Domain Registration

This guide will help you get started with our domain registration services.

What is domain registration? Why do I need it?

A domain name is essentially online real estate, and domain registration is permission to build on that real estate with services such as websites. If your domain is unregistered, it simply does not exist. You can learn more about domain registration here.

How do I set it up?

Domain registration is fairly straightforward. Please choose the statement below that best describes your situation. (This guide assumes that you will be using Custom DNS to provide DNS service for your domain, or have made other arrangements such as a third-party DNS provider or hosting the DNS yourself.)

A. My domain is unregistered.

Creating a new domain registration is easy: Create an account, then create domain registration and Custom DNS for your domain here. The service creation process is straightforward and explains each step along the way. Make sure that you purchase both domain registration and Custom DNS; if you forget one or the other, your domain will not function correctly.

B. My domain is registered with another provider, and I wish to transfer it.

Please see our detailed domain transfer guide for a full list of detailed instructions. Remember, you should make any DNS delegation changes before you begin the transfer, and you will need to unlock the domain and get the authorization code from the old registrar in order to transfer it.

FAQs

Do I need DNS?

Yes. Domain registration from DynDNS.com, by itself, does not include any form of "basic" DNS service. You have three options:

Can I use Dynamic DNS to provide DNS for my domain name?

No. The free Dynamic DNS service is limited to third-level subdomains of DynDNS.com domains such as myhost.dyndns.org or myhost.homeip.net. It cannot be used to provide DNS for domain registrations.

How do I transfer my domain away from DynDNS.com?

Please see our Domain Transfers article for more general information on transfers. You can unlock your domain name and receive the authorization code on your domain's configuration page. Domain transfers are handled by the "gaining" registrar, so contact your new provider when you are ready to begin the transfer. (The exception to this rule is .co.uk. Contact our support team with the new registrar's IPS tag and we will initiate the transfer for you.)

Remember, don't wait until the last minute to transfer your domain; if the registration expires before the transfer is complete, it will become locked and you will need to renew it with DynDNS.com before you will be able to transfer it away.

How do I prevent my WHOIS information from being publicly displayed?

If you wish to keep your domain's WHOIS information private, you can use our Secret Registration service to protect your privacy.

Why did my domain transfer fail? Was I billed?

You can learn about common problems and solutions for failed domain transfers in our Trouble with Transfers article. Pending transfers are not charged until the transfer successfully completes; if the transfer fails, you will not be charged and may try again at any time.

What happens to my domain when it expires? Can I just recreate it?

When a domain expires, it is not immediately deleted from the registry; instead, it can take up to 70 days for an expired domain to be removed. You can learn more about domain expirations here. Remember, if you have any intention of keeping your domain name, do not let it expire!