This document guides you through the complete process of registering a domain name on Alibaba Cloud. It covers searching for a domain name, filling out your information, meeting compliance requirements, and managing your domain name after registration.
Before you begin
Create a registrant profile: On the Registrant Profiles page of the Alibaba Cloud Domain Names console, create a registrant profile and submit it for approval.
A registrant profile stores contact information about the domain name registrant. When you register a domain name, you must associate it with a registrant profile. Creating and submitting your registrant profile earlier than registration can speed up the registration process. To create a registrant profile, see Create a registrant profile.
Register a domain name
Registering a standard domain name involves three steps.
Search for and select a domain name: Look up your desired domain name and check whether it is available for registration.
Confirm the order and complete the payment: Set the registration period, provide the registrant's information, and complete the payment.
Verify the registration and perform subsequent operations: Check the status of your domain name in the Domain Names console and perform necessary configurations, such as DNS resolution.
Step 1: Search for and select a domain name
Go to the domain name registration platform, specify a domain name that you want (for example, "wangwang.cc") in the search box, and click Search.
Check if the domain name is available:
If a Buy Now button appears to the right of the domain name, it is available.
If a TAKEN label appears next to the domain name, it is owned by someone else. If you still want this domain name, click Make An Offer and learn more about our Domain Brokerage Service.
If a Buy Now button appears to the right of the domain name. This means the domain name is registered but is for sale. If you want this domain name, click Buy Now to learn more.
Domain name restrictions
Per registry regulations, domain names containing words with national or state-level significance, such as "China," "national," "Chinese," "nationwide," "chn," or "sino," are restricted. These domain names cannot be registered by individuals or unauthorized entities. Registration is limited to authorized government or state-affiliated organizations that complete a special application process and submit the required documentation.
After fulfilling the prerequisites, submit the required documents by creating a ticket. Final approval is at the discretion of the registry.
Prerequisites
Ensure your registrant profile has passed identity verification.
Pre-pay the first-year registration fee to your account. This payment is not eligible for discounts via account credits, coupons, or vouchers.
Required documents
A color photo or scan of your organization's business license.
A color photo or scan of the designated contact person's ID.
A Domain Name Application Statement, stamped with your organization's official seal. Use the template provided below:
Domain Name Application Statement
Domain to be registered: (Do not include
www.)Registrant name:
Registrant contact person's name:
Contact information:
Purpose of registration:
Date (Seal)
ImportantThe name and contact information in your verified registrant profile must exactly match the details provided in the Domain Name Application Statement.
Domain names must follow specific naming rules, such as character type and length limits. For detailed rules, see Appendix: Naming rules for domain names.
Step 2: Confirm the order and complete the payment
On the search results page, click Buy Now to the right of your desired domain name.
On the order confirmation page, complete the following configurations:
Registration period: Specify a time from 1 to 10 years.
For core brand domain names, register them for multiple years at a time, for example, 5 to 10 years. This reduces management costs and may have a positive impact on search engine optimization (SEO).
Registrant profile: The email address in the profile must be Verified.
A registrant profile stores the contact information of the domain name registrant (an individual or an organization). According to the requirements of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and various Registries, all domain names must be associated with a registrant profile.
If you have not created a registrant profile, click Create and follow the instructions to create one online and submit it for information verification.
Click Pay and complete the payment.
Payment does not guarantee registration.
Completing the payment only submits your registration request to Alibaba Cloud. The system will then send instructions to the Top-Level Domain (TLD) Registry. Some domain names, especially country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) such as .cn, require a naming review or qualification verification, which may take 1 to 3 business days. The registration is complete only when the domain name status changes to Normal.
Step 3: Verify the registration and perform subsequent operations
Check if the domain name was registered successfully:
On the Domain Names page of the Domain Names console, if the domain name status is Normal, the registration is complete and the domain name can be used.
Perform a key step after registration:
Configure DNS resolution: After registration, you must add DNS records to point the domain name to your server's IP address. This allows users to access your website or application through the domain name. Click Resolve in the Actions column of the domain name and add an
Arecord or other types of DNS records. For detailed instructions, see Add DNS records for a website.
Billing
Registration fees: The price of a domain name is determined by its TLD and registration period. Prices vary greatly between different TLDs. The price shown on the order confirmation page is final.
