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 wait for it to be approved.
A registrant profile stores the identity information of the domain name registrant. When you register a domain name, you must associate it with a registrant profile. Creating and verifying your registrant profile before registration can speed up the process. For more information about how to create a registrant profile, see Create a registrant profile.
Domain name registration process
Registering a standard domain name involves three core steps.
Search for and select a domain name: Search for your desired domain name to check if 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 complete necessary configurations, such as DNS resolution.
Step 1: Search for and select a domain name
Objective: Find an available domain name that suits your brand or business.
Go to the domain name registration platform, enter the domain name that you want to register (such as "wangwang.cc") in the search box, and click Search Domain Name.
Check the availability of the domain name based on the search results:
Available: A Buy Now button appears to the right of the domain name.
Taken: The domain name is owned by someone else. If you still want this domain name, click Make An Offer to learn more about our Domain Brokerage Service.
For sale: 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
According to registry regulations, individuals or non-rights holders cannot register domain names that contain words with national or regional connotations, such as "China", "national", "Chinese", "nationwide", "chn", or "sino". Such domain names can only be registered by authorized organizations with the proper documentation.
Domain names must follow specific naming rules, such as character type and length limits. For more information, see Appendix: Naming rules for domain names.
Step 2: Confirm the order and complete the payment
Objective: Secure your chosen domain name by providing registrant information and completing the payment.
On the search results page, click Buy Now next to your desired domain name to add it to your cart, and then proceed to the order confirmation page.
On the order confirmation page, complete the following configurations:
Registration period: Select a registration period from 1 to 10 years.
Registrant Profile: The email address must be Verified, and the profile status must be .
Note: A registrant profile stores the identity 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 your identity verification documents.
Click Pay and complete the payment.
Payment does not guarantee registration.
Completing the payment only submits your registration request to Alibaba Cloud. The system then sends 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. This process 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
Objective: Confirm that you own the domain name and configure it for access.
Check if the domain name was registered successfully:
On the Domain List 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 key steps after registration:
Configure DNS resolution: After registration, you must add DNS records to point the domain name to your server's IP address. This lets users access your website or application through the domain name. In the domain list, click Resolve and add an
Arecord or other types of DNS records. For more information, 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.
Fees for deleting incorrect registrations:
If you register a domain name by mistake, 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 you proceed, 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 is refunded. Not all TLDs support this feature, and service fees vary.
Going live
Best practices:
Long-term ownership: For core brand domain names, register them for multiple years at a time, such as 5 to 10 years. This reduces management costs and may have a positive impact on search engine optimization (SEO).
Security protection:
Domain name security locks: For important domain names, enable the transfer prohibition lock and update prohibition lock in the Domain Names console to prevent unauthorized transfers or information changes.
FAQ
I have already paid. Why can't I find my domain name in the domain list?
Go to the 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?
Go to to view your domain name order information. This includes the price, order status, and purchase time.
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 other 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 (-).
A single registration covers both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
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 unregister the simplified domain name and then register the traditional one, and vice versa. To unregister 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 such as .com and .net, consecutive hyphens are not allowed in the third and fourth places of the second-level domain, but they are allowed in other positions.
For TLDs such as .cn, .中国 (China), .公司 (company), and .网络 (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 prefixes.
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
!$&?, etc.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 such as .com and .net, consecutive hyphens are not allowed in the third and fourth places of the second-level domain, but they are allowed in other positions.
For TLDs such as .cn, .中国 (China), .公司 (company), and .网络 (network), consecutive hyphens are not allowed anywhere in the domain name.
The domain name can contain a maximum of 63 characters.
.cn, .中国 (China), .公司 (company), and .网络 (network) domain names
According to the Notice on the Adjustments of Domain Name Audit Standards from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), if a domain name with the TLD .中国 (China), .cn, .公司 (company), or .网络 (network) contains "China", "National", "Chinese", or "Nationwide", its respective rights holder must register it. Individuals or non-rights holders cannot register these domain names without authorization.
For example, to register "chinalawyersassociation.中国", the rights holder, China Lawyers Association, must submit the request. After successful registration, submit identity verification materials within 5 days. The domain name can be used only after the entity's qualification verification is approved. If an individual or an entity other than the rights holder submits the registration request, CNNIC rejects the qualification verification and immediately deletes the domain name.
CNNIC authorizes Alibaba Cloud to provide registration services for .cn, .中国 (China), .公司 (company), and .网络 (network) domain names. The following requirements apply when you register these TLDs on the Alibaba Cloud international site.
User's location | Registration supported for enterprises and organizations | Registration supported for individuals |
the Chinese mainland | Yes | Yes |
Hong Kong (China) | Yes | Yes |
Macao (China) | Yes | Yes |
Taiwan (China) | Yes | Yes |
Other countries and regions | Yes | Yes |