Why does the WHOIS Lookup API return different results than Bulk WHOIS API?

In this particular case, as maybe the case in other domains as well, it appears the IANA WHOIS server (whois[.]iana[.]org) returns different data than the authoritative WHOIS server for ZA (weblb32[.]dns[.]net[.]za). In addition, it returns the data for the .ZA TLD:

The inconsistency in the output between goldfields.co.za and google.com, is expected since for most TLDs other than com/net, only a registry WHOIS record exists.

Also, note that there is a difference between WHOIS API and many other WHOIS products; WHOIS History, NRD 2.0, Bulk WHOIS API and others parse the RegistryData into regular WHOIS record fields (root object).

Example:

goldfields.co.za

live lookup:

{

   "WhoisRecord": {

      "domainName": "goldfields.co.za",

      "parseCode": 8,

      "audit": {

         "createdDate": "2022-10-06 16:55:48 UTC",

         "updatedDate": "2022-10-06 16:55:48 UTC"

      },

      "registrarName": "IPTWINS",

      "registrarIANAID": "1728",

      "registryData": {

         "createdDate": "1997-07-15T00:00:00Z",

         "updatedDate": "2022-05-16T09:44:03Z",

         "expiresDate": "2023-07-15T00:00:00Z",

         "registrant": {

            "name": "REDACTED",

            "street1": "REDACTED",

            "city": "REDACTED",

            "state": "REDACTED",

            "postalCode": "REDACTED",

            "country": "SOUTH AFRICA",

            "countryCode": "ZA",

            "telephone": "",

            "telephoneExt": "REDACTED",

            "fax": "",

            "faxExt": "REDACTED",

            "rawText": "Registrant Name: REDACTED\nRegistrant Street: REDACTED\nRegistrant City: REDACTED\nRegistrant State/Province: REDACTED\nRegistrant Postal Code: REDACTED\nRegistrant Country: ZA\nRegistrant Phone: REDACTED\nRegistrant Phone Ext: REDACTED\nRegistrant Fax: REDACTED\nRegistrant Fax Ext: REDACTED\nRegistrant Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name."

         },

         "administrativeContact": {

            "name": "REDACTED",

            "organization": "REDACTED",

            "street1": "REDACTED",

            "city": "REDACTED",

            "state": "REDACTED",

            "postalCode": "REDACTED",

            "country": "REDACTED",

            "telephone": "",

            "telephoneExt": "REDACTED",

            "fax": "",

            "faxExt": "REDACTED",

            "rawText": "Admin Name: REDACTED\nAdmin Organization: REDACTED\nAdmin Street: REDACTED\nAdmin City: REDACTED\nAdmin State/Province: REDACTED\nAdmin Postal Code: REDACTED\nAdmin Country: REDACTED\nAdmin Phone: REDACTED\nAdmin Phone Ext: REDACTED\nAdmin Fax: REDACTED\nAdmin Fax Ext: REDACTED\nAdmin Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name."

         },

         "billingContact": {

            "name": "REDACTED",

            "organization": "REDACTED",

            "street1": "REDACTED",

            "city": "REDACTED",

            "state": "REDACTED",

            "postalCode": "REDACTED",

            "country": "REDACTED",

            "telephone": "",

            "telephoneExt": "REDACTED",

            "fax": "",

            "faxExt": "REDACTED",

            "rawText": "Billing Name: REDACTED\nBilling Organization: REDACTED\nBilling Street: REDACTED\nBilling City: REDACTED\nBilling State/Province: REDACTED\nBilling Postal Code: REDACTED\nBilling Country: REDACTED\nBilling Phone: REDACTED\nBilling Phone Ext: REDACTED\nBilling Fax: REDACTED\nBilling Fax Ext: REDACTED\nBilling Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name."

