Enhance Response Speed for Historical Domain Records with the skipLiveWhois API Parameter

We are thrilled to announce that WHOIS History API has been upgraded to include a feature called “skipLiveWhois,” an optional parameter that enables users to skip WHOIS API requests when the latest indexed record is not fresh (i.e., there is no current WHOIS record from the past 24 hours). 

This enhancement is designed to improve the speed of historical WHOIS lookup requests by close to 90%—from 3.5 seconds to an average of 370 milliseconds.

When a user queries a domain on WHOIS History API, the tool checks our index. If the latest record is recent, the tool immediately returns the domain’s historical WHOIS information. However, if the record is older, the API performs a real-time request to access the freshest information via WHOIS API. While this ensures accuracy, it requires additional processing time for lookup results.

WHOIS History API’s skipLiveWhois parameter gives users more control over this process. This parameter accepts boolean values—0 to maintain the current behavior and 1 to skip the live WHOIS request.

With this new capability, WhoisXML API users can now:

• Optimize application performance: Applications like security information and event management (SIEM) and security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) platforms require high performance and low latency, and querying WHOIS API for every WHOIS History API lookup may create bottlenecks. Enabling the skipLiveWhois feature can significantly improve the application’s performance and enable more responsive user experiences.

• Enrich bulk data faster: Security and big data workflows often require cross-referencing passive DNS, IP, or other data with historical domain information. Slightly older WHOIS records may suffice in this context, making live WHOIS lookups unnecessary.

Feel free to review the WHOIS History API documentation or contact us for more information about this new feature and how you can use it for your specific needs.