Registry Registration Data Directory Services Consistent Labeling and Display Policy

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", and "MAY" in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119, which is available at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2119.txt.

Registry Operators, with the exception of .com, .jobs and .net¹, SHALL implement these requirements in conjunction with Section 1 of Specification 4 of the "Base Registry Agreement approved on 9 January 2014" ("Base Registry Agreement") or subsequent amendments thereto in order to comply with WHOIS (available via port 43) and web-based directory services requirements. The Registry Operators of.com, .jobs and .net MAY implement sections of this policy in conjunction with Section 1 of Specification 4 of the Base Registry Agreement that are relevant to a thin Registry.

1. In responses to domain name object queries the below fields MUST be included either (1) immediately after the "Registrar IANA ID" field or (2) immediately before the last field ("URL of the ICANN Whois Inaccuracy Complaint Form: https://www.icann.org/wicf/") in the following order:
   • Registrar Abuse Contact Email
   • Registrar Abuse Contact Phone
2. In responses to domain name object queries the following fields are considered optional and should be treated as described in clarification 1 of the "Advisory: Clarifications to the Registry Agreement, and the 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) regarding applicable Registration Data Directory Service (Whois) Specifications" ("WHOIS Advisory"):
   • Registrar Registration Expiration Date
   • Reseller
3. If shown, the "Reseller" field MUST appear immediately before the "Domain Status" field.
4. If shown, the value of the "Reseller" field MUST be the name of the organization, in the case where the Reseller is a legal entity, or the name of a natural person.
5. If shown, the "Registrar Registration Expiration Date" field MUST appear immediately after the "Registry Expiry Date" field.
6. The value section (i.e., right-hand side of the colon) of the following fields MUST follow the below format specifications:
   1. "Registrar Abuse Contact Email" (as defined in the EPP RFCs for email fields)
   2. "Registrar Abuse Contact Phone" (as defined in the EPP RFCs for phone fields)
   3. "Reseller" is defined as token (see Extensible Markup Language 1.1)
   4. "Registrar Registration Expiration Date" (as defined in the EPP RFCs for date fields)
7. Registry Operator MUST update the name of keys in the output of the domain name, name server, and registrar objects as follows. The following table shows keys that are renamed from their original version in Specification 4 of the Base Registry Agreement. All other specifications (e.g. format specifications of the value section) remain unchanged.

   Original key in Specification 4 of the Base Registry Agreement	New key name	Object query where the key appears
   Domain ID	Registry Domain ID	domain name
   WHOIS Server	Registrar WHOIS Server	domain name, registrar, nameserver
   Referral URL	Registrar URL	domain name, registrar, nameserver
   Sponsoring Registrar	Registrar	domain name
   Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID	Registrar IANA ID	domain name
   Registrar Name	Registrar	registrar
   Registrant ID	Registry Registrant ID	domain name
   Admin ID	Registry Admin ID	domain name
   Tech ID	Registry Tech ID	domain name

8. If the "Billing Contact" is shown, Registry Operator MUST update the name of the key in the output of the domain name as defined below. All other specifications (e.g. format specifications of the value section) continue to apply.

   Original key in the WHOIS Advisory	New key name	Object query where the key appears
   Billing ID	Registry Billing ID	domain name

