Domain Registration Guide
How to register domain names - picking the right registrar, protecting your privacy, and what to do after you register.
Choosing a registrar
Your registrar is where you manage your domains. The main factors are price, reliability, security features, and interface quality. Avoid registrars with predatory upsells or poor customer support.
Namecheap
Competitive pricing, free WHOIS privacy, clean interface. A solid default for most investors. Good bulk management tools.
Cloudflare Registrar
Sells domains at cost (no markup). No upsells. Excellent security features. Limited TLD selection but great for .com and common extensions.
GoDaddy
Largest registrar by volume. Aggressive upsells and higher prices, but the largest auction marketplace. Useful if you buy and sell through GoDaddy Auctions.
Dynadot
Good pricing, solid interface, and a built-in marketplace. Popular with domain investors for portfolio management.
Porkbun
Very competitive pricing, free WHOIS privacy, and a clean modern interface. Good for new gTLDs.
WHOIS privacy
When you register a domain, your contact information is stored in the WHOIS database - publicly accessible by anyone. WHOIS privacy (also called domain privacy or ID protection) replaces your personal details with the registrar's proxy information.
- Always enable it: Without privacy, your name, address, email, and phone number are publicly visible. This leads to spam and potential security risks.
- Free at most registrars: Namecheap, Cloudflare, Porkbun, and Dynadot all include it free. GoDaddy charges extra.
- Doesn't affect domain function: Privacy protection has no impact on how your domain works.
- GDPR note: European registrants have additional protections under GDPR, but privacy protection is still worth enabling.
Registration tips
- Check trademark databases first: Registering a domain that matches a trademark is a legal risk. Search USPTO TESS before registering.
- Register for 2+ years: Google has historically given slight preference to domains registered for longer periods. It also protects against forgetting to renew.
- Enable transfer lock immediately: Lock the domain as soon as you register it to prevent unauthorized transfers.
- Use a strong, unique password: Your registrar account holds all your domains. Protect it accordingly.
- Enable 2FA: Set up two-factor authentication before you do anything else.
Bulk registration
If you're registering multiple domains at once, most registrars offer bulk registration tools. You can upload a list of domain names and register them all in one transaction.
Be careful with bulk registration. It's easy to register 50 domains on impulse and end up with a portfolio full of names that will never sell. Quality over quantity is a better strategy, especially when starting out.
After you register
- Set up DNS: Point the domain to a parking page, landing page, or your hosting provider.
- Configure auto-renew: Decide whether to auto-renew and set it accordingly.
- List for sale: If you're investing, list the domain on Afternic, Sedo, or Dan.com right away.
- Add to your tracking spreadsheet: Record the domain, registration date, expiration date, cost, and asking price.
- Set a calendar reminder: Even with auto-renew, a manual reminder 60 days before expiration is good practice.
Ready to put this into practice?
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