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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Satisfaction with SIDN remains high

Registrars give our services 8.3 out of ten

Our core services are sound and we provide good support. That's the key finding of the fifteenth Registrar Satisfaction Survey, carried out for us by market research agency MediaTest in September and October. The 136 registrars who responded gave us an average mark of 8.3 out of ten, the same as in 2018. A score we're very pleased with!

Our services get their highest rating ever: 8.5 out of ten SIDN's services get the thumbs-up

Improvements well received

We continually invest to improve our services, and that effort is bearing fruit. Compared with 2018, registrars were more positive about how quickly we made improvements to our systems and processes. Last year, those improvements included rolling out a new registrars' site and enabling scheduled deletion via the Domain Registration System's EPP interface. However, it was the DRS web interface upgrades that got the best response from registrars. Satisfaction with web-based registration rose to 8.5 out of ten.

Personal contact is key

Registrars were particularly happy about their personal contact with SIDN. Asked about standout positive experiences, registrars mainly mentioned contact with Support and other teams. There was also praise for our events, webinars and news bulletins. The clarity of our support was seen as a strong point, especially compared with other registries.

Points for improvement: logins and Whois

While our core services are seen as sound, registrars highlighted a few things we can improve. One is the procedures for logging in to our applications, which are seen as complex and time-consuming. Respondents also pointed to the limited accessibility of Whois data, although concern has diminished since last year's survey, shortly after the GDPR came in. Changes to the Whois are currently in the pipeline: next year, .nl will be adopting the new global standard, the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP). We're already using RDAP for the .amsterdam and .politie domains.

Save the date: Roadmap Webinar scheduled for 20 January

Further service enhancements are planned for next year. Want to hear the details? We're holding a webinar to present our roadmap for 2020 at 4pm (Dutch time) on 20 January. All registrars will get an invite next week.

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 8am and 6pm (Dutch time) by calling +31 26 352 5555 or mailing support@sidn.nl.

Article by:

Michiel Henneke

Michiel Henneke

Marketing Manager