Domain Name Articles

• Grace Deletion Limits Starting April 1 for US Domains

  On January 25, 2012 the United States Department of Commerce approved a proposal to modify the add delete grace (AGP) policy for .us. This was done to address the problem of abuse of the add delete grace period. The new policy restricts the number of domains that may be deleted for credit during the 5 day add grace period. Registrars will be permitted to delete for credit no more than the greater of 50 domains or 10% of their net monthly adds during each month. New Grace Deletion Fee for US Domains Starting April 1, we will start charging a grace deletion fee of $1.00 for deleting US domains. Also grace deletions of US domains are now under a 10% quota, so successful US grace deletions are no longer guaranteed. We will try our best but there is a chance you will have to keep your US domain if we are over the quota. More Information Policy Pdf Policy Pdf From Neustar's SIte Information About Grace Deletions

• Dynadot Position on SOPA

  Dynadot does not support SOPA. SOPA definitions are overly broad, opening the door to potential abuse. Fear of SOPA enabled litigation will have a chilling effect on free speech on the internet. A free and open internet that fosters information exchange, cooperation, and community is crucial to the well being of America and the world. Todd Han President Dynadot

• Google Apps for Your Domain

  By Dynadot Staff Writer 2011/09/18 Google Apps is a suite of Google applications that brings together essential services. Because Google Apps is web-based, no software is required. When used with your custom domain, Google Apps offers organizations and individuals a service and that can really reflect you or your brand. The tools are free, or you can pay for a Premium Addition that adds more storage space and other features. The free edition includes; Gmail, Sites, Calendar and Docs for up to 10 users. Google Apps for Business, Education, Government an Non-Profit are also available and include features designed for these environments. All Google Apps editions can be reviewed and ordered here. Free trials are also available. Once you decide to use Google Apps, they will need to verify you as the domain owner. To do this, you will need to enter the given verification string as a TXT Record. Please enter the string exactly as given. Once the TXT record has been made, it can still up to 24 hours to complete the verification process. After the verification is complete, you are just a few steps away from using Google Apps with your domain. We have written up a couple of help files to get you set up. For directions on getting set up using a CNAME, click here. For directions on getting set up using Advanced Hosting, click here. If you would like to use Google Apps for a domain that is registered with Dynadot but hosted elsewhere, please contact your web hosting company for assistance.

• Private Domains

  Domain registrations are public information. Anyone can lookup the owner of a domain name online through a Whois lookup service. Real problems arise where the domain owner's full contact information is listed; identity theft, fraud, domain hijacking, data mining, spam, and other intrusions on your privacy. When you register a domain name, ICANN requires that your email address, mailing address, and phone number are made publicly available. Anyone can see your personal information using a Whois lookup. Spammers and junk mailers often search through the Whois database to create mailing lists. Our private domain service replaces your contact information with ours. Not sure what contact information is being shown in the Whois for your domain? Run a Whois lookup in the public Whois database for your domain, now! How does a private domain work? We replace your contact information with ours. If someone sends an email regarding your domain, we first filter it for spam. Then we forward it to your account email address. If someone mails a letter regarding your domain, we first check if it is junk mail. If not we scan it in and email it to you as an attachment. If someone calls regarding your domain, we will take a message and email it to your account email address. Domain privacy doesn't affect your ability to manage your domain at all. You still have full control of your domain from the account area. Once you have ordered domain privacy, you can turn it on or off from the account area. Because our service is technically a mail forwarding and filtering service, there is no need for us to reveal your true contact information unless compelled by a court order, administrative order, or government agency -- not just mere legal threats. Any party wishing to send you legitimate correspondence concerning your domain name can successfully do so without ever knowing your true and correct address, email, or telephone number. For more information on Dynadot's Domain Privacy Service, check out our Privacy Page.

• What is the difference between Blogger, Tumblr, and WordPress?

  What is Blogger/Blogspot? Blogger is a website where you can blog all your thoughts or ideas on a regular basis. You can create blogs you want to share with the world or simply make them private and use them as a personal diary or journal. Each entry you make is time-stamped so you will always remember the date and time you created it! How do I set up my domain with Blogger? What is Tumblr? Tumblr is a micro-blogging social network where you can share your photos, videos, links, audio, quotes, etc. with all your friends. Express your interests and show your creativity! How do I set up a custom domain with Tumblr? What is WordPress? WordPress is a blog publishing tool that allows you to build and maintain blogs or websites. You can show you creative side and customize your site using widgets or installing themes! Please keep in mind that WordPress can only be used with our Advanced Hosting package. How do I install WordPress on my Hosting account?

