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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Find the perfect .nl with our new smart suggestion tool

More than five million choices available for immediate registration

  • Monday 18 March 2019

Finding the right domain name to help you realise your plans is now easier than ever with our upgraded smart suggestion tool. The tool makes it easy to search more than five million possible names. All of them available for immediate registration, so that you too can have the perfect .nl.

Domain name suggestions

Our new domain name suggestion tool gives you more ideas and better ideas for the perfect .nl. It also lets you set filters, so that the suggested names are more in line with what you want.

How does the suggestion tool work?

Our domain name generator makes synonym-based suggestions. It also scans a database of former domain names that are now available for re-registration. 

Extra options

Our new tool gives you extra options:

  • Enable or disable suggestions that include your GPS location

  • Enable or disable suggestions that include numbers

  • Enable or disable suggestions that include hyphens

  • Set a maximum length for suggestions

  • Add or remove search terms

  • Add or remove synonyms

Register your perfect .nl straight away

If you like a suggestion, you simply add it to your wish list. When you're done choosing, you can register your chosen name or names straight away: just select an agency ('registrar') to handle the registration for you. We'll give you a choice of registrars, and your domain name(s) will often be carried over to the chosen registrar's website. So there's no retyping! What could be easier?

Tips for choosing a domain name

Tip 1: Wondering whether your chosen domain name will rank high in search results? Choose a domain name that's easy to type. A catchy domain name combined with relevant content always does well!

Tip 2: Your domain name doesn't have to say what you do. That can sometimes help, but it isn't essential. Search engines reward quality. An original and logical domain name will do fine.

Tip 3: Some years ago, the advice was always to keep your domain name as short as possible. Nowadays, though, almost no one types a whole domain name into their browser. People do a search and click a link. So the main thing now is that your URL clearly identifies the website that goes with it. And a slightly longer domain name is often better for that.