When you register a domain, you give the registrar contact details for the owner and administrator. Historically, much of that was published in the public WHOIS database, where anyone could read it.
Why it matters
Public contact details attract spam calls, fake renewal invoices and phishing emails that look like they come from your registrar. For individuals and small businesses, they can also expose a home address.
What WHOIS privacy does
Privacy replaces your personal details in the public record with masked or forwarding information. You still own the domain, the registrar still has your real details, and legitimate messages can still reach you. Nothing about your website, email or DNS changes.
What it does not do
- It does not hide who hosts your website; anyone can see the server's address.
- It does not stop authorities with a legal request from obtaining owner details.
- Some country endings, including several Egyptian ones, have their own rules on what is shown.
Watch out for fake renewal notices
A common scam is a letter or email that looks like an invoice to renew your domain, sent by a company you have never used. Only pay renewals inside your own registrar's client area.
Check your own domain
Run a WHOIS lookup on your domain to see what is public today.
At IDX
Domains registered with IDX include WHOIS privacy at no extra cost where the ending supports it, so your details are hidden from the public record automatically.
IDX on digital infrastructure
Back to blog →