When you register a domain name, your personal contact details (such as name, address, phone number, and email) are required by law to be submitted to the global WHOIS database. This database is publicly searchable, meaning anyone can look up your domain information.

 

This is where WHOIS Privacy Protection comes in.

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What Is WHOIS Privacy?

 

WHOIS Privacy, also called Domain Privacy or ID Protection, is a service that hides your personal contact details from the public WHOIS database.

 

Instead of displaying your real name and contact info, it shows the details of a proxy or privacy service.

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Without WHOIS Privacy

 

Your domain record might show something like:

Name: John Doe  
Email: johndoe@gmail.com  
Phone: +233 555 123 456  
Address: Accra, Ghana

This info is visible to anyone, including:

• Spammers

• Scammers

• Competitors

• Identity thieves

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With WHOIS Privacy

 

Your domain record will show:

Name: Domain Privacy Service  
Email: proxy@privacyprotect.com  
Phone: Redacted  
Address: Privacy Protected

Only you and your registrar (adxhost) have access to your real contact info.

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Why You Should Use It

 

Here’s why WHOIS privacy is highly recommended:

• Protects your identity

• Reduces spam and unwanted calls/emails

• Shields you from domain-related scams

• Looks more professional and secure

• Gives you peace of mind

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Is It Free?

 

At adxhost, we offer WHOIS Privacy as a paid add-on for most domains — but some domain extensions (like .ng or .co.uk) may not support it.

 

Check pricing and availability during domain registration or in your client area.

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How to Add WHOIS Privacy

 

You can add WHOIS Privacy:

• During domain registration (just check the box)

• From your Client Area:

  Domains → My Domains → Manage → Add-ons → Enable ID Protection

 

If you need help, just open a support ticket and we’ll handle it for you.

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Important Notes

• WHOIS Privacy must be disabled when transferring domains

• It may not be supported for certain TLDs (domain endings)

• It is not the same as SSL, which secures your website (not your identity)

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Summary

 

WHOIS Privacy is your best line of defense against spam, scams, and unwanted exposure when owning a domain. It’s a small cost for a big layer of protection.