         },

         "technicalContact": {

            "name": "REDACTED",

            "organization": "REDACTED",

            "street1": "REDACTED",

            "city": "REDACTED",

            "state": "REDACTED",

            "postalCode": "REDACTED",

            "country": "REDACTED",

            "telephone": "",

            "telephoneExt": "REDACTED",

            "fax": "",

            "faxExt": "REDACTED",

            "rawText": "Tech Name: REDACTED\nTech Organization: REDACTED\nTech Street: REDACTED\nTech City: REDACTED\nTech State/Province: REDACTED\nTech Postal Code: REDACTED\nTech Country: REDACTED\nTech Phone: REDACTED\nTech Phone Ext: REDACTED\nTech Fax: REDACTED\nTech Fax Ext: REDACTED\nTech Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name."

         },

         "domainName": "goldfields.co.za",

         "nameServers": {

            "rawText": "ns1.iptwins.net\nns2.iptwins.net\nns3.iptwins.com\nns4.iptwins.com\n",

            "hostNames": [

               "ns1.iptwins.net",

               "ns2.iptwins.net",

               "ns3.iptwins.com",

               "ns4.iptwins.com"

            ],

            "ips": []

         },

         "status": "ok",

         "rawText": "Domain Name: goldfields.co.za\nRegistry Domain ID: dom_1SDMY--1\nRegistrar WHOIS Server:\nRegistrar URL: www.iptwins.com\nUpdated Date: 2022-05-16T09:44:03Z\nCreation Date: 1997-07-15T00:00:00Z\nRegistry Expiry Date: 2023-07-15T00:00:00Z\nRegistrar Registration Expiration Date: 2023-07-15T00:00:00Z\nRegistrar: IPTWINS\nRegistrar IANA ID: 1728\nRegistrar Abuse Contact Email: ivan.sly@iptwins.com\nRegistrar Abuse Contact Phone: +33.142789312\nReseller:\nDomain Status: ok https://icann.org/epp#ok\nRegistry Registrant ID: REDACTED\nRegistrant Name: REDACTED\nRegistrant Organization:\nRegistrant Street: REDACTED\nRegistrant City: REDACTED\nRegistrant State/Province: REDACTED\nRegistrant Postal Code: REDACTED\nRegistrant Country: ZA\nRegistrant Phone: REDACTED\nRegistrant Phone Ext: REDACTED\nRegistrant Fax: REDACTED\nRegistrant Fax Ext: REDACTED\nRegistrant Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name.\nRegistry Admin ID: REDACTED\nAdmin Name: REDACTED\nAdmin Organization: REDACTED\nAdmin Street: REDACTED\nAdmin City: REDACTED\nAdmin State/Province: REDACTED\nAdmin Postal Code: REDACTED\nAdmin Country: REDACTED\nAdmin Phone: REDACTED\nAdmin Phone Ext: REDACTED\nAdmin Fax: REDACTED\nAdmin Fax Ext: REDACTED\nAdmin Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name.\nRegistry Tech ID: REDACTED\nTech Name: REDACTED\nTech Organization: REDACTED\nTech Street: REDACTED\nTech City: REDACTED\nTech State/Province: REDACTED\nTech Postal Code: REDACTED\nTech Country: REDACTED\nTech Phone: REDACTED\nTech Phone Ext: REDACTED\nTech Fax: REDACTED\nTech Fax Ext: REDACTED\nTech Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name.\nRegistry Billing ID: REDACTED\nBilling Name: REDACTED\nBilling Organization: REDACTED\nBilling Street: REDACTED\nBilling City: REDACTED\nBilling State/Province: REDACTED\nBilling Postal Code: REDACTED\nBilling Country: REDACTED\nBilling Phone: REDACTED\nBilling Phone Ext: REDACTED\nBilling Fax: REDACTED\nBilling Fax Ext: REDACTED\nBilling Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name.\nName Server: ns1.iptwins.net\nName Server: ns2.iptwins.net\nName Server: ns3.iptwins.com\nName Server: ns4.iptwins.com\nDNSSEC: unsigned\nURL of the ICANN Whois Inaccuracy Complaint Form: https://www.icann.org/wicf/\n>>> Last update of WHOIS database: 2022-10-06T16:55:48Z <<<\n\nFor more information on Whois status codes, please visit https://icann.org/epp\n\n# --\n# For more information on Whois status codes, please visit https://icann.org/epp\n#\n# The use of this Whois facility is subject to the terms and\n# conditions listed at https://registry.africa/whois-terms/\n# Copyright (c)  Registry Africa Ltd. 2022",

