As of January 1, 2014, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has mandated that all ICANN accredited registrars begin verifying the WHOIS contact information for all new domain registrations and Registrant contact modifications.

The purpose is to ensure the information the registrant provides is accurate and up-to-date to ensure the registrant can be reached in the event of an issue with the domain.

This means that all new domain registrations will require ICANN verification within 2 weeks of registration. The same rule applies to updating the registrant information address on an existing domain.

GreenGeeks has no control over this process. Should a domain verification fail, only ICANN has the ability to override your DNS records and serve the domain verification pending page.

DNS Update Chart

To help illustrate the process we have included the following flow chart:

How do I verify my domain?

Open the email from the registry, review the information is accurate, and click the link contained in the middle of the message that says “Click here to verify your email address.”

Subject: IMMEDIATE VERIFICATION required for <DOMAIN.COM>
Sender: donotreply@name-services.com

What happens if I don’t verify my domain within two-weeks?

The domain will be suspended by ICANN & point to the verification page, indicating that the domain is suspended, as shown in the image below.

How do I unlock a suspended domain?

After your domain has been suspended by ICANN, pending WHOIS verification, it will remain suspended until the verification process is complete or the registrant email is updated. Updating the registrant email will completely restart the verification process & unsuspend the domain.

The WHOIS verification email can be resent by visiting the suspended domain page in your web browser, or GreenGeeks Support can resend it on your behalf.

After 60 minutes, if you still have not received the verification email, double-check the registrant email address is correct for that particular domain from within your GreenGeeks dashboard.

Reach out to the GreenGeeks Support Team for additional assistance with your domain.

Additional Information

GreenGeeks ICANN 2014 Changes – https://www.greengeeks.ca/support/article/icann-raa-2013-changes/

GreenGeeks Blog Post – https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/recent-icann-changes-how-they-affect-you/

ICANN Registrar Agreement – https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/approved-with-specs-2013-09-17-en

WHOIS Accuracy Program – https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/approved-with-specs-2013-09-17-en#whois-accuracy

The post ICANN – WHOIS Accuracy Program appeared first on GreenGeeks Support.

If you prefer to use name servers on your own domain (like ns1.ggexample.com), you can set the default name servers in WebHost Manager (WHM).

To be used as a name server, a domain must first be registered as a name server using an IP address.   You can find the GreenGeeks nameserver IPs in the Private Nameserver support article.

If you registered the domain name that you want to use for private name servers through GreenGeeks, this article will show you how to register the domain as a name server.

Log in to GreenGeeks.

In the navigation, click “Domains” then “My Domains.”

Click the “Manage” button for the domain you are working with.

Click the “Domain Nameservers” tab.

Scroll down to the “Nameserver Registration” section and click the “New Item” button.

• Enter ns1 in the first box, and the “Nameserver 1 IP address” from the private nameserver article into the second field.
• Click the “Save” link.

• Enter ns2 in the first box, and the “Nameserver 2 IP address” from the private nameserver article into the second field.
• Click the “Save” link.

Like any DNS changes, these may take several hours to propagate. You can ping the new ns entries to determine when they have propagated.

Once the name servers have propagated, you can use your new private name servers as the default name servers in WebHost Manager (WHM).

The post Registering Private Nameservers for Domains Registered Through GreenGeeks appeared first on GreenGeeks Support.

Category one
A natural person who is a United States citizen, a permanent resident of the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories, or whose primary place of domicile is in the United States of America or any of its possessions.

Category two
A United States entity or organization that is incorporated within one of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or any of the United States possessions or territories or organized, or otherwise constituted under the laws of a state of the United States of America, the District of Columbia or any of its possessions or (including a federal, state, or local government of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof, and unincorporated organizations based in the United States).

Category three
An entity or organization (including a federal, state, or local government of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof) that has a bona fide presence in the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories.

• If a foreign entity, the applicant must state the country of citizenship.
• Regularly sells goods in the United States; regularly provides services in the United States; regularly engages in business activities, trade or other business (commercial or non-commercial including not-for-profit) relations in the United States.
• Maintains an office or other property within the United States.

The registry operator conducts weekly random checks for .US requirements.  They select a small sample of new registrations and send the selected registrants a confirmation email. Each selected registrant has 30 days to respond to the confirmation email. If the registrant fails to respond, the registry operator will attempt a second contact. If there is no response to the second contact, the registry operator will delete the domain name. The registry operator does not refund registration fees for deleted names.

The post Requirements for Registering A .US Domain appeared first on GreenGeeks Support.

The post 2013 ICANN Changes appeared first on GreenGeeks Support.