• Is it possible to host more than one domain/website on the same Web Hosting plan?

  Although it is possible to use one hosting plan to manage multiple domains and websites, this can only be accomplished with an Advanced Hosting package. You can do this by creating an add-on domain. Please note that a Basic Hosting plan does not support more than one domain, which means an add-on domain does not apply. What is an Add-on domain? An add-on domain enables you to manage multiple domain names and run several websites from a single hosting account. It also allows you to share your existing diskspace and bandwidth between all your domains. Not only is everything controlled at one designated location, it prevents people from determining whether it is actually your primary domain or simply an add-on. A huge benefit from using an add-on domain is you get to save some money! You will not have to worry about purchasing separate hosting plans for each domain your register in the future. How do I set up an Add-on domain in cPanel? First, you must set your domain name servers to Advanced Hosting by following these steps: Log into your Dynadot account. Select "Manage" from the "Domains" drop-down menu. Find your domain on the list and check the box next to it. Press the "Name Servers" icon. Click on the "Dynadot Hosting" tab. Choose the "Advanced Hosting" option. Click on the "Use Dynadot Hosting" button to save your changes. Note: If your domain is hosted with a third party, you must set your name servers to ns100.dynadot.com and ns101.dynadot.com and allow some propagation time. Next, you must add your domain in cPanel by following these steps: Log into your cPanel. Find the "Add-on Domains" button located under the "Domains" category. Enter the domain into the "New Domain Name" box. Under the "Subdomain/FTP Username" box, enter the FTP username. Enter the directory that will contain the add-on domain's files in the "Document Root Field" box. Enter the password for the add-on domain in the "Password" box and then confirm the same password in the box below it. Click the "Add Domain" button to save your changes.

• What are Country Code domains?

  Country code domains, also abbreviated as ccTLD, are top-level domain extensions used for particular countries. Although some countries allow anyone in the world to register their country code domains, other countries have specific requirements you must meet. For example, you must be a United States Registrant to register a .US domain. But anyone can register a .MX domain. Different restrictions apply to each country. Using different country codes can benefit you as well. It gives you an opportunity to reach outside your scope and expand your audience. Remember, you'll generate more traffic when you have a bigger audience! Which country codes does Dynadot support? Here's a list of ccTLD's we currently support:.US .IN .MX .EU .SO .CO.UK .PL .BE .ASIA Take a look at our TLDS page for more information!

• What do I do if my .com domain is taken?

  Imagine you come up with this brilliant idea for a website or blog and in your excitement, you go online and search to see if the domain name for your future cash cow is available. When the results come up, you feel deflated upon seeing that the name has been registered for many years. You don't really have the money to look for the owner and make a reasonable offer, so what do you do? With so many new TLDs now available, you have a few options: Register the .co .co is poised to become the next popular top level domain (TLD) next to .com. .Co naturally stands for company, corporation, or commerce. Plus, everyone is used to typing .com; it will take almost no adjustment to exclude the m. In fact most people type so fast that they exclude the m anyways! .Co has been gaining in popularity steadily over the last few years so still have a chance to find your .co domain name. Register your .co before its too late! Domain hacks What's becoming increasingly popular is people using domain hacks to brand their online business. What is a domain hack you ask? A domain hack is using the full domain name at all levels to spell a word or phrase. This is typically accomplished by combining generic terms with a country code top level domain (ccTLD). A good example of this is the popular bookmarking tool del.icio.us (uses the .us ccTLD). Some other examples of this are chatwith.me or getth.in . Buy the .net or .org Often times, the .net or .org version of your domain name will be available. Although not as popular as .com, these are great alternatives that shouldn't hurt you as long as you provide something valuable on your website. However, check first if the .com version of your site is being used already; you don't want to send traffic to another site! As the web gets bigger every day, it is inevitable that room has to be made for other TLDs besides .com to shine. With so many choices out there, you won't have to search too hard to find your perfect domain name!

• What do Domain Status Codes Mean?

