How to register a domain name - Domain Names - Alibaba Cloud Documentation Center

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. You must associate a registrant profile when registering a domain name. Creating your profile early speeds up the process. 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 a domain name and check availability.
Confirm the order and complete the payment: Set the registration period, provide registrant information, and pay.
Verify the registration and configure: Check the domain name status in the Domain Names console and configure DNS resolution.

Step 1: Search for and select a domain name

Go to the domain name registration platform, enter a domain name (for example, "wangwang.cc") in the search box, and click Search.

Domain names must follow specific naming rules, such as character type and length limits. For detailed rules, see Appendix: Naming rules for domain names.
Check if the domain name is available:
- If a Buy Now button appears, the domain name is available.
- If a TAKEN label appears, the domain name is already registered. To acquire it, click Make An Offer and learn more about our Domain Brokerage Service.
- If a Buy Now button appears, the domain name is registered but for sale. If you want this domain name, click Buy Now to learn more.

Important

Per registry regulations, domain names containing words like "China," "national," "Chinese," "nationwide," "chn," or "sino" are restricted to authorized government or state-affiliated organizations. Registration requires a special application and supporting documentation.
If the name of the registered entity begins with 'China', 'chn', 'Zhonghua', or 'National'
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. Account credits, coupons, and vouchers cannot be applied.
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)
  
  Important
  The name and contact information in your verified registrant profile must exactly match the details provided in the Domain Name Application Statement.

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, configure the following:
- Registration period: Specify a time from 1 to 10 years.
  
  For core brand domains, register for 5 to 10 years to reduce management costs and potentially improve SEO.
- Registrant profile: The email address in the profile must be Verified.
  - A registrant profile stores the registrant's contact information (individual or organization). Per ICANN and registry requirements, all domain names must be associated with a registrant profile.
  - If you have not created a registrant profile, click Create to create one and submit it for verification.
Click Pay and complete the payment.

Important

Payment does not guarantee registration.

Payment submits your registration request to Alibaba Cloud, which then forwards it to the TLD registry. Some domain names, especially ccTLDs such as .cn, require a naming review or qualification verification (1 to 3 business days). Registration is complete only when the domain name status changes to Normal.

Step 3: Verify and configure the domain name

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.
Complete the following after registration:
- Configure DNS resolution: Add DNS records to point the domain name to your server's IP address. Click Resolve in the Actions column and add an A record or other types of DNS records. For detailed instructions, see Add DNS records for a website.

Billing

Registration fees: Domain name prices depend on the TLD and registration period. The price shown on the order confirmation page is final.
Paid deletion for unwanted domain names:
- Some TLDs support paid deletion during the Add Grace Period (AGP), typically within 3 to 5 days of registration.
- Go to the Bulk Operations - Batch Paid Deletion page and click View Deletion Fee Details to check deletion eligibility and fees.
  
  Important
  Deletion incurs a non-refundable service fee, but the registration fee is refunded. Not all TLDs support this feature, and fees vary.

Recommended next steps

Domain name security locks: For important domain names, enable the transfer lock and update lock to prevent unauthorized transfers or 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 on the same day. If registration information is incorrect, it will be corrected and resubmitted to the Registry. This process typically completes within one business day.
How do I view my domain name order information?

Navigate to the My Orders 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.
Note
- Most 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.
Note
- For 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.
Note
- For 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