ICANN’s new domain Contact Verification Policy

 

On January 8, 2014 the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) made a substantial change to the domain registration process for global top level domains (gTLDs). The revised policy now requires domain owners to validate their WHOIS information whenever a domain is registered, transferred to another registrar, or the contact information is updated. This new requirement came into effect on January 8, 2014.

It is important for all domain owners to understand the change and its implications as it affects anyone that currently owns, or plans to register, a gTLD – such as .com, .net, or .org – regardless of the registrar used to register the domain.

It is vital that you complete the validation process as soon as you receive the notice because domains that do not complete the validation process will be suspended.

When Will I Receive a Domain Validation Request?
You will receive one when:

• You register a new gTLD domain
• You transfer a gTLD domain to another registrar
• You change the domain owner’s name or email address
• A WHOIS Data Reminder Policy email bounces
• The domain expiration notice emails bounce

If the domain owner’s contact information is up-to-date, you should not have any trouble receiving and acting upon the domain validation requirements.
The validation request contains a link. You need to click the link and follow the instructions that appear on the webpage. If the verification process is not completed, your domain will be suspended. This means your website and email will not be available until the contact information is validated. For this reason you should be using an email address that is not associated with the domain itself.

If you think your domain was suspended because the validation process was not completed, but you can’t find a verification request, please make sure you are checking the correct domain owner’s email address. If you still can’t find the validation request, contact SnapBlox support so we can help you.

What Can I Do Now?

• Make sure the domain owner email address is valid
• If you registered your domain through SnapBlox, this is how you check the domain owner’s email address:
• Log into the Portal
• Click on Domains, click on your domain, then click on the drop down and select “Edit Contact Information”
• View your contact details
• If you need to make other changes:
• Disable the registrar lock on your domain

If your gTLD domain is not registered through SnapBlox, this message still applies and you should contact your registrar to verify that the domain owner email address is correct.
If you have any questions about this new ICANN requirement, please check ICANN’s information about the process or open a ticket in the portal.