1. What a lookup actually returns
For generic top-level domains, use ICANN’s registration data lookup, which uses RDAP. Since 28 January 2025, RDAP has replaced WHOIS as the main gTLD data service. Country-code domains may use different services. Check the result’s source and query date.
Optional: dated official-source availability test
| Official host | What buyers use it for | HTTP result |
|---|---|---|
www.gsxt.gov.cn | Company registry (GSXT) | 521 |
www.creditchina.gov.cn | Penalties, dishonesty lists | 412 |
sbj.cnipa.gov.cn | Trademark office | 403 |
credit.customs.gov.cn | Customs enterprise credit | 412 |
cx.cnca.cn | CCC certification queries | 521 |
wenshu.court.gov.cn | Court judgments | 200 |
zxgk.court.gov.cn | Court enforcement records | 200 (browser UA only) |
openstd.samr.gov.cn | National standards (GB) | 200 |
Control: www.gov.cn | Government host | 200 |
Control: www.baidu.com | Commercial host | 200 |
This was a separate availability test, not a WHOIS survey. 5 of 8 official hosts returned non-200 responses; the two control hosts returned 200. A root-page response does not establish whether a search would succeed today.
The rules below concern domain services within mainland China. They do not establish which registrar or rules govern a supplier’s domain.
2. Identity duties and disclosure limits
China’s Measures for the Administration of Internet Domain Names apply to domain services within China. Articles 30–33 require identity checks, a public query service and protection of personal information, with stated exceptions.
- Applicants must supply accurate identity details; providers must verify them.
- Registration services must offer public registration-data queries.
- Personal information has disclosure limits, including consent and legal exceptions.
These are duties imposed by the rules. They do not prove that a specific holder was checked correctly or that you can identify the seller from the public result.
A redacted field is not proof of deception. A disclosed name is a lead to cross-check, not proof of authority to sell goods or receive payment.
3. Domain age is not company age
A domain can change hands. An eight-year-old domain may have been acquired last month, while a domain registered this year may belong to a company established decades ago. The dates do not establish each other.
Read the establishment date in the current company record. Do not infer it from a domain date or assume every date printed on a replacement licence is the company’s start date. Keep the exact company code and source beside your finding.
4. What to read instead
- Start from the licence, not the website. Take the 18-character Unified Social Credit Code and check the current registration record against it. A website’s claims need independent checks.
- Treat the domain as a contact channel, not evidence. A displayed domain address does not authenticate the sender. Verify important requests through a contact channel you already trust.
- Put the weight where it belongs. Use the registration record for status and scope. Check the payee against transaction documents separately. A saved licence photo may be out of date.
We did not survey WHOIS responses for supplier domains. This guide explains source limits, not the legitimacy of any holder. A missing result on a commercial platform is not proof of absence from an official record.
What an ICP filing result can add
An ICP filing can provide a site sponsor to compare with your supplier’s legal name. Saved queries dated 21 August 2026 used 45 selected company codes from the China-labelled NHTSA frame; identity matches were not independently confirmed. These results describe the data returned for that sample.
| Record | Companies |
|---|---|
| Current ICP filing | 12 of 45: 27% |
| Historical ICP filing | 15 of 45: 33% |
| Cancelled filing record | 0 of 45 |
| Registered WeChat official account | 7 of 45 |
The source returned a current ICP filing for 12 of 45 code queries. Missing data is not proof that no filing exists. This query did not establish the other companies’ hosting locations or reasons for the missing records.
Historical filings were returned for 15 companies. The two counts do not establish which sites are still operated by those companies. Inspect the exact domain, sponsor, status and date before connecting a filing to your seller.
Ask for the registered name and company code, then verify both independently. Publishing them on a site does not authenticate its operator. List results are capped at 20, so a count at that cap is a lower bound.
Primary sources
ICANN: the transition from WHOIS to RDAP. Generic top-level domain lookup guidance checked 6 September 2026.
- Measures for the Administration of Internet Domain Names — Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, full text as published by the Cyberspace Administration of China. Articles 30 to 33 carry the identity-verification duty, the refusal-of-service rule for false information and the public query service. They also set the bar on disclosing personal information without consent and the 30-day contact-update rule. Checked 9 August 2026.
- Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Market Entities (State Council Order No. 746), Article 21 concerns the establishment licence date; Article 24 concerns registration changes. Text retrieved 6 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is an empty WHOIS record a red flag for a Chinese supplier?
A hidden contact field is not enough to judge a supplier. Check whether information was withheld or the lookup failed. Neither a hidden nor a visible name proves the seller’s identity.
Does WHOIS tell me who owns a Chinese supplier's website?
It may show a holder or a privacy service. Cross-check any disclosed name; a domain registration alone does not establish who may contract or receive payment for the supplier.
Does a domain's registration date show how old the supplier is?
No. A domain can change hands without becoming a newly created company. Read the establishment date in the current company record, using the exact company code.
What should I check beyond WHOIS?
Compare the legal name and company code with a dated registry record. Then confirm the seller’s authority, contract entity and payee through independent checks.
How we checked
Availability figures come from dated access tests. Read each observation for the route, result and limits of that test. Fill rates come from dated checks of chosen company codes through one paid data source. A hit is a returned record; it may be incomplete or mislinked. Last date marked for the checks: 21 August 2026. Use the date shown with each finding. A page update does not mean all checks were run again.
Use the source links. Check the dates and limits stated for each finding.
Being pushed to pay a deposit right now? The checks that matter before money moves are free to read.
If you want these records pulled for your own supplier: use the “Check the company behind a website” selection of the report menu. It includes current and historical ICP filings. You can add the WeChat and Weibo accounts line. Packs start from $26.55, and the selection shows its total before you order. First paid order: unhappy for any reason, tell us within 14 days of delivery and it is refunded in full.