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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Google Chrome to warn users about typosquat domain names

Spotting fake URLs isn't easy

  • Friday 15 March 2019

Google Chrome is going to warn users about domain names that are nearly the same as legitimate names, but not quite. A name that's like a big company's name, except that the letter 'o' has been replaced by a zero, for example. People glancing at a name like that will often overlook the difference and think that they're visiting the company's site, when really it's a fake. It's a trick known in the trade as 'typosquatting'. To protect users, a new test version of Google's browser features lookalike domain warning functionality.

Spotting fake URLs isn't easy 

Last week, Google engineer Emily Stark made a presentation about this subject, and how end users deal with information about URLs. Many people find it very hard to recognise fake URLs. "What people are seeing in the URL bar really just isn’t helpful to them as a security mechanism," said Stark. The Google Chrome development team has therefore decided to introduce warnings in the browser itself.

Tackling phishing and scam sites

Chrome's new functionality will warn users about sites used for phishing and other scams. Users will be able to overrule the warnings, but that'll involve actively clicking them away. "We designed this warning to be informational rather than scary," Stark explained. The system is currently undergoing testing. We don't yet know when it'll be implemented in the production version of Chrome. 

What businesses can do to protect customers

When it comes to stopping scammers using your brand name for phishing, prevention is always better than cure. SIDN BrandGuard lets you watch out for your brand 24-7. As soon as anyone registers a domain name similar to your brand name or domain name, we'll alert you. You can also use the service to get an idea whether a suspect domain name is being used for phishing or malware. So you can quickly take appropriate action.

Forward planning saves a lot of trouble later: address the threat of brand abuse before your company is even up and running. If you'd like to know more about SIDN BrandGuard, contact our Product Manager Pim Pastoors by calling +31 26 352 5500 of mailing pim.pastoors@sidn.nl.