Domain Names:What is Domain Names?

If you want to use a domain name to provide website or email services, you can register a domain name on the Domain Name Registration page. Before you register a domain name, you must create a domain name registrant profile and complete real-name verification. After you register a domain name, you must apply for an ICP filing and resolve the domain name. This way, your domain name becomes accessible and you can provide services by using the domain name.

1. Register a domain name:

   Alibaba Cloud allows you to register various types of domain names. You can select a suffix for the domain name to register on the Domain Name Registration page. For more information, see Register a domain name.

2. Apply for an ICP filing: According to the regulations of the state and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), you must apply for an ICP filing for a domain name before you can use the domain name to provide Internet information services in the Chinese mainland. For more information, see Overview.

3. Resolve the domain name:

   After you register the domain name and obtain an ICP filing for the domain name, you can resolve the domain name. The domain name becomes accessible after you resolve it. Alibaba Cloud DNS provides you with stable, secure, and fast resolution services.

   Note

   If you have purchased the Cloud Webdesign service, you can resolve your domain name in the console with quick operations. No further configuration is required. For more information, see the instructions in the corresponding topics.

If you want to own a domain name that has been registered by another registrant, you can purchase the domain name from the current registrant on the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform. After you complete the payment, wait for the seller to transfer the domain name ownership to you. You must complete real-name verification to use the domain name. You may also need to apply for an ICP filing and reset the DNS records for the domain name. This way, the domain name is accessible and you can provide services by using the domain name.

1. Check the status of a domain name:

   You can check the status of the domain name that you want on the Alibaba Cloud WHOIS page. Then, you can contact the current registrant of the domain name and check whether you can purchase the domain name.

2. Purchase the domain name:

   The Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform is a domain name trading system developed by Alibaba Cloud based on Alipay secured transactions. The platform provides a safe and convenient domain name trading service. The platform allows you to register domain names, sell domain names with fixed prices or in bidding mode, and purchase domain names.

3. Transfer the domain name:

   • Transfer the domain name to Alibaba Cloud:

     After you purchase a domain name from another user, we recommend that you transfer the domain name to your Alibaba Cloud account to facilitate subsequent maintenance and management. If the transaction was made on the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform, the domain name is automatically transferred to your Alibaba Cloud account after the transaction. If the transfer fails due to reasons such as poor network conditions, you can manually transfer the domain name to your Alibaba Cloud account. For more information, see Transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud.

   • Transfer the ownership of the domain name:

     After you purchase a domain name from the seller, the seller must transfer the ownership of the domain name to you to complete the transaction. If the transaction was made on the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform, the domain name ownership is automatically transferred to you based on your registrant information after the transaction. If the transfer fails due to reasons such as poor network conditions, the seller can manually transfer the domain name ownership to you. For more information, see Modify registrant contact information or transfer domain name ownership.

4. Apply for an ICP filing: According to the regulations of the state and the MIIT, you must apply for an ICP filing for a domain name before you can use the domain name to provide Internet information services in the Chinese mainland. For more information, see Overview.

5. Resolve the domain name:

   You can resolve the domain name after you register it on Alibaba Cloud, complete real-name verification, and obtain an ICP filing for the domain name. The domain name becomes accessible after you resolve it. Alibaba Cloud DNS provides you with stable, secure, and fast resolution services.

   Note

   If you have purchased the Cloud Webdesign service, you can resolve your domain name in the console with quick operations. No further configuration is required. For more information, see the instructions in the corresponding topics.

You can post your domain names for sale in the Domain Names console. After a buyer completes the payment, you must transfer the ownership of your domain name to the buyer at the earliest opportunity.

1. Sell a domain name:

   You can post your domain names for sale in the Domain Names console for free. You can open the Mi Store to sell domain names and construct a page that displays the domain names for sale. You can increase the exposure of the domain names to buyers based on the high traffic of Alibaba Cloud. You can also post domain names for sale in the Alibaba Cloud Management Console.

2. Transfer the domain name:

   • Transfer the domain name to Alibaba Cloud: After you sell a domain name to the buyer, you must transfer the domain name to the Alibaba Cloud account of the buyer to facilitate subsequent maintenance and management. If the transaction was made on the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform, the domain name is automatically transferred to the Alibaba Cloud account of the buyer after the transaction. If the transfer fails due to reasons such as poor network conditions, you can manually transfer the domain name to the Alibaba Cloud account of the buyer. For more information, see Transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud.

   • Transfer the ownership of the domain name: If the transaction was made on the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform, the domain name ownership is automatically transferred to the buyer after the transaction. In rare cases, you may need to manually transfer the domain name ownership to the buyer and provide a transfer password for the buyer to complete the transfer, or you may need to manually transfer the domain name between Alibaba Cloud accounts. For more information, see Modify registrant contact information or transfer domain name ownership.

After you register a domain name, you must perform routine management and security management on the domain name to ensure that the domain name can provide services in a stable and safe manner.

• Perform routine management

  • Renew or redeem a domain name:

    You must pay attention to the validity period of your domain name. Alibaba Cloud sends notification messages to your mobile number and email address if your domain name is about to expire. We recommend that you renew your domain name before it expires. For more information, see Renew domain names. If you do not renew your domain name within a specific period of time after your domain name expires, you may need to redeem the domain name at a higher price. For more information, see Redeem a domain name.

  • Manage domain name information:

    Domain Names provides you with convenient information management services related to your domain name. You can create or modify domain name registrant profiles in the Domain Names console to facilitate domain name registration. You can also modify domain name information, such as the email address of the registrant, in the Domain Names console. For more information, see Modify domain name information.

  • Manage domain name resolution:

    You can configure domain name resolution for your domain name so that the domain name can be accessed from the Internet. For more information, see Quick Start.

• Perform security management

  To ensure domain name security, we recommend that you enable the update prohibition lock and enable the transfer prohibition lock for your domain name based on your business requirements. We also recommend that you regularly check the logs of the DNS records of your domain name.

  For more information about the practices and operations related to security management, see Best practices for domain name security.

• Manage authorizations

  • If you need to authorize other users to perform basic management operations on your domain name, you can use Resource Access Management (RAM) to grant the required permissions to users in the RAM console.

  • Domain Names allows only a HiChina agent account to enable a separate console for a domain name. If your Alibaba Cloud account is not a HiChina agent account, we recommend that you manage authorizations in the RAM console.

  • If your Alibaba Cloud account is not a HiChina agent account and a separate console has been enabled for your domain name, you can continue to use the console. However, if you disable the console for your domain name, you cannot enable the console again.