To register a domain, search for the exact name and extension through a registrar, compare the provider’s terms and renewal costs, complete the registration, then point the domain’s DNS to your website or email service using the values that service supplies. A search result does not reserve the name; registration is complete only after you finish the registrar’s process.
1. Choose a domain name and check availability
Decide on the name and extension, such as example.com, then search for that exact combination in a registrar’s lookup tool. A domain is the address people use to reach a site or service; the extension is its top-level domain (TLD).
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Availability is a point-in-time result. If the name is available, another person may still register it before you complete checkout. If it is taken, try a different name or extension and check again. Country-code extensions are handled by their respective operators, so rules and registration routes can differ from those for generic extensions such as .com. ICANN explains the distinction between gTLD and ccTLD registration in its registration process overview.
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2. Choose a registrar you can manage
A domain registration is a contract with a registrar. For a generic top-level domain (gTLD), you can register through an ICANN-accredited registrar or a reseller. A reseller is not itself ICANN-accredited; the accredited registrar remains accountable for registrar services under its agreement. Country-code domains are registered through the relevant ccTLD operator. See ICANN’s explanation of registering domain names.
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For gTLDs, use ICANN’s accredited registrar directory to check a provider’s status. If you are considering a reseller, find out which registrar handles the registration and who you contact for support. Compare the terms that will matter after checkout, not only the first price shown.
- Registration and renewal fees: Check the price for the initial term and the renewal price, and note whether the quoted amount is promotional.
- Renewal, expiration, and transfer terms: Read when and how renewal happens, what follows expiration, and what conditions apply if you move the domain to another provider.
- Support: Confirm how to contact support and whether its hours and methods suit you. ICANN advises checking what services a registrar offers and whether contact information is readily accessible in its guide to registering a domain.
- Account security and controls: Look for security options and clear access to domain, contact, and DNS settings.
- Included services: Check whether DNS hosting or privacy features are included, and read their terms rather than assuming they are available or cover every circumstance.
Read the registration agreement before paying. ICANN notes that it includes important information such as fees and the conditions under which you may switch providers in its registration FAQ.
3. Complete registration and keep control of the account
- At the registrar or reseller, enter the requested registrant, contact, and technical details.
- Review the registration agreement, fees, renewal and expiration terms, and transfer conditions before accepting.
- Pay the stated fee and complete the provider’s registration process.
- Save your account credentials securely, keep the contact details current, and record the renewal date and the provider’s expiration policy.
Registration is for a chosen term and must be renewed under the provider’s terms. Privacy or redaction options do not guarantee that all registration details will be hidden; what is visible depends on applicable policy and law. ICANN’s registration data lookup uses RDAP and may fall back to WHOIS for some queries, and public results may not expose all registration data.
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4. Decide where DNS will be hosted
Registration and DNS hosting are separate functions. You can use the registrar’s DNS service or host DNS with a different provider. In either arrangement, the active DNS zone must contain the records that direct your domain to the right website or mail service.
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If DNS will be hosted separately, create the public DNS zone with that provider first. Copy the nameservers it assigns, then enter those nameservers in the registrar’s domain settings. AWS documents this setup for a domain registered elsewhere in its instructions for configuring DNS routing for a new domain.
5. Add the records your website or email provider specifies
Use the exact record names and values supplied by your web host, site builder, email provider, or DNS host. Do not guess an IP address or mail-server name: the correct values depend on the service you are connecting.
| Record type | What it does | What to use |
|---|---|---|
| A | Maps a name to an IPv4 address. | The IPv4 address supplied by the destination service. |
| AAAA | Maps a name to an IPv6 address. | The IPv6 address supplied by the destination service. |
| CNAME | Points a hostname to another hostname. | The target hostname supplied by the service. In standard DNS, a CNAME cannot be used at the zone apex, the domain’s root name. |
| MX | Routes email for a domain to mail servers. | The mail-server names and any priority values specified by the email provider. |
| TXT | Often used for service verification and other text-based settings. | The exact text and host/name required by the receiving service. |
Record behavior and supported types are described in AWS’s record-type reference and its guide to basic record values. These examples explain common DNS records; they are not a comparison of DNS providers.
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- Check that the nameservers entered at the registrar exactly match those assigned by the active DNS host.
- In the DNS zone, check the record’s host or name and value against the destination service’s instructions.
- If a website or email does not work immediately, allow for resolver caching. Changes do not appear everywhere at once, and there is no universal propagation time.
- If you are moving a live domain, copy and recreate its existing records at the new DNS host before changing nameservers. Missing or incorrect records can interrupt the website, email, or other services.
AWS says nameserver changes may take up to two days in the circumstances described in its guidance, and warns that an incorrectly handled migration can make a domain unavailable for up to two days. This is AWS Route 53 migration guidance, not a guaranteed timing estimate for every DNS provider. See its instructions on nameserver and glue records.
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