Domain questions

Answers to your domain name questions

This FAQ covers questions about domain names. If your query relates specifically to web hosting, please see our website hosting FAQ. If you have a general question, try the general FAQ page.

The questions

• What is a domain name?
• What can I use a domain name for?
• How much do you charge for domain names?
• What domain extensions do you sell?
• How long does it take to register a domain name?
• How long can I register domain names for?
• The domain I wanted is taken. Can I see who owns it?
• The domain is for a client. Whose name should it be registered under?
• Can I hide my details from the domain info?
• How can I transfer a domain I already own to Webfusion?
• How can I transfer a domain name away from Webfusion?
• What domain management options are there?

The answers

What is a domain name?

A domain name is the address you type in to visit a website. Our domain name is webfusion.com. Domain names are often simply called 'domains' or 'web addresses.' You can register domain names and view domain info through our website.

When you register a domain, you own it for a period of time. This can be anything from 1 to 10 years. You must renew it at the end of this period to retain ownership.

What can I use a domain name for?

Your domain name can be used to make it easy for people to find your website. It can also be used to create email addresses, which make you appear more professional.

Most businesses register their brand as a domain name. This means they can use theirbrand.com as their website address and use it for custom email addresses too (like theirname@theirbrand.com).

You can also use your domain to convey info about yourself or your business. You can register your family name and give everyone in your family their own email address. You can also give your blog its own address so it's more visible.

How much do you charge for domain names?

Our domain fees vary depending on what type of domain you are registering. Prices will be clearly displayed when you use our domain name search, or you can see our full price list here.

You can register certain domain names for just 99¢ when you buy them with a web hosting package. This applies to .com and .org domains. We also run other offers on domain names from time to time. See current domain offers here.

What domain extensions do you sell?

We currently offer these domain extensions:

• .com
• .net
• .org
• .info
• .mobi
• .tv
• .biz
• .name
• .tel (.tel works differently to most domains. Find out more.)
• .us
• .cc
• .at
• .es
• .be
• .eu
• .co.uk
• .org.uk
• .me.uk
• .ae.org
• .cn.com
• .de.com
• .eu.com
• .gb.com
• .gb.net
• .kr.com
• .qc.com
• .sa.com
• .us.com
• .za.com
• .se.net
• .se.com
• .uy.com
• .br.com
• .no.com
• .hu.com
• .ru.com
• .jpn.com
• .uk.net
• .uk.com

You can register domain names, or transfer domains to our servers, as long as they have one of these extensions.

How long does it take to register a domain name?

When you confirm you want to register a domain name and make a payment, we register the domain right away. This secures it for you.

However, it may take one or two days for the domain info to transmit across the internet. You must wait for this to happen before the domain will work with any web hosting services you may have purchased.

How long can I register domain names for?

Each type of domain name has minimum and maximum registration terms. Once you have registered a domain name, you can always renew it before it gets released onto the open market.

You will see how long you can register each domain for when you use our domain search.

The domain I wanted is taken. Can I see who owns it?

Our system will show you the domain info when you click for further information. You may be able to see the name of the company or individual who owns the domain, as well as contact info.

However, please note that this info is drawn from the relevant registry database (we don't control it), and we cannot guarantee it is accurate.

The domain is for a client. Whose name should it be registered under?

If you are registering domain names on behalf of other people or companies, please use their details when entering the registrant's information. This ensures the owner of the domain is correctly recorded in the domain info and will help avoid future problems.

Can I hide my details from the domain info?

Information about domain name owners is called the whois information. It is stored in publicly-accessible databases.

Using our domain privacy option, you can hide these details from public view. The service replaces your details (like your name, address and email) with generic details from our privacy service.

Although the public details about your domain change, you still retain ownership of the domain name and the privacy service is completely above board.

We even assign your domain a special email address which forwards messages on to you. This allows people to get in touch with you for legitimate reasons (for instance, they want to buy your domain name).

Domain privacy costs $4.99 a year and is available for the following types of domain name:

• .com
• .net
• .org
• .cc
• .me
• .tv
• .info
• .biz
• .name
• .tel
• .mobi

If you're buying a new domain name, we'll offer you domain privacy when you check out. To add it to an existing domain, log in to your control panel and add it there.

Please note: domain privacy is not available on domains you transfer to Webfusion.

Additionally, .uk domains allow you to hide your details for free. To do this, you must be registering the private domain name as an individual, not a company, and make sure to choose the WHOIS opt-out option when you buy the domain.

How can I transfer a domain I already own to Webfusion?

It's really easy. Just enter the domain name you own into our domain name search. The domain will show as taken, but you'll be able to choose an option to transfer it to Webfusion.

When you select this option, we'll walk you through the process of transferring your domain. The way it works depends on what sort of domain name you want to transfer. But don't worry - we'll explain exactly what you need to do.

Transferring domains usually takes a couple of days, and you should only choose the transfer option if you already own the domain name. You cannot claim ownership of a domain by transferring it away from someone else!

How can I transfer a domain name away from Webfusion?

It's easy and it won't cost you a cent. Just log in to your Webfusion control panel to initiate a transfer.

What domain management options are there?

We offer advanced domain management through our control panel. See full information about our domain management.

If you want to see how domain names work with our web hosting services, read about our back-end control panel.

And if you're thinking of buying a .tel domain name, please bear in mind that these work a little differently to most domain names. You can't point them at a website of your choice - instead, the domain name points to a site with a fixed design containing your contact information, which you can edit. Get full details here.