The WHOIS directory is an online public database that contains data on the registration of domain names such as registration date, expiration date, nameservers, contact information, domain status, and more.
You can use any of the several tools available online to obtain the WHOIS information on a domain. The result will look similar to the following - note the domain status field:
There you will see one or more statuses, that can be sorted into two large groups:
Active - the domain is operational
Inactive - the domain is not operational due to some reason such as suspension, expiration, etc.
Here's a detailed list of the most common statuses and their meaning:
Status code | Domain active | Meaning |
ok | Yes | The domain is active and operational |
addPeriod | Yes | The domain has ben registered recently |
clientTransferProhibited | Yes | The domain is locked to prevent unauthorized domain transfers |
PendingTransfer | Yes | A request to transfer the domain is being processed |
clientHold | No | The domain is suspended or pending verification |
ServerHold | No | The domain is suspended |
redemptionPeriod | No | The domain expired and has surpassed the grace period (if applicable) |
pendingDelete | No | The domain expired and after a few days will be available again for registration |
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