If you host a website on a server in the Chinese mainland, you must apply for an ICP filing for the website's domain name through your service provider. This topic describes common use cases and requirements for website ICP filing.
ICP filing for general websites
As shown in the following figure, the process of building a website and making it publicly available involves three key areas of information.
The following outlines the scenarios that do and do not require an ICP filing:
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Websites hosted on servers in the Chinese mainland require an ICP filing, while websites hosted on servers outside the Chinese mainland do not.
NoteIf your website provides services to users in the Chinese mainland, you must also complete a Public Security Bureau (PSB) filing. For more information, see the Public Security Bureau (PSB) filing documentation on our China site.
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An ICP filing application review covers the following three types of information.
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Server and access information
The review checks whether your instance location and access method comply with the requirements of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Before you apply for an ICP filing, we recommend verifying that your information is compliant. For more information, see Verify server eligibility for ICP filing.
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Website information
The review verifies the compliance of the website name, the security of its content, and the identity of the website administrator. For certain industries, you must provide pre-approval documents from the relevant authorities. Before you apply for an ICP filing, check if your industry requires pre-approval and complete the process if necessary. For a list of the industries involved, see Pre-approval.
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Entity information
The review verifies the legitimacy and compliance of the ICP filing entity. The documents required for verification vary by entity type. Prepare all required documents before you apply. For details, see Documents Required for ICP Filing.
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ICP filing for IP-based websites
If a website is hosted on a server in the Chinese mainland and is accessed directly by an IP address instead of a domain name, it still requires an ICP filing. The Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system currently supports only domain name filing and does not support IP filing.
Regardless of whether your website is accessed by an IP address or a domain name, do not make the website publicly accessible until your ICP filing is approved. If you launch the website prematurely, the communications administration may reject your application or shut down your website.
ICP filing for forum websites
The State Council issued the Decision on the Fifth Batch of Administrative Approval Items to Be Canceled or Delegated to Lower Levels. Article 7 of this decision announces the "cancellation of special approval (filing) for Internet Electronic Bulletin Services." As a result, the BBS pre-approval document, which was previously required to operate a forum website and had to be obtained from the provincial communications administration, is no longer issued. Consequently, you can no longer obtain an ICP filing for a forum website.
ICP filing for HTTP and HTTPS websites
Websites using HTTP or HTTPS also require an ICP filing before launch. The use cases and requirements are the same as those for general websites. You must not make your website accessible before the ICP filing is approved.