What is RDAP?
RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) is the modern,
machine-readable successor to WHOIS. Defined by a family of IETF RFCs,
it replaces the decades-old free-text WHOIS standard with structured
JSON responses, making registry data easier to parse, query, and
integrate into automated systems.
Where traditional WHOIS required regex-based parsing of inconsistent
text formats across hundreds of servers, RDAP delivers standardized
application/rdap+json responses with hypermedia links
that let clients follow related objects across registries — from an IP
address to its allocating network, through the responsible autonomous
system, all the way to the registered entity and contact details.
Roadmap: WHOIS → XML → RDAP
The original WHOIS protocol (RFC 3912) dates back to
1993, when the Internet was a small ARPANET descendant. Its free-text
format worked for hand-operated lookups — but modern network management
needs programmatic access. The brief WHOIS XML era
(RFC 4033 / RFC 5127) tried to fix this with DTD-driven markup, but
never gained traction due to schema rigidity and limited tool support.
RDAP emerged as the definitive answer: it uses JSON
(the lingua franca of web APIs), defines conformance levels for gradual
adoption, includes versioning semantics, mandates HTTPS transport with
TLS 1.2, and standardizes everything from query encoding to error codes
via a unified set of RFCs. The IANA RDAP Bootstrap file provides a
single starting point for discovering all regional registries worldwide.
Authorization Framework
This authority implements the full RDAP specification stack. The key
RFCs governing this service:
- RFC 7480
- HTTP Usage — defines RESTful endpoint structure, status codes (including 429 rate-limiting with
Retry-After), CORS policy, and the content-type negotiation model.
- RFC 7481
- Security Requirements — mandates TLS 1.2+ transport, Content Security Policy headers, input validation, rate limiting, and data minimization principles.
- RFC 7483
- Bootstrap File — the IANA-maintained JSON registries at
https://data.iana.org/rdap/ listing all known RDAP servers and their delegated address-space prefixes. This service loads four separate bootstrap files on startup: ipv4.json, ipv6.json, asn.json, and dns.json — to route out-of-scope queries upstream.
- RFC 7484
- Bootstrap Conformance — specifies how RDAP servers interconnect via the bootstrap file, handle handoff references, and follow object links across authorities.
- RFC 9082
- Query Format — defines URL routing:
/ip/{address}, /autnum/{asn}, /entity/{handle}, /domain/{name}, and the search namespace API with filtering.
- RFC 9083
- JSON Response Format — the core spec: defines every object type (
ipNetwork, autnum, entity, networkEvent, etc.), their required/optional properties, link arrays for hypermedia traversal, and the conformance array that declares compliance level.
- RFC 8521
- Bootstrap Update Notification — describes how registries publish and subscribe to bootstrap changes via HTTP NOTIFY, keeping cached routing data fresh.
- RFC 9467
- Data Minimization — guidance on when and how to suppress personally identifiable information (PII), using the
redactedAction object to explain why data was hidden.
- RFC 9468
- RDAP Query Format Updates — clarifies search parameters, event-date filtering, and the relationship between RDAP search endpoints and legacy WHOIS field-based queries.
How This Service Works
This web interface exposes every capability of the local RDAP authority:
- Universal Search (top bar)
-
Paste any query and the system auto-detects the type: IPv4 address,
CIDR block, IPv6 address, autonomous system number (
AS402401 or
just 402401), domain name (e.g. google.com),
entity handle, or plain name lookup. If the resource falls within VOGL's
delegated authority, it's served directly. Otherwise the query is routed
upstream via IANA bootstrap. Use the drop-down to override auto-detection
and force a specific query type.
- JSON Pretty-Printer
-
A client-side formatter that takes any RDAP response or arbitrary JSON
payload, validates syntax, applies RFC 9083-aware color coding, and
makes object-class identifiers visually distinct. Uses the "Send to
Formatter" button from the Query Result panel to pre-populate from a
live lookup. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is transmitted.
- Query Result Panel
-
Displays the raw server response with syntax highlighting, HTTP status,
and content type. Buttons let you copy to clipboard, download as a
.json file, open the raw response in a new tab, or push it
into the Formatter. When a query is routed upstream (not owned locally),
a routing notice banner shows which RIR handled the request.
- Abuse Reporting
-
Structured form for generating abuse complaint emails with the correct
recipient, subject line format, and pre-filled fields drawn from RDAP
lookup results — reducing friction when reporting malicious activity on
VOGL-managed resources.
- Search History
-
Persistent record of recent queries stored in your browser's
localStorage. Click any history chip to restore the full
query including detected type. Respects a 12-query limit and can be
cleared entirely.
- Status Bar (top banner)
-
Shows the live operational state of this authority and available RIR
coverage. The service is always operational for local queries; bootstrap
data from IANA is supplementary and loaded asynchronously on startup.
Usage Guidelines
- Rate limits apply. When the server returns HTTP 429,
all buttons are automatically disabled and a countdown timer displayed.
Wait for the retry window to elapse — this protects the authority from
overload and is mandated by RFC 7480 § 5.2.
- CORS matters. Because this interface makes cross-origin
requests to upstream RIR servers, those registries must allow CORS for
your domain. If an upstream lookup fails with a CORS error, try the raw
URL directly in a new tab — browsers often permit top-level navigation even
when XHR/fetch is blocked.
- Data minimization. Per RFC 9467, personally identifiable
information may be suppressed in responses. When you see a
redactedAction object, the underlying data exists but has been
legally hidden — this is normal and intentional.
- This service is read-only. RDAP is a query protocol; no
data is modified through this interface. Administrative operations
(registration, modification, deletion) are handled separately through the
RIR's management systems or LAC/IRIS portals.
