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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Registrars give SIDN eight out of ten

High score comes with pointers for the year ahead

Close-up of a hand picking up a wooden block with a smiley face.
  • Thursday 16 December 2021

In the seventeenth annual Registrar Satisfaction Survey, we scored eight out of ten. While that's a very good score, we're aware that it's slightly down on what we've had for the last three years. Pointers from the feedback will therefore be used to guide service improvements in 2022.

Registrars positive about personal contact

We continue to get excellent marks for personal contact. Both the Support Team and the organisation as a whole score well. The cooperative attitude of almost every department was praised by registrars. The marketing support initiatives and the various registrar projects were also very well received, contributing to the perception of SIDN as an accessible and helpful organisation. Nevertheless, more can be done to make smaller registrars aware of our marketing support programmes: many didn't know about the assistance available. We'll definitely be addressing that in the period ahead.

Outages prominent in 2021

Unfortunately, we had more technical problems than usual in 2021. Invoicing, Whois services and access to our registrars' website were all affected. As a result, registrars' rating of our core services was slightly down on recent years.

Price indexation, Whois and sign-on criticised

The main source of dissatisfaction amongst registrars was the price indexation we introduced in 2021. Many registrars believe that SIDN isn't being transparent enough about the motivation for the policy. Criticism was also levelled at the steps taken to protect personal data in the Whois, mainly to comply with privacy legislation. The final issue highlighted by registrars was that the arrangements for signing on to our systems still aren't convenient enough.

Registrars want more real-time data

Asked about improvements they would like to see, registrars put greater real-time insight into their portfolios and billing details at the top of their wish list. They want better data, and they want it sooner to support informed commercial decision-making and the streamlining of internal financial processes. We're planning to launch a new platform in 2022 that will deliver the intelligence registrars need.

Follow-up

The findings of the Registrar Satisfaction Survey provide us with ample scope for leveraging service improvements in 2022. We'll be going over the feedback with the RA and will of course keep you informed about our follow-up plans as they take shape. The roadmap for 2022 will certainly include:

  • Improving the provision of business and financial data to registrars, with more information available in real time

  • Expanding the range of registrar projects and marketing support we provide and raising the profile of the relevant services

  • Improving the user management and sign-on arrangements for our applications

  • Communicating more fully and more transparently about our pricing and product policies

Some registrars indicated that the survey itself was rather long. For 2022, we therefore plan to make the survey much shorter.

Feel free to get in touch if you've got a question

Anything we haven't covered? You can reach us on working days between 8:30am and 5pm (Dutch time) by calling +31 26 352 5555 or mailing support@sidn.nl.

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