RDAP Lookup

What Is RDAP?

RDAP is the successor to WHOIS. Developed under the guidance of ICANN and standardized by the IETF, it provides the same core registration data as WHOIS but delivers it in a structured, modern format that is far easier for applications, developers, and security tools to work with.

Where WHOIS returns plain unstructured text, RDAP returns clean JSON — a data format that can be parsed, processed, and integrated into any system without custom text-parsing logic.

How Is RDAP Different From WHOIS?

The differences between RDAP and WHOIS are both technical and practical.

• Structured output: RDAP responses follow a defined schema. Every field has a name, a type, and a predictable location in the response.
• HTTPS by default: RDAP operates entirely over HTTPS, meaning all queries and responses are encrypted in transit. WHOIS offers no such guarantee.
• Standardized error handling: RDAP uses standard HTTP response codes, making it straightforward to detect and handle errors.
• Bootstrap discovery: RDAP includes a global bootstrap mechanism, meaning a client can automatically find the correct RDAP server for any domain.

Who Uses RDAP?

RDAP is increasingly the preferred protocol for developers building domain intelligence tools, security platforms, and registrar integrations. All major registries now support RDAP, and ICANN has been actively pushing for its adoption as the primary standard.

For end users, the difference between WHOIS and RDAP is mostly invisible. What matters is that the data is accurate, complete, and delivered quickly.

RDAP on XFox.Net

XFox.Net queries RDAP endpoints natively, giving you clean and structured domain registration data for any supported domain. The results are presented in a readable format — you get all the technical detail without having to parse raw JSON yourself.

If you are researching a domain and want the most structured, reliable, and modern data available, RDAP is the right tool. XFox.Net makes it accessible to everyone.