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The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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.
Last year, the number of .nl domain names grew by more than 80,000. The main reason was that fewer names were cancelled than had been expected. As well as reflecting a change in the way people view domain names, that welcome development highlights a new economic mood.
Not all domain name cancellations are carefully thought through. The recent hacking of the Dutch police is a good example of the pitfalls that await the unwary. People often cancel domain names for financial reasons: the name isn't being used, so there seems no reason to go on paying for it. Asked why they cancelled, people will typically say things such as "the project didn't go ahead," or "we don't use that brand any more."
Good news for the economy
Against that backdrop, a slowdown in cancellations spells good news for the economy. Historical data indicates that growth in the domain name market often heralds an economic upturn. Because, when the economy's doing well, the project does go ahead. Our own research into trends in internet use reveals a similar picture: last year, the number of businesses expecting their on-line turnover and their domain name portfolio to grow was significantly higher than in 2014.
Value of a domain name
Another, less obvious reason why the appetite to cancel has waned is that more people and organisations now recognise the intrinsic value of a domain name. It often costs just a few euros a year to retain a domain name that's worth hundreds on the resale market. In the past, many registrants have been kicking themselves after discovering that a domain name that they cast aside has been reregistered and sold on at a substantial profit. There's now a greater realisation that, if a domain name is no longer needed, the best policy may not be to cancel it, but to put it on the market yourself. Anecdotally, it seems that fewer people are unintentionally letting others cash in on their assets.
Super Bowl
It's also worth noting that the value of a domain name is on the up once more. In recent years, companies have tended to look to the use of hashtags on social media for branding. In 2016, however, many turned their focus back to domain names. Anyone who watched the half-time commercials during the US Super Bowl earlier this month will have seen a good sign of that. For the first time in years, the number of ads containing domain names exceeded the number that referred viewers to Facebook pages or Twitter hashtags.
