This topic describes the precautions and suggestions about creating an Alibaba Cloud account before you apply for an Internet Content Provider (ICP) filing for your Internet information service. The Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system allows you to apply for an ICP filing, modify ICP filing information, cancel an ICP filing, and claim an ICP filing. Before you use the Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system to apply for an ICP filing, you must create an Alibaba Cloud account based on the entity information and your actual requirements. Then, you can log on to the Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system by using the created Alibaba Cloud account to apply for an ICP filing and manage your ICP filing information.
Precautions
You can use an Alibaba Cloud account to apply for an ICP filing for only one entity, which can be an organization, an enterprise, or an individual. However, one entity can obtain multiple ICP filings for multiple Internet information services.
If you want to apply for ICP filings for multiple entities, you must create multiple Alibaba Cloud accounts. We recommend that you create an Alibaba Cloud account for a single entity, and use the account to apply for and manage ICP filings for all Internet information services of the entity.
The Alibaba Cloud account used to apply for and manage an ICP filing can be different from the one used to purchase the Alibaba Cloud instances that host Internet information services.
If the Alibaba Cloud instance that hosts your Internet information service and ICP filing information are managed by different administrators, we recommend that you use separate Alibaba Cloud accounts to manage the instance and ICP filing information.
If the account that you used to apply for an ICP filing is different from the account to which the instance hosting your Internet information service belongs, you can log on to the Alibaba Cloud Management Console by using the credentials of the account to which the instance belongs and obtain a service identification number. For more information, see Apply for service identification numbers for free. When you apply for an ICP filing, you are required to enter the service identification number to complete the verification of the instance.
Suggestions for planning Alibaba Cloud accounts
We recommend that you create sufficient accounts at the Alibaba Cloud China site (aliyun.com) before you apply for ICP filings. You can use these accounts to apply for ICP filings on a PC or the Alibaba Cloud app. This facilitates the management of your ICP filing information.
If you use an account created at the Alibaba Cloud China site (aliyun.com), you can apply for an ICP filing on a PC or the Alibaba Cloud app. If you apply for an ICP filing on a PC, you must download the Alibaba Cloud app, log on to the app, use the app to scan the QR code on the material upload page on the PC, and then upload the ICP filing materials by using the app.
If you use an account created at the Alibaba Cloud international site (alibabacloud.com), you can apply for an ICP filing only on a PC. If you apply for an ICP filing on a PC, you must download the Alibaba Cloud app, log on to the app, use the app to scan the QR code on the material upload page on the PC, and then upload the ICP filing materials by using the app.
NoteThe Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system is available only in Chinese.
Create an Alibaba Cloud account
You can create Alibaba Cloud accounts based on your business requirements. For more information, see Sign up with Alibaba Cloud.
During the application process of an ICP filing and after an ICP filing is obtained, Alibaba Cloud notifies the specified users of the application progress, ICP filing status, and review results for specific items by using multiple notification methods. After you create an Alibaba Cloud account, we recommend that you specify the contacts and notification methods before you apply for an ICP filing. This ensures that the application process is not affected by delayed reception of notifications.