We are updating how registration data is accessed at Spaceship. Starting from 18 March 2026, TCP WHOIS (port 43) will be retired and will no longer be available. The Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) will continue to be the supported method for all registration data queries at Spaceship.
This update aligns with industry-wide updates to domain registration data access standards and will not affect how you manage your domains at Spaceship. Our WHOIS domain lookup tool is not impacted and will continue to operate as usual.
Why RDAP?
Back on 28 January 2025, ICANN completed its transition from WHOIS to Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP). The decision to switch was driven by a combination of security, privacy, and technical challenges, and RDAP was chosen as a modern alternative.
RDAP provides:
Structured, machine-readable responses (JSON)
Standardised authentication and access control
Improved support for internationalisation
Better alignment with modern data protection requirements
You can read our RDAP Terms of Service agreement for more information.
What this means for you
For most customers, no action is required and your Spaceship account and domain management will not be affected.
If you are an individual or organisation that directly query Spaceship’s TCP WHOIS service via port 43, you will need to transition to RDAP before the sunset date. This could include custom-built software retrieving domain data, monitoring or security tools, and third-party lookup platforms.
We recommend that any affected integrations be updated before 18 March 2026 to avoid interruption.
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