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The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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.
A domain name is a unique internet name. Our domain name is sidn.nl. Domain names are used mainly for websites. But you can do other things with them, such as create your own e-mail addresses.
Every domain name goes with a long numeric address, or 'IP address'. Domain names were invented because long numbers aren't easy for people to recognise and remember. When you use the net, domain names are translated into IP addresses by the Domain Name System (DNS).
Subtitles in English are available.
.nl is a top-level domain
There are two kinds of top-level domain:
Country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs)
A ccTLD is for a particular country (e.g. .nl for the Netherlands, .be for Belgium and .de for Germany). Check out the world map of ccTLDs to see which ccTLD goes with which country.
Generic top-level domains (gTLDs)
'Generic' means 'general'. In other words, gTLDs (e.g. .com, .org and .net) aren't linked to any one country. A full list of TLDs is available on IANA's website. IANA is the organisation that manages the technical agreements needed for the internet to work properly.
Are there rules about what domain name you can have?
Any .nl domain name you might want needs to follow these rules:
It can't contain anything except letters (a - z), numbers (0 - 9) and hyphens (-).
It has to be at least two characters long, but no more than sixty-three.
It can't be anything that's inconsistent with public order or decency.
A handful of special names aren't allowed: ftp.nl, mail.nl, nl.nl, www.nl.
If you've thought of a name, you'll want to know whether anyone else has already taken it. You can do that by typing it into the bar, where it says Check your .nl domain name here. Our checker will tell you whether the name is available, or what its status is. For details, see Looking up a domain name.
