The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) now require you to go through a registration process that is quite similar to that of getting a new credit card.
When getting or updating your credit card, you are normally required to go through a registration process in order to activate it. Depending on your issuer, you may be required to visit a website or call a phone number so that you can go through the credit card’s company authorization process.
Without this registration, your credit card is usually unusable. This is in order to protect your card from unauthorized use. In the same way, the domain name registration process required by ICANN is meant to protect you from fraudsters and domain squatters.
An online presence is now an essential part of any business. In more recent times, it is considered to be more important for a business to have an online presence than have a toll-free number. This could be because for many people, a website is usually the entry point to the business.
Therefore, if you do not renew your domains and update it, you could be jeopardizing your online presence because it could be put on hold, taken over, or shut down. For this reason, it is important to not only submit accurate information, but also update your contact information on a regular basis.
Why ICANN needs Contact Information ?
Updating your contact details seems trivial but it is actually very important. Let us look at some scenarios.
If someone helped you register your domain name and then leaves the company, it could be easy for them to take over your domain. If an outdated email is listed as the contact method of your domain, you will miss update notifications which could lead to domain expiry. Alternatively, incorrect contact details could lead to malicious transfer of your domain to someone else without your knowledge.
ICANN introduced new processes in January 2014 that are meant to protect your domain by including verification. Just like credit applications that are plagued with cases of identity theft, domain names also need added validation and verification during the renewal or registration process to ensure safety of the domain.
A registrar (the company that hosts the domain name), suck as GoDaddy is the primary point of domain contact information. Registrars and wen hosts are now required for you to validate and verify contact information linked to a domain name.
Some of the information that domain name registrars are required to validate include:
- Data entered in all fields for respective countries
- Email address format
- Mailing address format
- Phone number format
- Addresses
Additionally, registrars are required to verify ownership by sending an email to the registered email address that requires a response and send a text or call the registered phone number to request for a response.
This new verification process now affects the Registered Name, Technical Contact, and Administrative Contact sections of a domain’s WhoIs record.
Might you want to know: Interesting facts about the History of Domain NamesMaintain correct contact information
When registering for a new domain name or renewing your current domain, it is important that you ensure the contact information is accurate even if you are using privacy protection feature offered by your registrar.
There are several reasons that make it important to maintain accurate contact information. Below are some:
- To make it possible for registrars, law enforcers, intellectual property owners, and consumer protection agencies to contact domain owners.
- To curb cybersquatters – people who buy domain names and then sell them to the highest bidder.
- To ensure sites engaging in unlawful activities can be investigated or shut down.
- To prevent domains from being placed on hold or being suspended because the owners cannot be contacted.
The most important reason for keeping your domain’s contact information updated is so that you do not end up losing your domain. In the event that your domain name expires and you do not get expiration notices due to outdated contact information, it becomes very easy for domain squatters to take over your domain name and then sell it back to you for an extremely high amount.
Therefore, when your domain name registrar sends you an email requesting you to update your contact information, it pays to not ignore or delete it. This is usually for your own protection and helps to ensure smooth business process.
How to Verify Registrant Contact Information for ICANN Validation at GoDaddy.
Some of cases that GoDaddy will require your Email address or Phone Number verification:
- A new domain is registered with unverified contact information.
- A domain registrant updates their shopper email address or phone number with unverified information.
- They are notified or have reason to believe that a shopper's contact info is invalid.
If you receive email from GoDaddy that notify you need to update your own domain information, you need to do:
- Log in to Account Manager
- On the Domains tab, click to the Manage button.
- If you see an orange notification banner at the top of the page, click Resend Verification Email. If you don't see a banner with the link in the Domain Control Panel, click on the domain name with a Pending WhoIs Verification status. The domain's page will have a banner with a resend button.
- Then open your email account, open the verification email from GoDaddy, and click Verify your email address.
After you finished, within 24 hours GoDaddy system will update your new domain information