Paid deletion for unwanted domain names:
In case you no longer need a registered domain name, some TLDs support paid deletion during the Add Grace Period (AGP). This period is typically within 3 to 5 days of registration, depending on the TLD.
Access this feature on the Bulk Operations - Batch Paid Deletion page. Before proceeding, click View Deletion Fee Details to check if your domain name supports deletion and the associated fee.
ImportantThis deletion incurs a non-refundable service fee, but the paid registration fee will be refunded. Not all TLDs support this feature, and service fees vary.
Recommended next steps
Domain name security locks: For important domain names, enable the transfer lock and update lock in the Domain Names console to prevent unauthorized transfers or information changes.
FAQs
What do I do if I cannot find a paid domain name in the domain list?
Go to the My Orders page and check if the Order Status for the domain name purchase is Paid.
Alibaba Cloud reviews orders that are being processed on the same day. If the review finds that the registration information is incorrect, we will help you modify it and resubmit it to the Registry for review until the domain name is successfully registered. This process is typically completed within one business day.
How do I view my domain name order information?
Navigate to the page and view your domain name order information. This includes the price, order status, purchase time, and more.
Appendix: Naming rules for domain names
Different TLDs have different naming rules. You must follow the rules to pass the naming review. The naming rules for Chinese, English, and some special domain names are as follows.
Chinese domain names
When you register a Chinese domain name, follow these naming rules:
A Chinese domain name must contain at least one Chinese character. The rest can include English letters (a to z, case-insensitive), numbers (0 to 9), and hyphens (-).
You can only register either the simplified or traditional Chinese version.
NoteMost Registries treat simplified and traditional Chinese characters as equivalent. For the same domain name, you can only register either the simplified or the traditional Chinese version. Register the version you intend to use.
If you have registered the simplified Chinese version of a domain name and need to use the traditional Chinese version, you must first cancel the simplified domain name and then register the traditional one, and vice versa. To cancel a domain name, submit a ticket.
The domain name cannot begin or end with an invalid character, such as a hyphen (-), plus sign (+), at sign (@), ampersand (&), or space.
A hyphen (-) cannot be registered alone, nor can it be placed at the beginning or end of a domain name. Whether consecutive hyphens are allowed varies depending on the TLD. Refer to the TLD Registry's policy.
NoteFor generic TLDs like .com and .net, consecutive hyphens are not allowed in the third and fourth places of the second-level domain (SLD), but they are allowed in other positions.
For TLDs like .cn, .china, .company, and .network, consecutive hyphens are not allowed anywhere in the domain name.
The domain name can contain a maximum of 63 characters.
Some TLDs, such as .com.cn, .net.cn, and .org.cn, do not support Chinese SLDs.
English domain names
When you register an English domain name, follow these naming rules:
You can only use English letters (a to z, case-insensitive), numbers (0 to 9), and hyphens (-). Spaces and special characters such as
!$&?are not supported.A hyphen (-) cannot be registered alone, nor can it be placed at the beginning or end of a domain name. Whether consecutive hyphens are allowed varies depending on the TLD. Refer to the TLD Registry's policy.
NoteFor generic TLDs like .com and .net, consecutive hyphens are not allowed in the third and fourth places of the second-level domain (SLD), but they are allowed in other positions.
For TLDs like .cn, .china, .company, and .network, consecutive hyphens are not allowed anywhere in the domain name.
The domain name can contain a maximum of 63 characters.
.cn domain names
According to the Notice on the Adjustments of Domain Name Audit Standards issued by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), Chinese domain names with TLDs of .cn that contain "China", "National", "Chinese", or "Nationwide" must be registered by their respective rights holders. Individuals or non-rights holders are not allowed to register them without authorization.
After successful registration, identity verification materials must be submitted within 5 days. The domain name can only be used after the entity's qualification verification is approved. If an individual or an entity other than the rights holder makes the request, CNNIC will reject the qualification verification and delete the domain name directly.
For example, to register chinalawyersassociation.cn, the request must be made by the rights holder, China Lawyers Association.
CNNIC has authorized Alibaba Cloud to provide registration services for .cn domain names. Users from all countries and regions are allowed to register this TLD on Alibaba Cloud international site .
User's location | Registration supported for enterprises and organizations | Registration supported for individuals |
Chinese mainland | Yes | Yes |
Hong Kong, China | Yes | Yes |
Macao, China | Yes | Yes |
Taiwan, China | Yes | Yes |
Other countries and regions | Yes | Yes |