Can I lose my domain name?

If you want to keep using the domain name and any of the services associated with it (like a website or email service) you need to renew the domain name registration prior to its expiration. If you don't, you risk losing your domain name.

What happens if you lose your domain name?

The first thing that happens is that your website disappears! A domain name is an address: remove the address and browsers cannot find your site any more. If you had a domain name email address, you would equally lose access to your inbox and all your emails.

Can your domain be taken away?

As they have ultimate control over domains they can put it right. Provided you keep renewing it then no-one can take it away from you. Even if you forget to pay on time there is a short period where you can still renew and not lose it. See this question: How long is the redemption period on a domain?.

Can I get my domain name back?

If your domain expired and you've passed the grace period for your domain ending (typically 30 days) but fewer than 60 days ago, you can restore your expired domain. When you restore an expired domain, you must pay a one-time restoration fee and purchase at least one additional year of registration.

How long can you keep a domain name?

Most domain names can be registered for a period from 1 to 10 years. They can be renewed, if necessary, while they are still active or reactivated after their expiration date. The Domain Registry marks any domain name as expired when the expiration date first begins.

How to NOT Lose Your Domains | The Journey

What happens if you don't renew your domain?

If you do not renew the domain name during the registry grace period, it will be placed on a pending status to be deleted. If the original owner or the registrar doesn't buy the domain, it will be deleted and released for general registration.

Do I have to pay for my domain name every year?

Domain names require an annual renewal. Most domain names have an annual fee, along with a small ICANN fee (although not all domain extensions will include that fee). Privacy is an additional feature that can be used with many domain extensions, which is meant to keep your registrant information out of WHOIS searches.

What do I do if someone buys my domain name?

How can I recover my stolen domain?

Recovery Procedures

You should first contact your domain registrar. You can use ICANN's WHOIS service to identify your registrar and the accredited registrar list to obtain additional contact information. Additional information is available at the Domain Name Holders FAQ.

How long does an expired domain take to become available?

Redemption - Domain Life Cycle

A domain typically enters Redemption about 45 days after its expiration date if it is not renewed or purchased by a 3rd party (30 days if the domain is registered through FastDomains).

Who legally owns a domain name?

The legal owner of a domain name is the person and/or organization listed as the domain's registrant or owner contact. Domains typically have four contacts: registrant/owner, admin, technical, and billing. These can be the same person or different people.

Can hackers steal my domain?

By using a variety of unethical or illegal tactics, a hacker can transfer the ownership of your domain from your name to someone else's, and effectively gain control of your domain. That's called domain hijacking and it's something you should be aware of and take preventive measures against.

Can someone hijack my domain?

Unfortunately, somebody may hijack your domain name nonetheless. Although this is not a very likely scenario, you should be prepared should it happen. There are different reasons how this can happen – the registrar may suffer a data leak, you may open a phishing site and somebody may steal your login credentials, etc.

Why do people steal domains?

A frequent tactic used by domain hijackers is to use acquired personal information about the actual domain owner to impersonate them and persuade the domain registrar to modify the registration information and/or transfer the domain to another registrar, a form of identity theft.

Can someone trademark my domain name?

A domain name cannot be protected as a trademark merely because it is your address on the Internet. In addition to using the name in commerce, it must be used in a way that distinguishes your goods or services from those of others.

Is domain a one time payment?

The fee you pay the domain name registrar is an annual fee. In other words, you "own" the domain only as long as you keep paying the yearly fee for it.

Is buying a domain a one time purchase?

“Buying” a domain name doesn't necessarily mean making a one-time purchase and owning the name forever. A typical domain name purchase involving an original name actually means that buyers pay for the right to reserve the name exclusively for their own use.

Why are domains so expensive?

So Why Do Some Domains Cost So Much? As your registrar, Namecheap adds just a little bit to each domain name it sells to cover expenses. So when you see a big price difference, that's because the wholesaler charges a lot more for that domain name.

How long does GoDaddy keep Expired Domains?

Recovering an Expired Domain

You can recover an expired GoDaddy domain up to 25 days after it has expired.

Do I need to worry about domain hijacking?

Domain hijacking is a risk to your business even if it's not your domain that is hijacked. Any third-party vendor you regularly communicate with or that handles your or your customer's data could have its domain hijacked.

What is domain spoofing?

Domain spoofing is a form of phishing where an attacker impersonates a known business or person with fake website or email domain to fool people into the trusting them.

How do I permanently buy a domain name?

Anyone can buy a domain name. To do so, you visit a domain name registrar, such as A2, GoDaddy, or Namecheap, key in the domain you want to buy, and pay a fee. You can't buy just any domain, of course—only one that isn't already registered by another person or business and that bears a valid domain suffix.

Can you have the same domain name as someone else?

Using a domain name very similar to an existing one may result in trademark infringement -- the violation of someone's trademark rights. If you infringe someone's trademark, a court might order you to stop using the name and pay money damages to the other domain name owner.

Is a domain name personal property?

You don't physically possess a domain name, as you possess tangible personal property, like artworks and collectibles. You don't get a government title, as with a vehicle, or record your rights in a government office, as with real estate.