WhoisXML API’s Newly Registered & Just Expired Domains Database (NRD Database) has a new and improved version. NRD 2.0 features the following changes from NRD 1.0:

• Outputs now come in JSON and CSV.
• A file dedicated to statistics can be downloaded along with the data.
• NRD 2.0 has more data sources and covers more TLDs, giving you daily access to over 1+ million records.  
• New subscription plans are available to meet diverse data needs.
• Users enjoy a concise and consistent file and directory structure across different subscription plans.

Learn more about NRD 2.0 in this comprehensive guide.

NRD 2.0 Features: More Than Just an NRD Database

NRD 2.0 gives you access to a comprehensive and extensive list of newly registered, recently updated, and just expired domains. More than that, it also provides additional features and wider coverage that sets it apart from other NRD databases. The complete list of features include:

• Daily update: WhoisXML API updates the database every day and delivers fresh data at 02:00 UTC.

• NRDs: All domain names created within the last 24 hours, plus domains created within the last 7 days.

• Just Expired Domains: All domain names that expired within the last 24 hours, plus domains expired within the last 7 days are included in NRD 2.0.

• WHOIS data: The complete WHOIS records of the newly registered and just expired domains can also be downloaded.

• Updated domains: We track WHOIS record changes and include them in NRD 2.0. Domains whose WHOIS records were updated within the last 24 hours, plus those whose WHOIS records changed within the last 7 days are included.

• ccTLD coverage: The database now covers both gTLDs and ccTLDs.

• Newly discovered domains: We also list domains that were registered, dropped, or updated more than 7 days ago under this category but didn’t appear in our quarterly or daily data feeds.

• Statistics file: A file detailing how many domains under each covered TLD are included in the data file.

Choosing Pricing Plans and Licenses

Pricing Plans

NRD 2.0 offers five types of subscription plans—Lite, Basic, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. Each plan differs in pricing and features, as detailed below.

Lite

Under the NRD 2.0 Lite package, users get access to daily updates and newly registered domains. The package is perfect for users and enterprises that require regular updates regarding NRDs. Below is an example of a Lite NRD file updated on 15 November 2021.

Basic

In addition to the daily updates and NRDs, the Basic plan provides users access to just expired domains. The package allows them to see trends in the domain name ecosystem—the types of domains registered and left to expire.

Basic package users can see the newly registered and just expired domains in one file. The “reason” column can be filtered so they can see which domains were dropped or added.

Profesional

Under the Professional package, users enjoy the benefits of the Basic plan, along with the complete WHOIS information of the newly added and just expired domains. The files appear similar to the one for the Basic plan but comes with additional columns for 90+ WHOIS record details for each domain.

Access to WHOIS data makes it possible for marketers, researchers, cybersecurity professionals, and enterprises to analyze the ownership details of newly registered and just expired domains.

Enterprise

The NRD 2.0 Enterprise package is an extensive plan that provides users access to all the supported TLDs. While the Lite, Basic, and Professional packages cover gTLD domains, the Enterprise package also covers ccTLD domains. Also included in the database are the updated domains, along with newly registered and just expired domains, and their WHOIS records.

Ultimate

Ultimate package users enjoy all data, TLD coverage, and features of the Enterprise package. On top of that, they can also access newly discovered domains. All these data points at their disposal help ensure that they leave no stone unturned when analyzing domain registration trends.

Users can filter the “reason” column to view only added, discovered, dropped, or updated domain names.

Licenses

Package prices depend on the type of license the users select. WhoisXML API offers three different license types, specifying how the data can be used. They are described below.

• Educational/Nonprofit License: This license gives you the freedom to use the data for educational or noncommercial purposes only. Users cannot use the data to generate income nor can they share it with third parties. Professors and students working on research projects can benefit from this license. Clients who want to apply for this license are required to submit their academic credentials.

• Internal Restricted Business License: This license allows businesses to use the data within their organization for internal research. The database and its content may not be shared with third parties and it should be integrated into any commercial product or solution.

• Commercial License: Having the Commercial License allows organizations to use the database and its content for commercial use. They can distribute the data to third parties and integrate it into commercial products.

The package prices under the Commercial License depend on the agreement between WhoisXML API and the client. Please send an email to our sales team at [email protected] to discuss pricing and other related terms.

Accessing Newly Registered & Just Expired Domains

The NRD files become available for download after subscribing to any of the packages detailed above.  Below is a comprehensive guide in downloading and accessing the database.

Ways to Download

The NRD files are found in a folder named “Newly_Registered_Domains_2.0,” which can be downloaded via HTTPS, FTP, or FTPS. Regardless of how you opt to download the files, you need your personal API key found on the My Products page.