  When you do a whois lookup, you'll notice the domain name's status code. Domain status codes are useful to figure out why your domain isn't working, whether your domain is locked, and when your domain will be dropped from the registry. COM and NET Domain Name Status Codes These are the 6 domain name status codes used for COM and NET domains: ACTIVE Domains are typically in this state. You can use the domain to host a website, use an email address, or register name servers. REGISTRAR-HOLD The registrar (Dynadot) has placed the domain on hold and it cannot be used. REGISTRY-HOLD The central registry has placed the domain on hold and it cannot be used. REGISTRAR-LOCK The registrar (Dynadot), has locked the domain so settings cannot be changed. REGISTRY-LOCK The central registry has locked the domain so that its settings cannot be changed. RedemptionPeriod The domain has expired and the central registry is waiting 30 days before releasing it. PendingRestore A domain that had expired is now being restored to ACTIVE status. PendingDelete The domain expired the registry is about to erase it. A domain remains in this status for five days before it is deleted. ORG, BIZ, US, INFO, and NAME Domain Name Status Codes These are the 15 domain name status codes used for ORG, BIZ, US, INFO, and NAME domains: CLIENT_DELETE_PROHIBITED The registrar (Dynadot) has locked the domain so that it cannot be deleted. SERVER_DELETE_PROHIBITED The central registry has locked the domain so that it cannot be deleted. CLIENT_HOLD The registrar (Dynadot) has placed the domain on hold; it cannot be used. SERVER_HOLD The central registry has placed the domain on hold; it cannot be used. CLIENT_RENEW_PROHIBITED The registrar (Dynadot) has locked the domain so that it cannot be renewed. SERVER_RENEW_PROHIBITED The central registry has locked the domain so that it cannot be renewed. CLIENT_TRANSFER_PROHIBITED The registrar (Dynadot) has locked the domain so that it cannot be transferred to another registrar. SERVER_TRANSFER_PROHIBITED The central registry has locked the domain so that it cannot be transferred to another registrar. CLIENT_UPDATE_PROHIBITED The registrar (Dynadot) has locked the domain to prevent its settings from being changed. SERVER_UPDATE_PROHIBITED The central registry has locked the domain to prevent its settings from being changed. INACTIVE The domain cannot be used because name servers have not been entered or there is a problem with the current name server settings. OK Domains are typically in this state. You can use the domain to host a website, use an email address, or register name servers. PENDING_DELETE The domain is about to be deleted by the central registry when the domain expires. PENDING_TRANSFER The domain is in the process of being transferred from one registrar to another. It's settings may not be changed during this period. PENDING_VERIFICATION The central registry is in the process of creating the domain record.

• Domain Names and Google Ranking

  It's no secret that appearing on the first few pages of a Google search engine results page (SERP) is extremely valuable to any kind of online venture. The question is, does your choice of domain name make a difference in how your domains rank? Google's exact ranking algorithm is kept secret from the public. However, there are some general principles you can follow that have proven to be helpful. Here are some things to consider when it comes to domain names and Google: Hyphens? Google does not penalize domains which include hyphens. Dogcollars.com should rank as well as Dog-collars.com, all things being equal. However, Dogcollars.com would generally be considered more "credible" by end users, making it more likely that they would link to it.Linkability One of the main factors in Google's ranking algorithm is the anchor text of a link from another website. For example, if you want to rank well for the search term "dog collar," it would help you greatly if other websites link to your site using the text "dog collar" for the link. In general, people trust brands much more than generic websites. One common technique is to include a brand focused name as well as a keyword in your domain name. For example, "Acmedogcollars.com" functions as both a branded site and keyword rich domain name. If you establish the "Acme" brand, people will link to your site using anchor text that includes dog "collars", helping you rank for that term by default. Domain Age The older your domain, the better. Stability and credibility are shown by domains that aren't expired and registered multiple times in their lifespan. If you have any kind of inclination to register a name, do it now; it'll increase in value just on the basis of having it age. Create Valuable Content Users link to a website mainly because it has some kind of value. You don't have to register a domain with search engines in mind if you plan to develop a content rich site. This is why brands such as Twitter could thrive on Google SERPs. The name Twitter itself does not naturally convey what the site does but it is short, easy to remember, and most importantly the site built around the domain name is a very useful tool. At the end of the day, the general idea is this. If you are a domain investor looking to park your domain for profit, choosing a keyword rich domain is necessary. Since you're not going to build a site around it anyways, you probably will not rank well in Google simply because Google gives priority to sites with actual content. Optimize your choice for type-in traffic. If you are going to develop a website around your domain, your choice of domain is not as important as creating a site that is user focused, content rich, and valuable.

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