9. In responses to domain name object queries the following field² MUST be included before the footer ">>> Last update of Whois database: <date and time> <<<".
   • URL of the ICANN Whois Inaccuracy Complaint Form: https://www.icann.org/wicf/
10. A Registry Operator that is permitted to provide redacted RDDS output in its registry agreement MAY treat the following fields as optional regardless of the existence of data in the Registry's Shared Registration System (SRS) as described in clarification 1 of the WHOIS Advisory. The redacted RDDS output MUST be consistent with the relevant RDDS provisions in the Registry Operator's registry agreement
    • Registry Registrant/Admin/Tech ID
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech Name
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech Organization
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech Street
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech City
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech State/Province
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech Postal Code
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech Country
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech Phone
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech Phone Ext
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech Fax
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech Fax Ext
    • Registrant/Admin/Tech Email
11. The fields "Registry Admin/Tech/Billing/Registrant ID:" refer to the Repository Object Identifier (ROID) for the contact object as specified in RFC 5733 (called Admin/Tech/Registrant ID in Specification 4 of the Base Registry Agreement).
12. Registry Operator MAY output additional RDDS fields, as defined in the WHOIS Advisory, without further approval by ICANN. The key and the value of each additional field MUST NOT: include browser executable code (e.g., Javascript); provide confidential information of any sort; or cause a negative impact to the security, stability, or resiliency of the Internet's DNS or other systems. Prior to deployment, Registry Operator SHALL provide the list of all additional RDDS fields to ICANN. Registry Operator SHALL provide to ICANN any changes to the list of additional RDDS fields prior to deploying such changes.

Effective Date: 1 August 2017

Implementation Notes

1. On 27 April 2015, ICANN published an Advisory in response to questions from both registries and registrars regarding the applicable Registration Data Directory Services (commonly known as WHOIS) specifications. Registry Operators should continue to consult this Advisory to be in compliance with their registry agreement.
2. The following section describes example outputs for the query objects:

Domain Name Data:

• Query format: whois EXAMPLE.TLD
• Response format:
  Domain Name: EXAMPLE.TLD
  Registry Domain ID: D1234567-EXAMPLE
  Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.example-registrar.tld
  Registrar URL: http://www.example-registrar.tld
  Updated Date: 2009-05-29T20:13:00Z
  Creation Date: 2000-10-08T00:45:00Z
  Registry Expiry Date: 2010-10-08T00:44:59Z
  Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2010-10-08T00:44:59Z
  Registrar: EXAMPLE REGISTRAR LLC
  Registrar IANA ID: 5555555
  Registrar Abuse Contact Email: email@registrar.tld
  Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +1.1235551234
  Reseller: EXAMPLE RESELLER1
  Domain Status: clientDeleteProhibited https://icann.org/epp#clientDeleteProhibited
  Domain Status: clientRenewProhibited https://icann.org/epp#clientRenewProhibited
  Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited https://icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited
  Registry Registrant ID: 5372808-EXAMPLE
  Registrant Name: EXAMPLE REGISTRANT
  Registrant Organization: EXAMPLE ORGANIZATION
  Registrant Street: 123 EXAMPLE STREET
  Registrant City: ANYTOWN
  Registrant State/Province: AP
  Registrant Postal Code: A1A1A16
  Registrant Country: AA
  Registrant Phone: +1.5555551212
  Registrant Phone Ext: 12347
  Registrant Fax: +1.5555551213
  Registrant Fax Ext: 4321
  Registrant Email: EMAIL@EXAMPLE.TLD
  Registry Admin ID: 5372809-EXAMPLE
  Admin Name: EXAMPLE REGISTRANT ADMINISTRATIVE
  Admin Organization: EXAMPLE REGISTRANT ORGANIZATION
  Admin Street: 123 EXAMPLE STREET
  Admin City: ANYTOWN
  Admin State/Province: AP
  Admin Postal Code: A1A1A1
  Admin Country: AA
  Admin Phone: +1.5555551212
  Admin Phone Ext: 1234
  Admin Fax: +1.5555551213
  Admin Fax Ext: 1234
  Admin Email: EMAIL@EXAMPLE.TLD
  Registry Tech ID: 5372811-EXAMPLE
  Tech Name: EXAMPLE REGISTRANT TECHNICAL
  Tech Organization: EXAMPLE REGISTRANT LLC
  Tech Street: 123 EXAMPLE STREET
  Tech City: ANYTOWN
  Tech State/Province: AP
  Tech Postal Code: A1A1A1
  Tech Country: AA
  Tech Phone: +1.1235551234
  Tech Phone Ext: 1234
  Tech Fax: +1.5555551213
  Tech Fax Ext: 93
  Tech Email: EMAIL@EXAMPLE.TLD
  Name Server: NS01.EXAMPLE-REGISTRAR.TLD
  Name Server: NS02.EXAMPLE-REGISTRAR.TLD
  DNSSEC: signedDelegation
  URL of the ICANN Whois Inaccuracy Complaint Form: https://www.icann.org/wicf/
  >>> Last update of WHOIS database: 2009-05-29T20:15:00Z <<<
  …

