All Products
Search
Document Center

Domain Names:What is Domain Names?

Last Updated:Sep 25, 2023

Domain Names is a domain name management platform that provides domain name registration, transaction, monitoring, and protection services. This platform works with Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing and Alibaba Cloud Domain Name System (DNS) to provide you with a comprehensive domain name service.

Register a domain name

If you need to use a domain name to provide website or email services, you can register a domain name on the Domain Name Registration page. After you register the domain name, you must complete real-name verification, apply for an Internet Content Provider (ICP) filing, and enable domain name resolution for the domain name. This way, your domain name becomes accessible and you can provide services by using the domain name.

  • Register a domain name:

    Alibaba Cloud allows you to register various types of domain names. You can select a suffix for the domain name to register on the Domain Name Registration page. For more information, see Register a domain name on Alibaba Cloud.

  • Apply for an ICP filing:

    You must apply for an ICP filing for a domain name before you can use the domain name to provide Internet information services in the Chinese mainland.

    • If you run a website without an ICP filing, you will be fined and your website will be shut down. If the registered domain name is used to provide Internet information services, you must apply for an ICP filing for the domain name in the Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system.

    • If you need to point the domain name to a website that provides commercial services, you must apply for an ICP license after you obtain an ICP filing.

    • As stipulated by the Measures for Security Protection Administration of the International Networking of Computer Information Networks, you must apply for a Public Security Bureau (PSB) filling for your website after you obtain an ICP filing for your website. You must submit the PSB filing information on the National Internet Security Management Service Platform within 30 days from the day you launch your website.

  • Resolve a domain name:

    You can resolve the domain name after you register it on Alibaba Cloud, complete real-name verification, and apply for an ICP filing for the domain name. The domain name becomes accessible after you enable domain name resolution for it. Alibaba Cloud DNS provides you with stable, secure, and fast resolution services.

Purchase a domain name

If you want to own a domain name that has been registered by another registrant, you can purchase the domain name from the current registrant on the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform. After you complete the payment, wait for the seller to transfer the domain name ownership to you. You must complete real-name verification to use the domain name. You may also need to apply for an ICP filing and reset the DNS records for the domain name to make the domain name accessible and provide services by using the domain name.

  • Check the status of a domain name:

    You can check the status of the domain name that you want on the Alibaba Cloud WHOIS page. Then, you can contact the current registrant of the domain name and check whether you can purchase the domain name.

  • Purchase a domain name:

    The Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform is a domain name trading system developed by Alibaba Cloud based on Alipay secured transactions. The platform provides a safe and convenient domain name trading service. The platform allows you to register domain names, sell domain names with fixed prices or in bidding mode, and purchase domain names.

  • Transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud:

    After you purchase a domain name from another user, we recommend that you transfer the domain name to your Alibaba Cloud account to facilitate subsequent maintenance and management. If the transaction was made on the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform, the domain name is automatically transferred to your Alibaba Cloud account after the transaction. If the transfer fails due to reasons such as poor network conditions, you can manually transfer the domain name to your Alibaba Cloud account. For more information, see Transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud.

  • Transfer the ownership of a domain name:

    When you purchase a domain name from another user, the seller must transfer the ownership of the domain name to you to complete the transaction. If the transaction was made on the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform, the domain name ownership is automatically transferred to you based on your registrant information after the transaction. If the transfer fails due to reasons such as poor network conditions, the seller can manually transfer the domain name ownership to you. For more information, see Modify registrant contact information or transfer domain name ownership.

  • Apply for an ICP filing:

    You must apply for an ICP filing for a domain name before you can use the domain name to provide Internet information services in the Chinese mainland.

    • If you run a website without an ICP filing, you will be fined and your website will be shut down. If the registered domain name is used to provide Internet information services, you must apply for an ICP filing for the domain name in the Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system.

    • If you need to point the domain name to a website that provides commercial services, you must apply for an ICP license after you obtain an ICP filing.

    • As stipulated by the Measures for Security Protection Administration of the International Networking of Computer Information Networks, you must apply for a Public Security Bureau (PSB) filling for your website after you obtain an ICP filing for your website. You must submit the PSB filing information on the National Internet Security Management Service Platform within 30 days from the day you launch your website.

  • Resolve a domain name:

    You can resolve the domain name after you register it on Alibaba Cloud, complete real-name verification, and apply for an ICP filing for the domain name. The domain name becomes accessible after you enable domain name resolution for it. Alibaba Cloud DNS provides you with stable, secure, and fast resolution services.

Sell a domain name

You can post your domain names for sale in the Domains console. After a buyer completes the payment, you must transfer the ownership of your domain name to the buyer at the earliest opportunity.

  • Sell a domain name:

    You can post your domain names for sale in the Domains console for free. You can open the Mi Store for selling domain names and construct a page that displays the domain names for sale. You can improve the exposure of the domain names to buyers based on the high traffic of Alibaba Cloud. You can also post domain names for sale in the Alibaba Cloud Management Console.

  • Transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud:

    After you sell a domain name to another user, you must transfer the domain name to the Alibaba Cloud account of the buyer to facilitate subsequent maintenance and management. If the transaction was made on the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform, the domain name is automatically transferred to the Alibaba Cloud account of the buyer after the transaction. If the transfer fails due to reasons such as poor network conditions, you can manually transfer the domain name to the Alibaba Cloud account of the buyer. For more information, see Transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud.

  • Transfer the ownership of a domain name:

    If the transaction was made on the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Trade platform, the domain name ownership is automatically transferred to the buyer after the transaction. In rare cases, you may need to manually transfer the domain name ownership to the buyer and provide a transfer password for the buyer to complete the transfer, or you may need to manually transfer the domain name between Alibaba Cloud accounts. For more information, see Modify registrant contact information or transfer domain name ownership.

Manage a domain name

After you register a domain name, you must perform routine management and security management on the domain name to ensure that the domain name can provide services in a stable and safe manner.

  • Perform routine management

    • Renew or redeem a domain name:

      You must pay attention to the validity period of your domain name. Alibaba Cloud sends notification messages to your mobile phone number and email address when your domain name is about to expire. We recommend that you renew your domain name before it expires. For more information, see Renew domain names. If you do not renew your domain name within a specific period of time after your domain name expires, you may need to redeem the domain name at a higher price. For more information, see Redeem a domain name.

    • Manage domain name information:

      Alibaba Cloud Domains provides you with convenient information management services related to your domain name. You can create a domain name registrant profile in the Domains console to facilitate domain name registration. You can also modify domain name information, such as the email address of the registrant, in the Domains console. For more information, see Modify domain name information.

    • Manage domain name resolution:

      You can configure domain name resolution for your domain name so that it can be accessed from the Internet.

  • Perform security management

    To ensure domain name security, we recommend that you enable the update prohibition lock and enable the transfer prohibition lock for your domain name as required. We also recommend that you regularly query the DNS records of a domain name.

    For more information about the practices and operations related to security management, see Best practices for domain name security.

  • Manage authorizations

    • If you need to authorize other users to perform basic management operations on your domain name, you can use the Resource Access Management (RAM) service to grant required permissions in the RAM console.

    • Domains allows only a HiChina agent account to enable a separate console for a domain name. If your Alibaba Cloud account is not a HiChina agent account, we recommend that you manage authorization in the RAM console.

    • If your Alibaba Cloud account is not a HiChina agent account and a separate console has been enabled for your domain name, you can continue to use the console. However, if you disable the console for your domain name, you cannot enable the console again.