Auto-Renew Grace Period
For about 29 days* after the expiration date, your domain name can be renewed at standard rates. In order to renew your domain during this period, call or open a ticket with our billing department. Once the renewal payment is processed, your domain name will be reactivated. You may experience a period of 1-48 hours for DNS propagation.

Redemption Grace Period
29 days* after the expiration date, your domain will enter the Redemption Grace Period, which typically lasts 30 days*. When a domain enters the Redemption Grace Period it is being managed by ICANN/Enom and it is removed from the zone file, so the website and email will stop working. GreenGeeks no longer has control of a domain in the Redemption Grace Period. In order to renew the domain during this period, the fees are $80 plus the cost of the domain renewal.

When a domain name expires, the website may display an advertising page set by ICANN/Enom. GreenGeeks does not control and cannot change that page. The domain’s expiration date may also be extended. That does not mean the domain is active. The name servers may also change to dns1.name-services.com, dns2.name-services.com, etc.

RGP Stage 3
After about 30 days* in the Redemption Grace Period, the domain name will be deleted. Once deleted the domain name may be available for registration at standard rates. However, while it is in the Redemption Grace Period your domain name may be listed for auction, and if it is sold, you will not be able to re-register it. Also, many domain buying companies employ automated systems that make it difficult for the original owner to regain an expired domain.

For those reasons, if you want to be sure to retain an expired domain, we strongly recommend paying the Redemption Period fees. We understand that the redemption fees are high, but the companies that buy expired domains will likely ask for much more to sell the name back to you than you would have paid in redemption fees. Again, GreenGeeks does not benefit from or share in the redemption fees. Our recommendation is made strictly in the interest of helping you keep your domain name.

*Note that the time frames for some domain extensions are different than those stated in this article. You can contact our support team for details on your domain extension.

General domain expiration timeline from ICANN:

The post My Domain Has Expired, What Should I Do? appeared first on GreenGeeks Support.

Can I renew my domain early?
For information on early domain renewal, please contact a member of our Billing Staff by opening a ticket in GreenGeeks.

What happens if my domain expires?
You can read about the expiration process in the article; My Domain Has Expired, What Should I Do?

How do I cancel my domain name?
If you want to cancel your domain name and prevent it from renewing, please contact a member of our Billing Staff by opening a ticket in GreenGeeks. Domain registrations, transfers, and renewals are non-refundable.

The post How Do I Renew My Domain Name? appeared first on GreenGeeks Support.

1. Your domain name registration and any privacy/proxy services you may use in conjunction with it must be subject to a Registration Agreement with an ICANN Accredited Registrar.
   • You are entitled to review this Registration Agreement at any time and download a copy for your records.
2. You are entitled to accurate and accessible information about:
   • The identity of our ICANN Accredited Registrar Partner;
   • The identity of any proxy or privacy service provider affiliated with GreenGeeks;
   • The terms and conditions, including pricing information, applicable to domain name registrations;
   • The terms and conditions, including pricing information, applicable to any privacy services offered by GreenGeeks;
   • The customer support services offered by your GreenGeeks and the privacy services provider, and how to access them;
   • How to raise concerns and resolve disputes with your Registrar and any privacy services offered by them; and
   • Instructions that explain your Registrar’s processes for registering, managing, transferring, renewing, and restoring your domain name registrations, including through any proxy or privacy services made available by your Registrar.
3. You shall not be subject to false advertising or deceptive practices by your Registrar or through any proxy or privacy services made available by your Registrar. This includes deceptive notices, hidden fees, and any practices that are illegal under the consumer protection law of your residence.

Domain Name Registrants’ Responsibilities

1. You must comply with the terms and conditions posted by your Registrar, including applicable policies from your Registrar, the Registry and ICANN.
2. You must review your Registrar’s current Registration Agreement, along with any updates.
3. You will assume sole responsibility for the registration and use of your domain name.
4. You must provide accurate information for publication in directories such as WHOIS, and promptly update this to reflect any changes.
5. You must respond to inquiries from your Registrar within fifteen (15) days, and keep your Registrar account data current. If you choose to have your domain name registration renew automatically, you must also keep your payment information current.

For more ICANN Registrant education, please visit: http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/registrant-rights/educational

For more ICANN Registrants’ Benefits and Responsibilities: http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/registrant-rights/benefits

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The post Do I Have to Turn Off Privacy Protection to Transfer a Domain to GreenGeeks? appeared first on GreenGeeks Support.

The post What Happens to Mail Sent to the Whois Privacy Protection Service Postal Address? appeared first on GreenGeeks Support.

Learn how to order ID Protect Whois Privacy Protection.

The post Can I Add Id Protect to a Domain Name That Is Registered Elsewhere? appeared first on GreenGeeks Support.