         "parseCode": 4091,

         "header": "",

         "strippedText": "Domain Name: goldfields.co.za\nRegistrar URL: www.iptwins.com\nUpdated Date: 2022-05-16T09:44:03Z\nCreation Date: 1997-07-15T00:00:00Z\nRegistry Expiry Date: 2023-07-15T00:00:00Z\nRegistrar: IPTWINS\nRegistrar IANA ID: 1728\nRegistrar Abuse Contact Email: ivan.sly@iptwins.com\nRegistrar Abuse Contact Phone: +33.142789312\nDomain Status: ok https://icann.org/epp#ok\nRegistrant Name: REDACTED\nRegistrant Street: REDACTED\nRegistrant City: REDACTED\nRegistrant State/Province: REDACTED\nRegistrant Postal Code: REDACTED\nRegistrant Country: ZA\nRegistrant Phone: REDACTED\nRegistrant Phone Ext: REDACTED\nRegistrant Fax: REDACTED\nRegistrant Fax Ext: REDACTED\nRegistrant Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name.\nAdmin Name: REDACTED\nAdmin Organization: REDACTED\nAdmin Street: REDACTED\nAdmin City: REDACTED\nAdmin State/Province: REDACTED\nAdmin Postal Code: REDACTED\nAdmin Country: REDACTED\nAdmin Phone: REDACTED\nAdmin Phone Ext: REDACTED\nAdmin Fax: REDACTED\nAdmin Fax Ext: REDACTED\nAdmin Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name.\nTech Name: REDACTED\nTech Organization: REDACTED\nTech Street: REDACTED\nTech City: REDACTED\nTech State/Province: REDACTED\nTech Postal Code: REDACTED\nTech Country: REDACTED\nTech Phone: REDACTED\nTech Phone Ext: REDACTED\nTech Fax: REDACTED\nTech Fax Ext: REDACTED\nTech Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name.\nBilling Name: REDACTED\nBilling Organization: REDACTED\nBilling Street: REDACTED\nBilling City: REDACTED\nBilling State/Province: REDACTED\nBilling Postal Code: REDACTED\nBilling Country: REDACTED\nBilling Phone: REDACTED\nBilling Phone Ext: REDACTED\nBilling Fax: REDACTED\nBilling Fax Ext: REDACTED\nBilling Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin or Tech contacts of the domain name.\nName Server: ns1.iptwins.net\nName Server: ns2.iptwins.net\nName Server: ns3.iptwins.com\nName Server: ns4.iptwins.com\n",

         "footer": "",

         "audit": {

            "createdDate": "2022-10-06 16:55:48 UTC",

            "updatedDate": "2022-10-06 16:55:48 UTC"

         },

         "customField1Name": "RegistrarContactEmail",

         "customField1Value": "ivan.sly@iptwins.com",

         "registrarName": "IPTWINS",

         "registrarIANAID": "1728",

         "createdDateNormalized": "1997-07-15 00:00:00 UTC",

         "updatedDateNormalized": "2022-05-16 09:44:03 UTC",

         "expiresDateNormalized": "2023-07-15 00:00:00 UTC",

         "customField2Name": "RegistrarContactPhone",

         "customField3Name": "RegistrarURL",

         "customField2Value": "+33.142789312",

         "customField3Value": "www.iptwins.com",

         "whoisServer": "whois.registry.net.za"

      },

      "domainAvailability": "UNAVAILABLE",

      "contactEmail": "ivan.sly@iptwins.com",

      "domainNameExt": ".co.za",

      "estimatedDomainAge": 9214

   }

}