Domain name information modifications, such as changing ownership or updating DNS servers, involve distinct procedures with different impacts on your services. Use this guide to identify the correct procedure for your goal and understand the consequences of each action.
Quick decision guide
Use the table below to find the procedure that matches your needs.
Your Goal | Action |
Change the domain name ownership (transfer). For example, change the registrant name or ID number, or transfer ownership from an individual to a company or from one company to another. | |
Update registrant information. For example, modify the registrant's contact method or address. | |
Modify the administrator, billing, or technical contact information for a domain name. For example, change the name, contact method, or address. | |
Change the DNS service provider for a domain name. | |
Correct a misspelled domain name. |
Scenario 1: Modify registrant information
Use this procedure to:
Transfer domain name ownership to another individual or organization.
Correct any errors in the current registrant's name, address, or contact details.
Changing the registrant name or organization name results in a change of domain name ownership.
Key impacts:
Identity verification required: For .cn domains, the new information must be submitted for review, which takes approximately 3 to 5 business days.
Transfer lock: A 60-day transfer lock is automatically applied to the domain, preventing transfers to other registrars. You can opt out of this lock during the modification process.
Procedure: Modify registrant contact information or transfer domain name ownership
Scenario 2: Modify other domain name contacts
This procedure is for changing the name or contact details, such as email or phone number, of a domain name's administrative, technical, or billing contacts. It does not change domain name ownership.
Key impacts: This procedure does not require identity verification and does not trigger a transfer lock. Changes take effect immediately.
Procedure: Modify non-registrant contact information.
Scenario 3: Modify domain name DNS servers
Use this procedure when you need to change your DNS service provider, for example, when migrating from a third-party DNS provider to Alibaba Cloud DNS.
Key impacts: After you change the DNS server addresses, recursive DNS servers need time to refresh their caches, which takes up to 48 hours to propagate globally. Failure to correctly configure DNS records at the new provider before changing DNS servers will result in service interruptions.
How to ensure a smooth transition: To prevent service interruptions, before changing the DNS server, configure all necessary DNS records with your new DNS provider, and ensure they match the records at your old provider.
Procedure: Update DNS servers
Clarifying concepts: DNS server versus DNS record
These are two distinct but often confused procedures:
Modifying a DNS server changes which organization's nameservers are authoritative for your domain.
Modifying a DNS record changes a specific destination—such as a server's IP address—to your current DNS provider. This does not involve changing the provider itself.
To modify DNS records, see Add DNS records for a website.
What cannot be modified?
A domain name cannot be modified after registration.
If you registered a domain name with a spelling error, you cannot undo the registration or edit the name to correct it.
Solution: Register a new domain name with the correct spelling. Allow the incorrect domain name to expire by disabling auto-renewal.
How to reduce costs: If you recently registered the domain name, use the paid domain name deletion feature.