Understanding Domain Privacy (WHOIS Privacy)
When you register a domain, you give the registry your contact details: your name, address, email and phone number. WHOIS (and its modern replacement, RDAP) is the public lookup that lets anyone see who is behind a domain. Without privacy, your personal details can end up on that public record.
What Domain Privacy Does
Domain privacy keeps your personal contact details out of public WHOIS lookups.
- Your ownership of the domain doesn't change. You are still the registrant.
- The public record still shows the domain's status, registrar, key dates and nameservers.
- Your name, address, email and phone number stay hidden.
Why It Matters
- Less spam: your email address and phone number can't be harvested from WHOIS.
- Less risk of fraud: fewer personal details are available to scammers.
- More control: you decide who gets your contact details.
Domain Privacy at NG Domain
- It's included free. Every domain you register with NG Domain comes with WHOIS privacy at no extra cost.
- It's on by default. You'll see it in your cart as Included. You can remove it before checkout if you want your details to be public.
- Check what's public: run any domain through our WHOIS lookup to see what the public record shows.
Common Questions
Can people still reach me? Legitimate requests, such as legal notices or domain disputes, can still be passed on to the registrant through the registrar and registry.
Does privacy affect transfers? Some registrars ask you to turn privacy off while a transfer is in progress. See Transferring Your Domain.
To change privacy on a domain you already own, use the WHOIS privacy switch in the domain's Settings tab in your dashboard.