your domain privacy and security, and how to use it with cloudflare registrar. Here are the main points we will cover:

  • What is WHOIS and how does it work?
  • What are the risks of exposing personal data via WHOIS?
  • How does cloudflare registrar protect your privacy with WHOIS redaction?
  • What is RDAP and how does it improve WHOIS?
  • How to buy and renew domains at cost with cloudflare registrar?
  • FAQs about cloudflare domain whois.

 

What is WHOIS and how does it work?

WHOIS is a protocol that displays the contact and nameserver data for any registered domain name. It was originally created to help network administrators troubleshoot issues and identify malicious actors on the internet. However, over time, it has become a source of data for various purposes, such as domain research, marketing, law enforcement, and cybercrime.

Anyone can query the WHOIS service of any registrar to reveal the data behind a given domain. For example, if you want to know who owns example.com, you can use a WHOIS lookup tool to find out the registrant name, email address, postal address, nameserver, domain lock information, and date records. You can also see if the domain is available for registration or transfer.

 

What are the risks of exposing personal data via WHOIS?

While WHOIS can be useful for legitimate purposes, it can also pose some serious risks for domain owners and users. By broadcasting your registrant contact information via WHOIS, you are exposing yourself to potential problems such as:

  • Spam mail: You might receive unsolicited emails from marketers, scammers, or hackers who want to sell you products, services, or malware.
  • Phishing: You might be tricked into clicking on malicious links or attachments that can compromise your online accounts or devices.
  • Identity theft: You might have your personal or financial information stolen by criminals who can use it to impersonate you or commit fraud.
  • Harassment: You might be targeted by stalkers, trolls, or activists who want to intimidate or threaten you for your opinions or actions.
  • Legal issues: You might be involved in disputes or lawsuits over your domain name or content.

These problems are not uncommon or trivial. According to a study by ICANN (the organization that oversees the domain name system), 28% of domain owners reported receiving spam emails as a result of their WHOIS data being public. Another study by DomainTools (a domain intelligence company) found that 65% of domain owners experienced some form of cyberattack due to their WHOIS data being exposed.

To protect domain owners and users from these risks, ICANN guidelines require registrars to have a method for third parties to reach the registrant without revealing their identity. This can be done by using a proxy service, a privacy service, or a redaction service.

 

How does cloudflare registrar protect your privacy with WHOIS redaction?

One of the best ways to protect your privacy with WHOIS is to use cloudflare registrar, which provides personal data redaction on WHOIS information, if permitted by the registry. This means that most contact information categorized as personal data will be removed from the published WHOIS record for your domain. These fields will read Data Redacted.

Cloudflare registrar still maintains the authoritative, unredacted, record of your WHOIS data and you can modify this information at any time. However, only authorized parties with a legitimate interest can access this information through a WHOIS Data Access Request. This way, you can prevent unwanted exposure of your personal data while still complying with ICANN policies.

Cloudflare registrar’s WHOIS redaction service is different from other registrars that charge fees or offer limited protection for your privacy. For example, some registrars charge extra fees for using a proxy or privacy service that masks your identity with a third-party entity. This can create problems if you need to prove ownership of your domain or if the third-party entity fails to forward communications or renewals. Other registrars only offer partial redaction of your contact information or do not support redaction for certain domains.

With cloudflare registrar, you can enjoy full WHOIS redaction for free and for any domain that supports it. You can also benefit from other features and advantages of using cloudflare registrar, such as DNSSEC activation, free SSL certificates, and fast DNS resolution.

 

What is RDAP and how does it improve WHOIS?

Another way to improve your experience with WHOIS is to use RDAP, which stands for Registration Data Access Protocol. This is a new standard for querying domain contact and nameserver information for all registered domains. It was developed to address some of the limitations and issues of WHOIS, such as:

  • Lack of standardized data access: Different registrars have different formats and policies for providing WHOIS data, which can make it difficult to parse and compare data across domains.
  • Lack of support for internationalization: WHOIS does not support non-ASCII characters, which can cause problems for domains that use other languages or scripts.
  • Lack of secure access controls: WHOIS does not have a mechanism for authenticating or authorizing users who access the data, which can lead to abuse or misuse of the data.

RDAP offers some advantages over WHOIS, such as:

  • Standardized data access: RDAP uses a common data model and format for all registrars, which makes it easier to query and process data across domains.
  • Support for internationalization: RDAP supports Unicode characters, which allows for displaying and searching data in different languages and scripts.
  • Secure access controls: RDAP uses HTTPS protocol, which enables encryption and authentication of users who access the data.

