Manage domain names in Alibaba Cloud: renew, update registrant information, configure DNS, transfer between registrars or accounts, and secure your domains.
Core management tasks
Domain name lifecycle (renewal, redemption, and expiration)
A typical domain name lifecycle includes an active period, a renewal grace period, a redemption period, and a pending deletion period.
Stage | Duration | DNS status | Action and cost |
Active period | Within the validity period | Resolves normally | Renew at the standard price. |
Renewal grace period | Typically a 30-day period after expiration Note The grace period for | DNS resolution is suspended | Renew at the standard price. |
Redemption period | Typically 31–60 days after expiration Note For CNNIC-managed domain names (such as | DNS resolution is suspended | Redemption requires a high fee, significantly more than the standard renewal price. |
Pendingdeletion period | After the redemption period ends | Pending deletion | The domain name cannot be recovered by the original registrant. It will be deleted by the registry and released for public registration. |
The exact status and deadlines for your domain name are displayed in the Alibaba Cloud Management Console.
How to renew:
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Manual renewal: Go to the Alibaba Cloud Domain Names console. On the Domain Names page, find the domain name that you want to renew and click Renew in the Actions column.
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Batch renewal: On the Domain Names page, select multiple domain names and click Renew at the bottom of the page.
Registrant and contact information
Update registrant information when ownership changes (such as a sale or restructuring) or when contact details change.
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Operation type |
Description |
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Change the administrative, billing, or technical contact for the domain name. Does not affect ownership. |
DNS resolution and DNS servers
DNS resolution maps a domain name to your server's IP address. Changing authoritative DNS servers is high-risk — proceed with caution.
Key concepts:
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Modify DNS records: Update individual records (A, CNAME, MX) with your current DNS provider to point your domain name to different services.
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Change DNS servers: Change the authoritative name servers to delegate all DNS resolution from one provider to another.
ImportantBefore you change DNS servers, you must configure all necessary DNS records (A, CNAME, MX) with the new provider and verify they resolve correctly. Failure to do so interrupts your website and other services.
Domain name transfer
Transfer domain name management between registrars or between Alibaba Cloud accounts.
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Transfer type |
Description |
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Move a domain name from another registrar to Alibaba Cloud. |
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Move a domain name from Alibaba Cloud to another registrar. |
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Move a domain name between Alibaba Cloud accounts, such as from a personal to a corporate account. |
Security and access control
Access control (RAM)
Use Resource Access Management (RAM) to grant fine-grained permissions for domain name operations. For example, authorize a RAM user to manage specific domain names while restricting access to others. Authorize a RAM user to manage domain names.
Domain name security
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Domain name security lock: In the Alibaba Cloud Domain Names console, you can enable an update lock and a transfer lock to prevent unauthorized modifications or transfers from a compromised account — a critical security measure for high-value domain names.
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DNSSEC: Enable DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) to add cryptographic verification to DNS responses, preventing spoofing and cache poisoning attacks.