Downloading via HTTPS

The base path for downloading the NRD files via HTTPS is https://newly-registered-domains.whoisxmlapi.com/datafeeds. Use your API key as your username and password.

Downloading via FTP

When downloading the NRD files via FTP, access the host datafeeds.whoisxmlapi.com and indicate the port number 21210. The base path is ftp://datafeeds.whoisxmlapi.com:21210. The username is “user” and your personal API key serves as the password.

Downloading via FTPS

Downloading via our FTPS server requires the same paths and API keys specified for FTP access. To connect via FTPS, select the “Require explicit FTP over TLS” encryption option in your FTP client.

Accessing the Files

Here’s a step-by-step guide to access the NRD 2.0 files via HTTPS.

1. Go to the base path https://newly-registered-domains.whoisxmlapi.com/datafeeds. 
2. Enter the API key found on the My Product page as your username and password.

3. Once inside the directory, you will see other databases under your subscription. The NRD 2.0 files are inside the folder named “Newly_Registered_Domains_2.0.”

4. Inside the folder, you will find your subscription package, which can be “Basic,” “Enterprise,” “Lite,” “Professional,” or “Ultimate.” Users who have an Enterprise package subscription will see the “Enterprise” folder as shown by the screenshot below.

5. Click the “daily” folder on the following directory page. You will also see the date and time when the files were last updated. The screenshot below shows that the files have just been updated on 16 November 2021, around the time this guide was written.

6. The next page lists the daily files, from oldest to newest. Click your preferred date.

7.  Download the NRD database in the format you want. The file named “nrd.2021-11-15.enterprise.daily.data.csv.gz” contains NRDs added on 15 November 2021 in CSV format, while the file named “nrd.2021-11-15.enterprise.daily.data.json.gz” comes in JSON format. In addition, you can download the statistics in CSV or JSON format.

A Closer Look at the NRD 2.0 Stats File

An added feature of NRD 2.0, we gave users the ability to see the number of domains included in the file for the day per TLD. The stats file is available with all subscription plans and has two columns:

• “tld” column: This column lists the TLDs, arranged alphabetically.
• “records” column: This refers to the number of domains under the specific TLD on a particular date.

The image on the left shows the original arrangement of the TLDs. The one on the right has been arranged according to the TLD with the highest number of records.

Newly Registered & Just Expired Domains Database in Action

Brand Protection: Monitor How Your Brand Name Is Being Used in NRDs

Brand impersonators and trademark infringers can damage an organization’s reputation in several ways, one of which has to do with domain name registration. These actors may use a brand name alongside other text strings and different TLDs in bad faith. Some of the illicit reasons for domain brand impersonation are:

• Sell counterfeit versions of your products
• Sell products from your competitors
• Attract traffic using your brand’s reputation and popularity
• Send spam or phishing messages using your brand name

NRD 2.0 helps organizations keep track of NRDs that use your brand name or variations of it. In the 15 November NRD data feed, for example, 20 domains contained the text string “dior.”

While the list could contain false positives, integrating it into your brand protection system can alert you of brand impersonators.

Threat Intelligence Enrichment: Learn More about Threat Actors

Aside from detecting domains that use your brand or company name, you can also use NRD 2.0 to check for NRDs that use the names of commonly impersonated brands, such as PayPal and Microsoft. Others may also use misspelled variations of the company names, such as “micosoft” and “paypai,” as shown by the screenshot below.

Detecting and blocking these suspicious domains is one thing, but you can enrich your threat intelligence by investigating their ownership data. Our Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate packages include the WHOIS records of all domains so you can deepen threat investigations.

Competitor and Market Analysis

Most businesses have shifted online, mainly by setting up websites. With this in mind, NRD 2.0 provides a glimpse of what’s happening in the market and your competitors. The database allows you to answer questions, such as:

• What new businesses are appearing in the market?
• Are your competitors venturing into partnerships and other opportunities?
• What businesses are operating in a particular location?
• How intense is the competition in the market?

To illustrate, we provided an example of how NRD 2.0 can answer the last question. A total of 297 NRDs contained the string “insurance” in the 15 November 2021 data feed. Analyzing word combinations and WHOIS records can give you insights into what’s happening in the insurance industry.

Conclusion

WhoisXML API’s new and improved NRD Database, NRD 2.0, can easily be integrated into your existing business systems, including brand protection tools, market analysis solutions, and threat intelligence platforms. Visit our pricing page for more information about our different subscription plans, or contact us at [email protected] for any questions you may have.