It’s a common question: Who is my domain (web address) provider? Knowing where your domain provider is ensures that your website, emails, and related services continue to work.
What is a domain?
Think of a domain as your online address. It’s like your home postal box, but instead of just numbers, it can also use words people can type to find your brand or business.
You do not own the domain, as using it is a licence or a rental with a domain regulator and the World Wide Web.
In Australia, the domain administrator is auDA, which stands for .au Domain Administration Limited. They are responsible for developing and administering rules for using domains ending in the .au country code, which includes .au, .com.au, .net.au, .org.au, etc.
A domain can be attached to services such as a website or email or to determine other third-party records.
How do I find out my domain name provider?
Approved providers, often the big brands in the hosting industry, can sell domains. They must meet large purchase volumes, adhere to specific standards, and be charged an annual licence fee.
For the rest of us small fry, we must buy a domain from an approved wholesaler or reseller and abide by the rules and terms set by the domain administrators on the domain extension and country code.
Depending on your domain extension, you can use the Whois database to find out who owns your domain or to get a clue about how to find the owner.
.AU ending domains
You can use the Australian domain whois database.
- Enter your Australian domain (web address) into the search bar without the www. in it.
- Click the “I’m not a robot” option and answer any questions it may ask to confirm your humanity.
- Press the “Look it up” button.
- Look for the registrar’s name.
If the registrar’s name is unknown to you, look them up with a Google search, as sometimes companies may trade under a different name. A wholesaler may also provide a tool or method to contact them to find your domain reseller or retailer.
Or review the contact details for the domain, especially the technical contact. That may be a reseller or web developer who registered the domain on your behalf.
If you still need help finding the details, search your inbox for previous emails about the domain. You can also contact AUDA.
Other domains such as .com, .biz etc.
You can use the whois.com database.
- Enter your domain (web address) without the www. in the top right-hand side of the search bar.
- Press “Whois” or click on the button with the search icon.
- If you are still getting familiar with the registrar’s name, look them up on Google. Alternatively, find the contact details listed for the domain.
Standard domains like .com may include domain privacy. The domain will display a record that the contact details are private and provide you with a generic inbox for enquiries about the domain.
Domain privacy prevents misuse of your information. Tools such as whois databases can be scraped online, and people use this data to contact you about products and services, sometimes also scammers.
Your domain provider may offer privacy protection at an extra cost. We do not charge for this; we include it at no additional cost for clients. Australian domains do not offer privacy.
What happens when my domain name expires?
If your domain expires, all related services attached to the domain will stop working.
So, you won’t be able to access a website or use emails with that domain.
The domain will usually enter a grace or redemption period, during which you have around 30 days in each phase to renew it before it is released.
Your provider or the wholesaler may also charge a fee at these different phases. We charge a fee where the wholesaler passes this cost on to us, usually in the grace period. Most people don’t have this fee, as we send multiple reminders about domains before expiration.
When a domain is released, it is for sale to the general public. Be wary of people purchasing expired domains to secure them as investments for later sale.
How do I stop my domain from expiring?
- Know who your domain provider is.
- Avoid letting a web designer, developer or other provider have complete control and access to your domain. It’s your business, so you should have access if things go sour.
- Keep your contact details up to date. Avoid using email addresses with your domain in your account, as you’ll miss essential emails if your domain expires.
- Renew your domain for more years, so you don’t worry annually.
- Add relevant payment details and update them if they expire or change with your provider.
- Consider using the same provider for your domain and hosting if it’s worth the cost or effort, given that most services are reliable. Alternatively, you can separate them using different domain record tools, e.g., Cloudflare.
List of common domain providers
Here are a few of the ones we come across most.
The information displayed for the recommended retail prices of the providers mentioned was correct at the time of collection. Prices are in Australian Dollars (AUD) unless stated otherwise and as recorded on 16 July 2024. See the provider’s website for details, as offers may change. Be wary of prices for the first year or a limited time, as the renewal cost will usually be higher upon the domain expiry.
| Provider name | Headquarters | Domain record management tool included in price | Provides free domain privacy and locks for standard domains |
| Crazy Domains (Dreamscape Networks International Pte Ltd) | United Arab Emirates (UAE) | No $26.04 a year Premium DNS | No Domain expiry protection $15.00 a year. Domain privacy protection $9 a year. |
| GoDaddy | United States of America (USA) | No $92.76 a year Premium DNS | No Domain expiry protection $21.95 a year. Domain privacy protection ranges from $0 to $15 a year. |
| Squarespace Google Domains* *Google sold its domain business to them. | United States of America (USA) | Yes | Yes |
| MelbourneIT (same owners as Web Central) | Australia | Up to 10 record changes a year: $0 Domain Manager $40 a year | No Private registration $30 a year. |
| Webcentral | Australia | No DNS Manager $15.96 a year | No Domain privacy $14.95 a year Domain lock $0 |
| Namecheap | United States of America (USA) | No $9.98 a year Premium DNS | Yes |
| VentraIP | Australia | Yes | Yes |
| True Green® Hosting | Australia | Yes | Yes |
| Wix | Israel | Yes | No Domain privacy $9.90 USD a year Domain locking – unknown |
| NetRegistry (now known as Webcentral) | Australia | See Webcentral | See Webcentral |
Why choose True Green® for domains?
Whilst we are not an accredited registrar yet because of the costs and volume that is required, we do aim to provide you with added value as a domain retailer, including the following:
- Free domain record management: Our easy-to-use zone editor tool makes pointing your services much more effortless.
- Free domain privacy and locks for standard domains: Where the regulator offers them out of the box, we do them for free.
- 24/7 technical support: Our penguin pals, as we call them, can help you update, edit, or remove records for your services.
- Support 1% for the Planet: By purchasing your domain through us, we donate 1% of our revenue (not just profit) to environmental causes like the Solar for Schools program.
- Transparent renewals: We keep you in the loop when your domain is about to renew and don’t believe in hiking up the price to record amounts as some cheeky domain sellers do.
- No cheeky gimmicks: We don’t auto-add items to your cart, unlike we experienced when researching several of the other competitors.
How do I transfer my domain to another provider?
You will need a domain password, also known as an EPP key.
Ensure the domain is also unlocked and that you turn off domain protection and privacy during the move.
That helps to prevent your switch from being declined by your current provider or the regulator who rules the roost.
You can transfer a domain to us using our domain transfer form.
If you can’t find the domain extension you use, contact us to see if we can support it.
