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.net domain: registry, rules and WHOIS

Network and infrastructure services, general purpose

Facts

Type
Generic top-level domain (gTLD)
Registry operator
Verisign
Added to the root zone
1985
RDAP
Yes (rdap.verisign.com)
WHOIS server
whois.verisign-grs.com
Registration
Open to anyone
IDN support
Yes
Typical use
Network and infrastructure services, general purpose

RDAP availability is taken from the IANA RDAP bootstrap file published on 2026-09-16; WHOIS server and delegation year from the IANA root zone database. Registry policies change: check the registry's own policy before relying on an eligibility rule.

What is .net?

.net is one of the original 1985 generic top-level domains. It was intended for network infrastructure providers, and it is still common among hosting, connectivity and developer-facing services, but it is open to every kind of registrant. Verisign operates the registry, on the same platform as .com.

Who can register it

Open to anyone through ICANN-accredited registrars, with no residency or documentation requirements.

WHOIS, RDAP and privacy

An RDAP service for .net (rdap.verisign.com) is published in the IANA RDAP bootstrap file. OrbitProbe reads registration data from it first, as structured JSON: registrar, creation and expiry dates, EPP status codes and nameservers. For gTLDs, personal contact data has been largely redacted from public output since the rules ICANN introduced in 2018 in response to the GDPR. In most lookups you will see redacted fields or the details of a privacy service instead of a registrant name. OrbitProbe only ever shows the organisation name and country.

Look up a .net domain

FAQ

Who can register a .net domain?

Open to anyone through ICANN-accredited registrars, with no residency or documentation requirements.

How do I run a WHOIS lookup for a .net domain?

Type the name, in the form example.net, into the form on this page. OrbitProbe first queries the RDAP service of the .net registry (rdap.verisign.com). The result shows where the data came from and when it was observed.

Does .net support RDAP?

Yes. The IANA RDAP bootstrap file dated 2026-09-16 publishes rdap.verisign.com for .net. The classic WHOIS server is whois.verisign-grs.com.

Does .net support internationalised domain names (IDN)?

Yes, names containing non-ASCII characters can be registered under .net. Which characters are allowed is defined by the registry's IDN table. In the DNS such names are stored in Punycode form starting with "xn--"; OrbitProbe accepts either form.