WHOIS Configuration

Overview

Poweradmin includes WHOIS lookup functionality that allows administrators to query domain registration information directly from the interface. This feature helps with domain management and verification tasks.

Configuration Options

WHOIS settings live under modules.whois in config/settings.php.

Setting	Default	Description
modules.whois.enabled	false	Enable WHOIS lookup functionality
modules.whois.default_server	''	Optional default WHOIS server (empty to use server from WHOIS database)
modules.whois.custom_servers	[]	Custom TLD-to-server mapping for TLDs not in the built-in database
modules.whois.socket_timeout	10	Socket timeout in seconds for WHOIS queries
modules.whois.restrict_to_admin	true	Only allow administrators (user_is_ueberuser) to use WHOIS functionality

Configuration Example

return [
    'modules' => [
        'whois' => [
            'enabled' => true,
            'default_server' => '',
            'custom_servers' => [
                'za' => 'whois.registry.net.za',
                'co.za' => 'whois.registry.net.za',
            ],
            'socket_timeout' => 15,
            'restrict_to_admin' => true,
        ],
    ],
];

Custom Server Mapping

The custom_servers option allows you to define WHOIS servers for specific TLDs that may not be in the built-in database. Custom servers take priority over the built-in server list.

'custom_servers' => [
    'za' => 'whois.registry.net.za',    // South Africa
    'co.za' => 'whois.registry.net.za', // South African SLD
],

Docker environment variable:

PA_MODULE_WHOIS_CUSTOM_SERVERS=za=whois.registry.net.za,co.za=whois.registry.net.za

Lookup priority:

1. default_server, if set
2. Custom servers (from custom_servers config)
3. Built-in WHOIS server database

Warning: default_server is not a fallback. When it is non-empty it is the only server ever queried, and custom_servers and the built-in database are never consulted. Leave it empty unless you want every lookup to go to one server.

Usage

When enabled, WHOIS lookups can be performed from:

1. Zone edit page - Lookup registration information for the zone being edited
2. Domain search results - Quick WHOIS lookup for a zone in the result list

Each lookup handles a single domain; there is no bulk lookup.

How to Use WHOIS Lookup

1. Navigate to any zone in Poweradmin
2. Click the WHOIS button or icon next to the domain name
3. View the registration information returned by the WHOIS server

WHOIS Information Displayed

The WHOIS lookup returns information including:

• Registrar: The domain registrar
• Registration dates: Created, updated, expiration dates
• Name servers: Configured DNS servers
• Registrant info: Contact information (if not privacy-protected)
• Status: Domain status codes (e.g., clientTransferProhibited)

When to Use WHOIS vs RDAP

Feature	WHOIS	RDAP
Protocol	Legacy text-based	Modern JSON/REST
Format	Unstructured text	Structured JSON
Internationalization	Limited	Full Unicode support
Use case	Quick lookups	Programmatic access

For structured data and better internationalization support, consider using RDAP instead.

Supported TLDs

The WHOIS functionality supports lookups for:

• Generic TLDs (.com, .net, .org, etc.)
• Country code TLDs (.uk, .de, .jp, etc.)
• New gTLDs (.xyz, .tech, .app, etc.)

Security Considerations

• Admin restriction: By default, only users with administrator privileges can use WHOIS functionality
• Rate limiting: Consider implementing rate limiting for WHOIS queries to prevent abuse
• Timeout settings: Adjust socket timeout based on your network conditions
• Logging: WHOIS queries may be logged depending on your logging configuration

Performance Considerations

• WHOIS queries are network-dependent and may be slow
• Consider caching results for frequently queried domains
• Set appropriate timeout values to prevent interface blocking