Protect Your Domain From Hijackers
A handful of common mistakes can result in the permanent loss of your domain. Here's how to safeguard your names.
Three Ways Domains Are Lost
1. Inadvertent expiration
The owner doesn't renew in time and the name is claimed by a speculator. Because most registrars send renewal notices only by email, an out-of-date address means you may never see the warning. Deleted domains are often registered within seconds by automated programs — then offered back at inflated prices or pointed at unrelated sites to capitalize on your traffic.
2. Hijacking or theft
A hijacker “steals” a domain by submitting a fraudulent transfer request and tricking an owner or registrar into handing over control. Once transferred — often to a registrar in a distant country — recovering the name through legal channels can be slow and expensive.
3. Inaccurate contact information
Under ICANN's registrar accreditation rules, a domain can be suspended if its contact information is inaccurate and you fail to respond to your registrar's verification requests. Keeping your details current is the simplest way to avoid this.
How to Protect Yourself
1. Keep expiration dates and contact info current
Most accidental expirations and fraudulent transfers trace back to outdated contact information. If you own several names, consolidating them under one account makes expiration dates easy to monitor. See our guide to domain consolidation for more.
2. List the right contacts
You or your organization should always be the listed owner and administrative contact. For company domains, make sure the company — not an outside designer or host — is listed as the owner.
3. Avoid unreliable email addresses
If the email on your domain record is deactivated for inactivity, someone could re-register that address and use it to authorize transfers. Use a stable, monitored address on your domain records.
4. Enable a registrar lock
A registrar lock prevents your domain from being transferred, modified, or deleted by a third party. Choose a registrar that lets you toggle it yourself at any time.
5. Be wary of suspicious domain email
Don't click links in unexpected domain-related messages, and be skeptical of official-looking renewal notices from companies you don't recognize. When in doubt, contact your registrar directly to verify.
6. Allow-list your registrar and renew ahead
Add your registrar to your email's approved-sender list so renewal notices aren't caught by spam filters. For business-critical names, consider renewing several years at a time to avoid accidental lapses.
Check Your Domain's Status
Use BetterWhois to verify your domain's registrar, expiration date, and lock status — and to spot changes early.
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