Chose your color

Frequently visited

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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Domain names and websites are going live sooner

SIDN Panel survey sheds light on new registrants' motives

Paper airplane with text 'website' in a hand against a blue sky. (Concept of launching a website. )
  • Wednesday 22 June 2022

Half of .nl registrants register their domain names within an hour of thinking of them. And 95 per cent inside a week. In 80 per cent of cases, a website follows in less than a month. The 110 responses to our latest SIDN Panel survey confirm a well-established trend towards shorter lead times. In the last ten years, the typical interval between domain registration and website activation has fallen from nearly six months to just a couple of weeks.

For registrars, four main points stand out from the survey findings:

Fast, faster, fastest

The time between domain registration and website go-live is going down all the time. Registrants tend to be more knowledgeable and experienced, and typically have a registrar they're used to working with. User-friendly registration processes and improved tooling make a difference too. It's now much easier to get a domain and set up a site. As a result, the median lead time to website activation has come down from nearly six months in 2012, to about two weeks now.

Bar chart showing how much time elapses between the registration of the domain name and the website going live.

Combination of .nl and .com is ideal

We routinely ask Panel members what domain name extension they prefer. However, the question has perhaps had its day. Increasingly, registrants don't want one extension; they want to have the .nl and .com versions of their names and make equal use of both for their sites. For mail, however, .nl remains the clear preference.

Registrants very happy with registrars' services

It's increasingly common for registrants to have an established relationship with a registrar whose services they're happy with. In 80 per cent of cases, a new registration involves the registrant going to a service provider they've used before for domain names and, for example, hosting or web design. If there's one thing they'd like to see improved, it's the availability of telephone support. Asked how strongly they would recommend their registrar, on a scale of one to ten, registrants' average response was more than eight. The NPS for registrars came out at plus 33 per cent.

"There's nothing else I want. The service is excellent and the process very smooth."

Bar chart showing the reasons why a particular registrar was chosen.

Domain name hijacking causes annoyance

Asked about the improvement they would most like to see where domain names are concerned, registrants flagged up action on hijacking. Many respondents were annoyed about losing domain names to drop-catchers.

"People shouldn't be allowed to register domain names just to sell them on at a fat profit. The practice is a blight on the market, which impacts negatively on genuine enterprises and other organisations that want to actually use domains and websites for their services or projects."

Any questions?

Want to know more about our survey? Mail marketing@sidn.nl.