Overview
Due to ICANN polices, anyone that manages domain registrations is required to ensure that the contact information is kept up to date. This guide explains the process of verifying your WhoIs (who is) information.
What is WhoIs verification?
ICANN, the organization in charge of managing the domain name system (DNS) worldwide, requires that all domains have up to date contact information.
ICANN requires all ICANN-accredited Registrars to formally remind their customers once a year to review and update the contact information for their domain name
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/contact-verification-2013-05-03-en
Because of this, registrars (like us) will occasionally send an email to the mailbox on the domain registration, asking that the registrant verifies that the information in up to date.
If the information is not verified before 14 days have passed, the domain will become suspended and will no longer be usable. Once verified, the domain will be reactivated and will function as normal.
When do I need to verify my WhoIs information?
Registers will request WhoIs verification whenever the domain contact information is updated. This helps protect against unauthorized transfers.
You may also receive an email when renewing your domain or even at random times. These random verification emails will only occur once every few years.
How do I verify my contact information?
The good news is that it is very easy to verify your WhoIs information.
If the information on the email is still up to date, then you can verify right away. There will be a link in the email that you need to click to verify the contact information. Click the link, brush off your hands and go back to whatever you were doing.
If the information is no longer valid, you will want to log into your client area and update the contact information there. You can find a guide on that process here.
Once you update the contact information, you will receive two new emails.
- One with be a notification email, advising you that the contact information for your domain was updated.
- The other will be a new verification email. As stated above, click the link to verify the domain and then go on about your day.
What if I did not receive an email?
The bad news is that sometimes, it does not go so good. There could be several reasons that you never received the email. This could be that the email was sorted into your spam folder, or the email that was on file is no longer active.
If the domain WhoIs information is not verified within 14 days, the domain will be suspended. If you find that your domain is suspended, you will first want to check your spam folder for the verification email. As long as not too much time as passed, the verification should still be active and can be used verify the domain.
If the verification email is expired, you will need to contact our chat team or submit a ticket to get a new one sent out.
If you cannot find the email, you will want to check your domain contact information and ensure that the admin email is set to an active mailbox.
Once you update the email address, you will receive the same two emails that were mentioned above. Verify the domain information and it will be reactivated within the next few hours.
If you have any further questions, please be sure to reach out to our support staff by using our chat service in your client area or by submitting a ticket.