Knowledge base · Account ownership
How to Find Out Who Owns a Domain Name
Find the registrar, the holder and the DNS provider of your domain, including .fi domains, and learn what to do when the domain is registered to someone else.
Quick answer
Look up the domain in a WHOIS or RDAP service. For .fi domains use the Traficom domain search; for most other domains use ICANN Lookup. You will see the registrar, the expiry date and, for companies, often the holder. Private persons' details are hidden, in which case you contact the registrar.
Step by step
1. Search the domain
Enter the domain name in the Traficom domain search for .fi, or in ICANN Lookup for .com, .net, .org and most others.
2. Note the registrar
The registrar is the company where the domain is registered and where you log in to manage it. Write down its name.
3. Read the holder and expiry
A company holder is often shown. Many registrars hide private persons' details. Check the expiry date as well: an expired domain can be lost.
4. Check the name servers
The name servers show who runs the DNS. It can be a different company than the registrar, and it decides where website and email records are changed.
5. Contact the registrar
Log in with the account that registered the domain. If you cannot, contact the registrar's support and show that you represent the holder.
If the domain is in someone else's name
Registered by an agency or a former employee
The named holder is the legal owner. Ask them to change the holder to your company, or to transfer the domain to your own account.
Moving the domain
A transfer to another registrar needs an authorisation code from the current one (for .fi domains a transfer key). Keep auto-renew on and use a company payment method.
Keep this knowledge in the company, not in one person's head
Checking once is not enough. The next time a person or a role changes, the answers disappear again unless the company keeps them somewhere shared. The Vault in Target is built for exactly this.
Record the owner and who has access
For each service, the Vault stores the login together with whose name the account is in and who has been given access, such as agencies, freelancers and colleagues.
See what needs attention
The Vault flags accounts that are not in the company's name or that are about to renew, and a checklist shows which essential services the company still has no record of.
The knowledge stays when people change
Logins belong to the company, not to a person. Access is controlled by role, every reveal is logged, and a new colleague gets the full picture on day one.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see who owns a .fi domain?
For companies the holder is shown in the Traficom domain search. Details of private persons are hidden; you see the registrar instead.
How do I find out where my website is hosted?
Use a DNS lookup to see the IP address and name servers of the domain. They point to the hosting company, which can differ from the registrar.
How can I check when a domain expires?
The expiry date is shown in the WHOIS or RDAP result and in your registrar account. Add a reminder a month before.
Related guides
Who owns your company's marketing accounts?
Check who can log in to each platform, the website and the domain, and what to do when nobody has access.
How to Find Your Website's Login and Admin Page
Find the login to your website and recover access.
Keep your marketing accounts and access details in one place
Store logins in the Vault, share them with one-time links and keep your marketing plan next to them in Target.
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