DNS & Domain
RDAP
Registration Data Access Protocol
Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) is the modern replacement for WHOIS. It returns structured JSON data about domain registration — registrar, expiry date, status flags, contact (where permitted) — over a secure HTTPS API.
Part of Domain expiry alerts — the full answer, the facts and the alternatives in one place.
In depth
RDAP solves WHOIS's structural problems: inconsistent text format, no encryption, no rate-limit signalling, no internationalisation. ICANN mandated RDAP support across all gTLD registrars by 2019.
RDAP is the recommended source for programmatic domain monitoring: structured expiry dates, status codes (`clientTransferProhibited`, `autoRenewPeriod`, etc.) that reveal whether auto-renew is active, and well-defined error responses.
Why it matters
Reading RDAP status codes lets monitoring tools infer whether a domain has auto-renew enabled — which dramatically changes the urgency of renewal alerts. A domain with `autoRenewPeriod` is far less likely to expire than one without.
How Lemwatch helps with rdap
Lemwatch monitors rdap continuously and alerts you the moment something changes.
Domain monitoring →Related terms
Browse the full Lemwatch monitoring glossary (47 terms).