WHOIS Extended adds a WHOIS link to supported unavailable-domain search results in WHMCS. Customers can open the returned information in a modal or use an optional dedicated WHOIS lookup page.
How lookups work
The module calls the WHMCS DomainWhois API. It does not provide its own independent WHOIS network, parser, or guaranteed TLD coverage. Results depend on your WHMCS lookup configuration and the data the relevant registry or registrar makes available.
A response may include dates, registrar details, nameservers, status codes, or contact information. Some fields may be missing or redacted. An expiry date does not guarantee when a domain will become available, and a failed lookup does not prove that the domain is available.
Install and activate
- Back up WHMCS and upload the package contents to the WHMCS root, preserving
modules/addons/whois_extended/. - Open System Settings > Addon Modules and activate WHOIS Extended.
- Enter the license key and grant the required administrator roles access.
- Open Addons > WHOIS Extended to configure the appearance and optional lookup page.
The module documentation lists WHMCS 8.9 or newer and PHP 7.4 or newer. Use a PHP version supported by your actual WHMCS release and module package rather than assuming those minimum versions can be combined.
Configure the appearance
The module's appearance controls include overlay, header, content, and text colors, font family, and WHOIS button colors, borders, padding, and font size. Save your settings and test the modal in your active order form and client-area theme.
Check an unavailable domain in normal search results and in Spotlight results if you use them. Custom themes can change the page elements the module uses, so verify the button after theme updates.
Enable the dedicated lookup page
Enable the dedicated page in the module settings if you want a separate lookup form at index.php?m=whois_extended. Its navigation link is added under Domains, or as a top-level link when that menu is absent.
Choose whether the menu link is visible to all visitors or only logged-in users. This is a menu visibility setting, not a statement that every lookup endpoint is restricted to logged-in users. The dedicated page also links to registration when the lookup indicates an available domain.
Translations and stored settings
The package includes English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Russian, Portuguese, and Italian translations. Check the active WHMCS language and the module's language files if labels do not match your expected language.
The module creates mod_whois_extended to store appearance and navigation settings. Include the table and module files in your WHMCS backups.
Troubleshooting
- If the WHOIS link is missing, check activation, licensing, whether the domain is unavailable, and browser JavaScript errors. Test the supported standard order form before changing a custom theme.
- If the modal opens but the lookup fails, check the same domain through WHMCS's lookup functionality and confirm that the TLD is configured. Resolve the underlying WHMCS lookup or connectivity problem rather than assuming the addon connects directly on port 43.
- If the dedicated page link is missing, check the enable setting, menu visibility, login state, and theme navigation.
- Redacted contact details are normal for many domains. The module cannot reveal information withheld by the registry or registrar.
Lookup times vary. The module does not promise two-second responses, a five-minute WHOIS cache, or support for a fixed number of TLDs.
For support, provide your WHMCS, PHP, module, theme, and order form versions, the domain queried, and redacted browser or server errors.
