Product Overview: Hexillion WHOIS API
The Hexillion WHOIS API is a comprehensive and unified interface designed to streamline the process of querying and retrieving WHOIS data for domain names and IP addresses. Here’s a detailed look at what the product does and its key features.
What it Does
The Hexillion WHOIS API acts as a single, consistent, and programmable interface to the WHOIS system. It takes a domain name or IP address as input, automatically determines the correct WHOIS server or servers to query, sends the queries through a large pool of diverse IP addresses, and returns the results in real-time in either XML or JSON format. This service is particularly useful for various advanced applications such as investigating spam, fraud, and intrusions, tracking domain registrations, checking domain name availability, and researching Internet infrastructure and usage.
Key Features and Functionality
Real-Time Data Retrieval
The API pulls fresh records from origin WHOIS servers in real-time, ensuring that users receive up-to-the-minute results. While some records are cached for performance, users can bypass the cache as needed to get the most current data.
Data Normalization and Formatting
The system cleans up and normalizes the WHOIS records, parsing them into well-defined fields. This includes normalizing character sets and line endings, making the data consistent and automation-friendly.
Query Rate Limit Management
The API avoids query rate limits that users would encounter when performing WHOIS queries from their own IP address. It uses caching and a large pool of diverse IP addresses to minimize blockages, ensuring that users can achieve the query rate they need, with the only real limit being their account balance.
Platform and Language Compatibility
The API works with almost any platform, language, and network configuration that can make Web requests and parse XML or JSON. It follows a REST-style API standard, making it widely supported and easily accessible through most firewalls.
Query Confidentiality and Security
The API protects the confidentiality of user queries by mixing them with those of many other users and sending them through diverse IP addresses. Users can also use an encrypted connection (HTTPS) to protect their queries from intermediaries such as ISPs and WiFi access points.
Detailed Response Structure
Each WHOIS request is serviced in real-time and involves one or more queries to WHOIS servers. The response includes results from all these queries, each in a QueryResult section, with the most specific result appearing first. The response also includes raw response text of successful WHOIS queries, even if the system cannot parse that text.
Accounting and Usage Tracking
The API provides an Accounting section in the response, which includes a convenient accounting of the cost to service the request, the user’s account balance, and recent usage details.
Flexible Output Formats
Users can select the output format using the HTTP Accept header, choosing between XML and JSON formats. The API supports multiple MIME types, including application/vnd.hexillion.whois-v2 xml and application/vnd.hexillion.whois-v2 json for version 2 formats, as well as backward compatibility with the original XML format.
In summary, the Hexillion WHOIS API offers a robust, secure, and flexible solution for accessing and utilizing WHOIS data, making it an invaluable tool for a wide range of applications in cybersecurity, law enforcement, domain management, and more.