PHP CookBook

Recipe 17.12 Getting Information About a Domain Name

17.12.1 Problem

You want to look up contact information or other details about a domain name.

17.12.2 Solution

Use PEAR's Net_Whois class:

require 'Net/Whois.php';
$server = 'whois.networksolutions.com';
$query  = 'example.org';
$data = Net_Whois::query($server, $query);

17.12.3 Discussion

The Net_Whois::query( ) method returns a large text string whose contents reinforce how hard it can be to parse different Whois results:

Registrant:
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (EXAMPLE2-DOM)
   4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 330
   Marina del Rey, CA 90292
   US

   Domain Name: EXAMPLE.ORG

   Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Billing Contact:
      Internet Assigned Numbers Authority  (IANA)  iana@IANA.ORG
      4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 330
      Marina del Rey, CA 90292
      US
      310-823-9358
      Fax- 310-823-8649

   Record last updated on 07-Jan-2002.
   Record expires on 01-Sep-2009.
   Record created on 31-Aug-1995.
   Database last updated on 6-Apr-2002 02:56:00 EST.

   Domain servers in listed order:

   A.IANA-SERVERS.NET                192.0.34.43
   B.IANA-SERVERS.NET                193.0.0.236

For instance, if you want to parse out the names and IP addresses of the domain name servers, use this:

preg_match_all('/^\s*([\S]+)\s+([\d.]+)\s*$/m', $data, $dns, 
               PREG_SET_ORDER);

foreach ($dns as $server) {
    print "$server[1] : $server[2]\n";
}

You must set $server to the correct Whois server for a domain to get information about that domain. If you don't know the server to use, query whois.internic.net:

require 'Net/Whois.php';

print Net_Whois::query('whois.internic.net','example.org');
[whois.internic.net]

Whois Server Version 1.3

Domain names in the .com, .net, and .org domains can now be registered
with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net
for detailed information.

   Domain Name: EXAMPLE.ORG
   Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, INC.
   Whois Server: whois.networksolutions.com
   Referral URL: http://www.networksolutions.com
   Name Server: A.IANA-SERVERS.NET
   Name Server: B.IANA-SERVERS.NET
   Updated Date: 19-aug-2002


>>> Last update of whois database: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 04:56:56 EDT <<<

The Registry database contains ONLY .COM, .NET, .ORG, .EDU domains and
Registrars.

The "Whois Server:" line says that the correct server to ask for information about example.org is whois.networksolutions.com.

17.12.4 See Also

PEAR's Net_Whois class at http://pear.php.net/package-info.php?package=Net_Whois.