Goodbye WHOIS, Hello RDAP: A New Era in Domain Data

What Is RDAP, and Why Is It Important?

For decades, WHOIS has been the standard for accessing domain ownership and registration data. However, as security and privacy concerns have evolved, WHOIS has become increasingly outdated. As a text-based protocol that is easily readable for humans, it lacks the efficiency needed for machine processing, making large-scale data extraction difficult for security analysts and businesses.

RDAP, introduced in 2015, was designed to address these shortcomings. Unlike WHOIS, RDAP provides structured, machine-readable data with enhanced privacy controls. It also supports encrypted data transmission and internationalised domain names (IDNs), making it a more secure and versatile solution for modern needs.

The End of WHOIS: What Does It Mean for the Industry?

The transition from WHOIS to RDAP has already begun in earnest. In January 2025, ICANN’s Global Amendment to the Base gTLD Registry Agreement will officially sunset WHOIS for most generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

While many registries and registrars, including Abion, have already implemented RDAP, some will continue supporting WHOIS temporarily to ensure a smooth transition.

Although WHOIS will be phased out for gTLDs under ICANN’s jurisdiction, some registrars and country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) are not yet required to adopt RDAP. As a result, both WHOIS and RDAP will coexist for the foreseeable future. Businesses and security professionals relying on domain registration data must adapt to this dual-protocol environment, tracking data from both systems as needed.

The Future of Domain Data and Security

As RDAP becomes the industry standard, it enhances domain data access for threat intelligence, cybersecurity analysis, and brand protection. Its structured format and privacy controls provide a more reliable and scalable solution for businesses monitoring potential threats.

Country TLDs and RDAP Adoption

Despite RDAP’s widespread adoption for gTLDs, ccTLDs, such as .uk, .de, or .cn, continue to operate under their own regulations and are not yet required to transition to RDAP. This means WHOIS will still be in use for these domains, adding an extra layer of complexity for those tracking domain registration data.