Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using BetterWhois.com (“the Service”), operated by BetterWhois.com (“we,” “us,” or “our”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to all of these terms, do not use the Service. We reserve the right to update these terms at any time. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

2. Description of Service

BetterWhois.com provides WHOIS domain name lookup services that query publicly available domain registration databases. The WHOIS data displayed is obtained from third-party registrars and registry operators. We act solely as an intermediary presenting publicly available information and do not own, control, or guarantee the accuracy of the underlying WHOIS data.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age to use this Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement. If you are under 18, you represent that a parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these terms.

4. User Accounts and Rate Limits

The Service offers limited free WHOIS lookups. Unregistered users receive a limited number of daily lookups. Creating a free account provides additional daily lookups. We reserve the right to modify these limits at any time. You agree to provide a valid email address when creating an account and not to create multiple accounts to circumvent usage limits. Accounts may be suspended or terminated at our sole discretion for any reason, including suspected abuse.

5. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Engage in automated, bulk, or systematic querying (including scraping, data mining, or robotic access) without our express written permission
• Circumvent, disable, or interfere with rate limits, security features, or access restrictions
• Use WHOIS data for unsolicited communications (spam), marketing, or any form of mass contact to domain registrants
• Compile, redistribute, or sell WHOIS data obtained through the Service
• Use the Service for any purpose that violates applicable local, state, national, or international law, including ICANN policies governing WHOIS data use
• Attempt to probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the Service or breach any security or authentication measures
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity
• Use the Service to facilitate domain name disputes, cybersquatting, or intellectual property infringement

6. Intellectual Property

The Service, including its design, text, graphics, logos, icons, and code, is the property of BetterWhois.com and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from any portion of the Service without our prior written consent. The WHOIS data itself is publicly available information subject to the terms of the respective registries and registrars.

7. WHOIS Data Accuracy Disclaimer

WHOIS data is sourced from third-party domain registrars and registry operators. We do not independently verify, warrant, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of any WHOIS data displayed through the Service. Domain registration information may be outdated, incomplete, redacted for privacy, or otherwise inaccurate. You acknowledge that WHOIS data should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any decision, including but not limited to legal proceedings, business transactions, or domain acquisitions.

8. No Professional Advice

Nothing on the Service constitutes legal, financial, technical, or professional advice. Information about domain registration, cybersquatting, intellectual property, or related topics is provided for general informational purposes only. You should consult qualified professionals for advice specific to your situation.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. WE MAKE NO WARRANTY REGARDING THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY WHOIS DATA, DOMAIN AVAILABILITY INFORMATION, OR OTHER INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH THE SERVICE.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL BETTERWHOIS.COM, ITS OWNERS, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH: (A) YOUR USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE; (B) ANY WHOIS DATA OR INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH THE SERVICE; (C) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR ACCOUNT OR DATA; (D) ANY THIRD-PARTY CONDUCT ON THE SERVICE; OR (E) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE SERVICE. OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR TEN DOLLARS ($10.00), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless BetterWhois.com, its owners, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any applicable law or regulation; (d) your use or misuse of any WHOIS data obtained through the Service; or (e) any dispute between you and a third party related to information obtained through the Service.

12. Third-Party Links and Services

The Service may contain links to third-party websites, including domain registrars and registration services. These links are provided for your convenience only. We do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites. Your interactions with third-party services, including domain registration purchases, are solely between you and the third party. We may receive referral compensation from third-party services linked from our site.

13. Service Modification and Termination

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service (or any part thereof) at any time, with or without notice, and without liability to you or any third party. We may also terminate or suspend your account and access to the Service at our sole discretion, without prior notice, for conduct that we determine violates these Terms or is harmful to other users, us, or third parties.

14. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Maryland. You consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts and waive any objection to venue.

15. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

16. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and BetterWhois.com regarding your use of the Service and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Account Information: Email address provided during signup, used for authentication and communications.
• Usage Data: Domain search queries, search frequency, and feature usage patterns.
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and device information collected automatically when you visit the site.
• Security Data: Bot detection tokens and verification results used to protect the Service from automated abuse.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Service, including processing your WHOIS lookup queries
• Authenticate your identity and manage your account
• Enforce rate limits and prevent abuse of the Service
• Send verification codes for account authentication
• Send periodic emails about domain intelligence, BetterWhois updates, and related content
• Detect and prevent fraud, spam, and security threats
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms

3. Third-Party Service Providers

We use trusted third-party service providers to operate the Service. These providers may process your data as necessary to deliver their services:

• WHOIS Data Providers: Your domain search queries are sent to third-party WHOIS lookup services to retrieve domain registration data. These providers may log queries per their own privacy policies.
• Security and Bot Detection: We use third-party security services to detect and prevent automated abuse. These services may collect technical data including IP address, browser characteristics, and interaction patterns.
• Email Delivery: We use third-party email services to send verification codes and communications. Your email address is shared with these providers for delivery purposes.
• Newsletter and Mailing List: Your email address may be added to our mailing list managed by a third-party email marketing platform when you create an account.
• Hosting and Infrastructure: Our hosting provider may collect server logs including IP addresses and request metadata as part of normal operations.

4. IP Address and Rate Limiting

We collect and temporarily store your IP address to enforce daily usage limits and prevent abuse. IP-based rate limit data is not permanently stored and resets daily. We do not use IP addresses for tracking, profiling, or advertising purposes.

5. Cookies

We use the following cookies:

• Session cookie: An HTTP-only authentication cookie that identifies your account session. This cookie is essential for the Service to function and expires after 30 days.
• Security cookies: Our bot detection service may set cookies for security verification purposes.

You may disable cookies in your browser settings, but doing so will prevent you from signing in or using account features.

6. Email Communications

By creating an account, you consent to receive occasional emails about domain intelligence and BetterWhois updates. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. You may opt out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email. Transactional emails (such as verification codes) are not subject to opt-out as they are necessary for the Service to function.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personally identifiable information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• With service providers who assist in operating the Service, subject to confidentiality obligations
• When required by law, subpoena, or legal process
• To protect the rights, property, or safety of BetterWhois.com, our users, or the public
• In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, with notice to affected users

8. Data Retention

Account information (email address) is retained for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Rate-limiting data (IP-based counters) is temporary and resets daily. Server logs may be retained for up to 30 days for security and troubleshooting purposes. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time by contacting us.

9. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), HTTP-only session cookies, bot detection, and rate limiting. However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data and account
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time
• Data portability: Request your data in a portable format

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email address below. We will respond to requests within 30 days.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, request deletion of your personal information, and opt out of any sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your rights, contact us using the information below.

12. International Users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), UK, or Switzerland, we process your personal data based on: (a) your consent (for email communications); (b) contract performance (to provide the Service); and (c) legitimate interests (for security, abuse prevention, and service improvement). You have the right to withdraw consent, access, correct, delete, restrict, or port your data, and to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

13. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete that information. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

14. Do Not Track

The Service does not currently respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals. We do not use third-party advertising trackers. Our data collection is limited to what is described in this policy.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “last updated” date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. For material changes, we will make reasonable efforts to notify registered users via email.

16. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms or Privacy Policy, privacy requests, or to exercise your data rights, contact us at: privacy@betterwhois.com