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Frequently asked questions

  • I am looking for a domain name registrant. Where can I look it up?

    The Whois is an easy-to-use tool for checking the availability of a .nl domain name. If the domain name is already taken, you can see who has registered it.

    On the page looking up a domain name you will find more information about what a domain name is, how the Whois works and how the privacy of personal data is protected. Alternatively, you can go straight to look for a domain name via the Whois.

  • I would like to transfer my domain name to another registrar. What is the procedure?

    To get your domain name transferred, you need the token (unique ID number) for your domain name. Your existing registrar has the token and is obliged to give it to you within five days, if you ask for it. The procedure for changing your registrar is described on the page transferring your domain name.

  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date. How can I get them updated?

    To update the contact details associated with your domain name, you need to contact your registrar. Read more about updating contact details.

  • Why is my domain name in quarantine?

    When a domain name is cancelled, we aren't told the reason, so we can't tell you. You'll need to ask your registrar. The advantage of quarantine is that, if a name's cancelled by mistake, you can always get it back.

    One common reason is that the contract between you and your registrar says you've got to renew the registration every year. If you haven't set up automatic renewal and you don't renew manually, the registration will expire.

  • Ik heb een klacht over mijn provider/registrar. Kan ik daarvoor bij SIDN terecht?

    Wanneer je een klacht hebt over of een geschil met je registrar dan zijn er verschillende mogelijkheden om tot een oplossing te komen. Hierover lees je meer op pagina klacht over registrar. SIDN heeft geen formele klachtenprocedure voor het behandelen van een klacht over jouw registrar.

  • What conditions do I have to meet as a registrar?

    Would you like to be able to register domain names for customers or for your own organisation by dealing directly with SIDN? If so, you can become a .nl registrar. Read more about the conditions and how to apply for registrar status on the page becoming a registrar.

More frequently asked questions

A professional e-mail address helps you succeed in business

Professional address is taken more seriously

  • Wednesday 5 June 2019

In business, having a dedicated e-mail address is vital. And an address that uses your own domain name gives you a better chance of success than, say, a Gmail or Hotmail address. Job applicants who use own-domain addresses also make a positive impression on prospective employers, boosting their chances of being appointed. Those are the conclusions of our recent study of e-mail use by businesses and self-employed professionals.

Mini-survey of businesspeople

At the end of May, we did a mini-survey to gather data on e-mail use by businesspeople. Questionnaires were sent to members of the SIDN Panel and others. A total of 141 businesspeople and professionals answered the questions.

An own-domain business e-mail address carries weight

From the responses, it was striking how much importance people attach to business e-mail. No fewer than 88 per cent of respondents said it was important or very important to their activities. A sizeable majority (67 per cent) reported using their own .nl domain name for business mail. The most commonly cited reason for doing so was to project a professional, unambiguously Dutch image.

Gmail and Hotmail unpopular for business mail

A small proportion (5 per cent) said that they used a Gmail or Hotmail address for business. Hardly any used an address based on their internet service provider's domain (e.g. @ziggo.nl). Those that did were motivated mainly by convenience. They typically already had the address or thought it was too much trouble to create an address based on their own domain name.

Professional addresses are taken more seriously

According to our research, however, businesspeople who take the convenient option are doing themselves no favours. The findings indicate that a professional .nl address makes a positive impression and is taken more seriously. Particularly where job applications and tenders are concerned. Three quarters of respondents said that a tender from tender@businessname.nl made the best impression, for example. Only 3 per cent would have confidence in an identical tender from businessname@gmail.com. A job application from someone with their own .nl domain would also be viewed more positively. Half of respondents said an own-domain address made the best impression, compared with just 9 per cent who would prefer an applicant with a Gmail address. One in three respondents had no preference.

Pie chart that provides insight into the answer to the survey question: Suppose that your business gets several tenders for building work that you need doing. Which tendering business would make the best impression on you? (n=98)

Q: Suppose that your business gets several tenders for building work that you need doing. Which tendering business would make the best impression on you? (n=98)

Setting up an own-domain address is easy

One final finding of note is that respondents generally thought that setting up own-domain e-mail addresses was straightforward. Two thirds of those who had set up their own addresses rated the process easy or very easy. Fewer than 4 per cent felt it was difficult. In other words, using a domain of your own for business e-mail doesn't have to involve a lot of time or trouble. And the results of our survey show that an own-domain address is very worthwhile, because of the professional image it projects and the positive impression it makes.