RDAP is intended to eventually replace WHOIS, but cloudflare currently provides both WHOIS and RDAP search capability. You can use Cloudflare’s RDAP service to query cloudflare domains using RDAP protocol.

 

How to buy and renew domains at cost with cloudflare registrar?

One of the most attractive features of cloudflare registrar is that it allows you to buy and renew domains through its platform at cost, without markup fees. This means that you only pay what is charged by registries and ICANN for your domain. For example, if you want to register a .com domain, you only pay $8.03 per year, which is the wholesale price charged by Verisign (the registry) and ICANN (the regulator).

Other registrars typically charge higher fees for registering or renewing domains, which can add up over time. For example, GoDaddy charges $18.17 per year for a .com domain, which is more than double the cost of cloudflare registrar. Some registrars also charge extra fees for services that are included for free with cloudflare registrar, such as WHOIS privacy protection, DNS management, or SSL certificates.

To use cloudflare registrar, you need to transfer your existing domains to cloudflare or register new domains with it. Here are the steps to do so:

  • Transfer your existing domains to cloudflare registrar:
    • Log in to your cloudflare account and select the domain you want to transfer.
    • Click on Transfer Out from the Overview tab and follow the instructions to unlock your domain and get the authorization code from your current registrar.
    • Click on Transfer In from the Overview tab and enter the authorization code to initiate the transfer process.
    • Confirm the transfer with your current registrar and wait for the completion of the transfer, which can take up to 7 days.
    • Once the transfer is complete, you can manage your domain settings from cloudflare dashboard.
  • Register new domains with cloudflare registrar:
    • Log in to your cloudflare account and click on Register a new domain from the Overview tab.
    • Search for the domain name you want to register and check its availability and price.
    • Add the domain name to your cart and proceed to checkout.
    • Enter your payment information and confirm your order.
    • Once the order is processed, you can manage your domain settings from cloudflare dashboard.

By using cloudflare registrar, you can enjoy low-cost domain registration and renewal, as well as other benefits such as one-click DNSSEC activation, free SSL certificates, and fast DNS resolution.

 

FAQs about cloudflare domain whois

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about cloudflare domain whois, based on the people also ask section for the main keyword:

  • How can third parties reach registrants?
    • Third parties who have a legitimate interest in contacting the registrant of a domain registered with cloudflare registrar can use a WHOIS Data Access Request form. This form allows them to request access to the full registration data for a domain, if they provide sufficient justification and evidence for their request. Cloudflare will review each request and decide whether to grant or deny access based on ICANN policies and applicable laws.
  • How do I turn off WHOIS privacy protection?
    • If you want to turn off WHOIS privacy protection for your domain registered with cloudflare registrar, you can do so by logging in to your cloudflare account and selecting the domain you want to modify. Then, click on Edit in the Contact Information section under the Registrar tab. You will see an option to disable personal data redaction on WHOIS information. If you disable this option, your contact information will be published on the public WHOIS database.
  • How do I update my registrant contact information?
    • If you want to update your registrant contact information for your domain registered with cloudflare registrar, you can do so by logging in to your cloudflare account and selecting the domain you want to modify. Then, click on Edit in the Contact Information section under the Registrar tab. You will see a form where you can enter your new contact information. Make sure to save your changes and verify your email address if prompted.
  • How do I check if my domain is eligible for transfer to cloudflare registrar?
    • If you want to check if your domain is eligible for transfer to cloudflare registrar, you can use the Domain Transfer Tool provided by cloudflare. This tool allows you to enter your domain name and see if it meets the requirements for transfer, such as being unlocked, having valid nameservers, and having more than 60 days since registration or previous transfer. You can also see the estimated cost and duration of the transfer process.

 

Conclusion

Cloudflare domain whois is a service that helps you protectyour privacy and security with your domain name. By using cloudflare registrar, you can hide your personal data from the public WHOIS database and prevent spam, phishing, identity theft, harassment, and legal issues. You can also enjoy low-cost domain registration and renewal, as well as other benefits such as DNSSEC activation, free SSL certificates, and fast DNS resolution. Cloudflare registrar also supports RDAP protocol, which is a new standard for querying domain contact and nameserver information.

If you want to try out cloudflare registrar or learn more about it, you can visit their website or blog. You can also use their Domain Transfer Tool to check if your domain is eligible for transfer to cloudflare registrar. Cloudflare registrar is a great option for anyone who values their domain privacy and security.