WHOIS Config: General Settings

Tools > WHOIS > General Settings

1. WHOIS Search Form Method

This setting controls how the domain search method is handled by the WHOIS form. Set to Regular POST to have the result load after a page reload or Ajax Request to load the result without a page reload.

2. Security Check

This option is set to Human Check by default. The Human Check requires a mathematical calculation to be entered. This displays an image or calculation for accurate human input recognition. The other security method is to use a CAPTCHA Image to let your visitors enter the displayed characters in order to use the WHOIS form. This requires the Really Simple CAPTCHA plugin which can be downloaded from WordPress. Security Check can be turned OFF altogether.

3. Background Color

Set the background color of the CAPTCHA image.

4. WHOIS Output

It can be set to “Full Information” or “Short”. The first mentioned will output all details regarding the domain such as name server details, contact information, technical information, etc., while the short version simply shows whether or not the domain is available and doesn’t show any technical details.

5. Highlight Fields

This is set to “Yes” by default.  This option highlights important fields in the WHOIS output, such as the dates, statuses, name servers.

6. Clean Output

This is set to “Yes” by default. This setting will “clean” the WHOIS output of extraneous text when set to “Yes”. It is recommended that you turn this on.

7. Redirect When Available

This is set to “No” by default. When a domain is searched for and is available for registration, the plugin can do a redirect to the specified URL. If set to “Yes”, new settings will appear.

8. Redirect Type

The default is set to “Automatic”. When a domain is available for registration, this lets you choose whether your visitors would see a button that can be clicked to redirect them or if the redirect should happen immediately after the search result is shown. In either case, it redirects them to the specified URL. Important: If you choose Automatic, you must choose a Security Check or it will cause a loop after redirecting.

9. Redirect Button Text

Enter the text that should appear on the button, if the Redirect Type is set to “Button”.

10. Redirect URL

Enter the URL where you’d like to redirect users when a domain is available for registration. You may use {domain} and {tld} in the URL where you want it to be replaced. Example: https://example.com/?domain={domain}&tld={tld}

11. Redirect Target

This is set to “Same Window” by default. Choose whether you’d like the redirect to open in a new or the same window/tab.

12. Turn On Cache

This is turned “Off” by default. This option turns the Cache On or Off. Caching turned on will speed up searches. If the cache directory is not writable, an error message will appear. In that case, you would have to change the access permissions of the cache folder. CHMOD wp-whois/vendors/samswhois/cache to 0777.

13. TinyMCE Button

This is set to “On” by default. Turn this On to add a TinyMCE button on your page/post’s text editor to quickly insert the WHOIS shortcode.