When you register a domain name, your name, address, email address, and phone number are stored by default in the WHOIS register. This register can be consulted by anyone. With WHOIS privacy (also known as privacy protection), your personal information is shielded and replaced with generic contact details, so you experience less spam, telemarketing, and identity misuse.
What is WHOIS and why do you see this information?
WHOIS is a public database that keeps track of who owns each registered domain name, when the domain was registered and expires, and which nameservers are used. This system exists so you can check who is responsible for a website or to get in touch in case of, for example, a domain name dispute. The downside: without protection, your name, address, and email address are simply public on the internet, visible to anyone who does a WHOIS lookup.
Why WHOIS privacy is important
Without privacy protection, anyone – from marketing agencies to malicious actors – can look up your address details through a simple WHOIS lookup. In practice, this leads to:
- Spam and unsolicited marketing: companies scrape WHOIS data to approach you with offers for SEO, hosting, or domain renewal.
- Phishing attempts: scammers send fake invoices that look authentic, incorporating your name and domain name.
- Privacy risks: if you work from home, your private address becomes visible online for everyone.
- Unwanted contact: competitors or individuals can approach you directly outside official channels.
Setting up WHOIS privacy: step-by-step plan
Activating WHOIS privacy is usually done through your hosting provider or registrar. At Tandata, you can easily arrange this from your account when managing your domain name.
Log in to your account environment
Go to the customer panel where you manage your domain names and select the domain for which you want to set up privacy.
Open the domain settings
Look for the option “WHOIS privacy,” “owner privacy,” or “shield contact details” in the domain details.
Activate the protection
Enable the privacy option. For most extensions, this is active immediately; for some extensions, activation can take a few hours due to propagation.
Check the result
Perform a WHOIS lookup using an online WHOIS tool and check whether your personal information has been replaced with generic contact information.
Note: WHOIS privacy only hides the information in the public register. You remain the legal owner of the domain and can still transfer or renew it.
When can’t you use WHOIS privacy?
Not every extension allows privacy protection. Some country-specific extensions require public registration of business details, for example because they are linked to a Chamber of Commerce registration. For business domain registrations too, a registrar may require that the company name and business address remain visible. Not sure whether your domain extension supports privacy? Get in touch via the support page to ask about this.
Frequently asked questions
Does WHOIS privacy cost extra money?
This differs per registrar and extension. With many providers, it’s included with the domain registration; with others, it’s a separate add-on.
Does my email address change with WHOIS privacy?
No, your own email address and business email remain unchanged. Only the information in the public WHOIS register is replaced.
Can I turn off WHOIS privacy again later?
Yes, you can turn the setting on or off at any time through your account environment, without it affecting your domain registration.
Does WHOIS privacy affect my SEO or DNS settings?
No, WHOIS privacy has no effect on DNS records, hosting, or search engine results. It only changes the visibility of contact details in the WHOIS register.
Conclusion
WHOIS privacy protects your personal data against spam, phishing, and unwanted contact by shielding your name, address, and email address in the public domain register. Setting it up is usually arranged within a few steps through your account environment, though availability varies per domain extension.