Once you have selected the name of your next venture, you will need to choose a domain name.
All the pieces are in place. Getting your dream domain name is now all that’s left.
Footprints left by the internet are easy to trace and can be traced back for a long time. You may choose a domain name with its own history.
Malicious code and sensitive content probably make up its black history. Different owners might have handled it before ending up on your plate.
In the world of the internet, the past is very important. What is the past of the domain name that you intend to use?
If you are planning on acquiring a new domain name, make sure you are fully aware of what you will receive, so you won’t be surprised when it arrives.
Content Outline
What is Domain Ownership History?
The ownership history for a domain name (also known as the WHOIS history) is a documented record of all domain name registrations.
Records are kept from when the domain was first registered. Isn’t that cool?
In the world of the internet, the past matters, especially when it comes to domain names. It’s important to check the history of a domain name.
Before you take out your wallet, you can see exactly what you are buying from the domain ownership history.
What does a domain’s ownership history tell you?
Let’s face it:
If you were buying a second-hand car, you would check the service history, right?
Just like obtaining a service history for a car, a domain ownership history check will tell you what the domain has been used for and whether it has been maintained over time.
You can learn these things from the domain ownership history:
- History of previous sales
- The purpose of the domain
- Its original registration date
- Domains used in illegal activities
- Infringement of any trademarks
- Domains previously owned
Some websites even provide statistics about their traffic.
Buyers of domains should check the domain ownership history as it provides a wealth of information.
When you’re flipping high-value domain names, it’s always worth the extra effort to make sure the purchase is a quality one.
5 Best Tools to Check the History of Domain Names
The internet has also enabled you to find out about the history of any domain name, so that you can do your part of the research before registering a domain name.
To find out more about the history of any domain name on the Internet, here are some of the best tools.
1. Domain Tools
Domain Tools offers this service for a fee.
Registering for Domain Tools’ premium service allows users to browse detailed historical data of any website. $49.95/month is the cost of the paid service.
The most comprehensive domain history database on the internet is provided by Domain Tools to its users.
A user can track domain ownership changes, last domain ownership records, as well as the entire domain ownership history.
2. Internet Wayback Machine
This free internet beast is provided by open source organization – Internet Archive.
I prefer to refer to this machine as a beast because the possibilities are endless!
Think of the Internet as a time machine. Come aboard!
The site can be viewed as it was at the selected time using this tool.
However, it is a great tool to crawl back in time. It is basically a cookie storage service.
This tool will help you trace any domain name’s origin. The best part? It’s free!
3. Who.is
Checking a domain name’s history via Who.is is another great way to find out its history online.
You can track a lot of information about any domain name or even an IP address for free with this tool.
There is now a way for you to see information about the Website, its owner, and other statistics. Any domain name can be viewed using this tool.
Watch out for new TLD’s as well to seize the opportunity as soon as possible.
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4. HosterStats
HosterStats is a free internet tool that allows you to examine DNS details for any domain name.
HostingStats provides free access to a searchable domain DNS database.
In addition to tracking domain statistics, HosterStats is also able to track nameserver statistics for over 5 Million hosting providers.
From the year 2000 onwards, statistics on domain tracking and hosting providers have been available.
Utilize this tool to track your domain name’s DNS records and ownership information.
5. Norton Safe Web
Norton Safe Web is a Norton Security initiative that seeks to safeguard our Internet experience, making it a safe web.
Safe Web is an application that detects the presence of malicious code on websites.
Click here to find out if your domain name is safe or if it has been blacklisted for malware.
If you intend to take over the domain name, Norton Safe Web is the most effective tool for ensuring that it is clean.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to regain a website’s reputation after it has been defaced by malware or other malicious code.
Make sure that your new domain name is clean and unblemished before purchasing it.
Why You Should Always Check Domain Ownership History
The history of any domain you choose can now be examined comprehensively.
What’s the point of looking at the history of domain ownership?
Three major reasons are listed below.
Learn More About The Previous Owners Of The Domain
The previous domain owners need to be investigated before buying a domain and it is important to know who they were.
To find out who owned a domain previously, answer these questions:
- What is the number of owners of the domain?
- The owners of the domain, what did they do with it?
- Are the owners publishing spammy content?
- What black hat techniques did they use?
- Are there other domains owned by the owners?
Check to see if the domain was kept clean by the previous owners
- To find out this information, you might even have to contact them directly. You need to take action.
- You might think this is a lot of work.
- If you buy a used car, you will find out who the previous owner was and what they did with it.
- Domain names are no different. Particularly if you are paying more than $5,000 for the domain name.
- Research previous domain owners as much as possible. The owners’ actions are a positive sign for moving forward with the sale if they were decent people.
Learn More About The Past Uses Of The Domain
A domain is valuable for several reasons.
The two main reasons for buying and selling domains are:
- The domain’s brand ability
- The domain has SEO value
In the future, you want to know if the domain’s past use will affect its brand ability or SEO.
It’s as simple as that.
Potential Brand Ability Issues
Just by looking at a domain name, you can tell whether it’s a brandable one. There’s also another factor to consider.
Sites such as: may have used the domain in some cases:
- Content intended for adults
- The gambling industry
Using that domain for an affiliate marketing project might cause some branding problems.
If the former site had an extensive online presence, it is especially important.
Issues with SEO
Wouldn’t it be great if your new domain ranked organically?
To make sure that your domain is indexed by search engines like Google, you need a clean history.
SEO is affected by the following past uses:
- Spam-related issues that prevent pages from being indexed
- The domain was penalized for black hat SEO techniques
- Reputation among users and other sites is negative
All of these things could harm your search engine optimization in the future.
Avoid Bad Surprises
Think about it…
It’s great that you just bought a domain that’s expired. You can brand it and it fits perfectly with a project you’re interested in – what’s not to like?
Your new website for the domain can be built after you have received the domain transfer.
A link building service helps you build links after you create tons of great content.
FAQ : Domain Ownership History
🔥 How do I find domain owner history?
The WHOIS records of domain names show the owner of the domain. WHOIS history illustrates what this record looked like at different points in time. This can be helpful when determining who owned a domain in the past.
✨ Which tool can look at historical WHOIS records?
You can access historical WHOIS records through Domain Tools' WHOIS History. Millions of domain names have been tracked by Domain Tools since 1995. Members of Domain Tools subscriptions have access to these records in the Domain Tools database.
🌸 How can I find out when a domain was purchased?
Type the domain name into the search box and click on Get WHOIS Date on our FREE WHOIS lookup tool page. We will display all the domain's details including its creation date. The date of creation of the domain can be found in the 'Creation Date' section.
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Conclusion : Domain Ownership History
Any domain name can be traced using these tools.
Are there any other tools or services you know of for checking the history of domain names? Please comment below.