Registrar Data:

• Query format: whois "registrar Example Registrar, Inc."
• Response format:
  Registrar: Example Registrar, Inc.
  Street: 1234 Admiralty Way
  City: Marina del Rey
  State/Province: CA
  Postal Code: 90292
  Country: US
  Phone Number: +1.3105551212
  Fax Number: +1.3105551213
  Email: registrar@example.tld
  Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.example-registrar.tld
  Registrar URL: http://www.example-registrar.tld
  Admin Contact: Joe Registrar
  Phone Number: +1.3105551213
  Fax Number: +1.3105551213
  Email: joeregistrar@example-registrar.tld
  Admin Contact: Jane Registrar
  Phone Number: +1.3105551214
  Fax Number: +1.3105551213
  Email: janeregistrar@example-registrar.tld
  Technical Contact: John Geek
  Phone Number: +1.3105551215
  Fax Number: +1.3105551216
  Email: johngeek@example-registrar.tld
  >>> Last update of WHOIS database: 2009-05-29T20:15:00Z <<<
  …

Nameserver Data:

• Query format: whois "nameserver (nameserver name)", or whois "nameserver (IP Address)"
• Response format:
  Server Name: NS1.EXAMPLE.TLD
  IP Address: 192.0.2.123
  IP Address: 2001:0DB8::1
  Registrar: Example Registrar, Inc.
  Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.example-registrar.tld
  Registrar URL: http://www.example-registrar.tld
  >>> Last update of WHOIS database: 2009-05-29T20:15:00Z <<<
  …

Background:

This Consensus Policy is a product of policy implementation directed by ICANN Board resolutions 2014.02.07.08 - 2014.02.07.09, which adopted the GNSO Council Policy Recommendations for a new Consensus Policy on Thick Whois.

Recommendation #1 of the Thick Whois Policy Development Process (PDP) Working Group (WG), adopted by the GNSO Council on 31 October 2013, states: "The provision of thick Whois services, with a consistent labelling and display as per the model outlined in specification 3 of the 2013 RAA, should become a requirement for all gTLD registries, both existing and future."

The Final Report [PDF, 1.23 MB] of the Thick Whois Policy PDP WG further included in its Section 7.2 'Implementation Considerations' guidance related to the timeline and requirements for implementing the transition from thin to thick Whois. It specifically notes that "The WG does emphasize that implementation of one part of the recommendation (for example, transition of existing thin gTLD registries to thick model) should not unnecessarily delay the implementation of another part of the recommendation (for example, the consistent labeling and display of such data)".

As a consequence, ICANN staff and the Implementation Review Team (IRT) agreed that consistent labeling and display could be decoupled from the implementation of the transition from thin to thick.

ICANN submitted a draft proposal for implementation of the consistent labeling and display requirement for Public Comment on 3 December 2015. After considering the community's feedback and in collaboration with the Thick Whois IRT, ICANN revised its proposal as reflected in this Consensus Policy.

It should be noted that ICANN's objective in implementing the GNSO Policy recommendations has been to minimize the impact to registrants, end users, contracted parties and to the overall Registration Data Directory Services (RDDS) systems by seeking to synchronize, where appropriate, this implementation with other related initiatives such as the adoption of the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP).

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¹ The Registry Operators of .com, .jobs and .net are expected to be required to implement the requirements set forth in this Policy as part of their transition from thin to thick registries pursuant to the implementation of the Thick Whois GNSO PDP Recommendations adopted by the ICANN Board on 7 February 2014.

² Please note that this field updates the terminology and URL currently in use in Specification 3 of the 2013 RAA (as approved by the ICANN Board on 17 September 2013)