No Idea Where Your Domain Is? Don’t Panic
One common issue business owners face is locating where their domain is hosted. While it might seem straightforward to remember where you bought your domain, changes over time can complicate this. For instance, you might have changed the Name Servers to another provider, perhaps on the suggestion of your website provider, allowing them to control your DNS without migrating your domain. In some cases, customers forget where they purchased their domain, especially if the person who handled it has left the business. Whatever the reason, here are some top tips for finding where your domain is hosted.
View Your DNS with, er, ViewDNS
There are many tools available for this, but we find the following the easiest. Visit ViewDNS, enter your domain, and click “GO.” This will show you who your “Registrar” is. That’s the company that you bought your domain from and (most of the time) where you can make DNS changes.
This should jog the memory of your team to remember who set this up, and who is likely to have the login details. It might not be someone in your business necessarily, as it could have been setup by an outsourced IT, marketing or website provider.
Lost The Login Details?
Sometimes, not often, people completely lose access to their domain. Maybe the registrar won’t let your back in, the marketing company registered it to a weird email address, you’re strugging to provide ownership, or there’s some kind of commercial dispute. This is where things might feel a little tricky. If you genuinely can’t get access to the domain, (and tried everything you can with the registrar), you’ve got one final option open to you, but you’ll need to jump through some hoops.
Regaining Control Of Your .co.uk Domain
FIrst off, you need to know who Nominet are. Basiically, it is an organisation that manages the registry for any domains ending .uk, and they are responsible for the infrastructure that directs users to .uk websites. Based in the UK, they also manages .cymru and .wales domain names. Nominet is classed as a a “public benefit company” that operates these domains for the wider good, helping to maintain a safe, free, and open internet.
So, how do get back control over your .uk domain?
You’ll need to contact Nominet directly and raise a case with their support team (domainsupport@nominet.uk or 01865 33224). Explain the situation in as much detail as possible, that you no longer have access to manage it and that you are the rightful user and wish to regain access. Nominet will ask for evidence to prove you are indeed legit and entitled to gain access to the domain. This might include:
- Invoice or proof of payment from when you bought the domain
- Emails showing your business has been using the domain
- Screenshots of your website or other online services using the domain
- Proof that the domain is linked to your trading name, company, or brand (e.g. registered company name or trademark).
- If relevant, any correspondence with the people you bought the domain from
If you’re a limited company and the domain name matches your business name, that will strengthen your case significantly.
If Nominet is happy with with your evidence, they should manually update the “registrant information” to reflect your business as the owner and help you transfer the domain to a new registrar of your choosing. Then you’ll be able manage DNS again and setup all the records you need. FYI, there will be a nominal fee for their services.
What About .com and Other Domains?
Great question! So, .com domains work a bit differently from .co.uk domains because they’re not managed by Nominet, but by ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). They look after the domains being used since the birth of the internet, like .com .net. org .info .biz. They are also responsiblw for the sponsored ones like .edu .gov .jobs .google .apple .ninja and thousands more.
You have options to recover control of any of these domain, even if your reseller or host has gone out of business and the domain was registered in their name or with incorrect info.
Head over to the ICANN website and click on SIGN UP to create an account. Once in, you can raise a support ticket explaining the situation. Again, they’ll want evidence, things like:
- Invoices or receipts for the domain
- Emails showing your business has used the domain
- Your photo ID or company documents
- Proof that you control the associated website or email
You might need to ask they reach out to the current listed email address (even if it’s your ex-supplier), or help you dispute ownership. If the old supplier is still being unhelpful, you can file a complaint with ICANN here, and jump through various evidence hoops until they are happy.
TL;DR
There are plenty of ways to access your domain, even if you’ve lost the username and password (or being held to ransom by a supplier). It might take time, but it’s worth it. It does highlught the importance of keeping your login details somewhere safe and secure, making sure the domain is registered in your name (or company name), and making sure you can login once in a while.
If you need any assistance, don’t hesitate to contact Quinset. Our DNS-addicts are here to help.
