How to Register a Domain Name: 5 Steps From Search to Locked
By Thomas Lovas Lokoy — researched and drafted with AI assistance, then fact-checked and approved by Thomas before publishing · Editorial policy
To register a domain name: search for it at a registrar, compare the renewal price rather than the first-year price, add it to your basket, decline the add-ons you do not need, pay, then answer the verification email and switch on auto-renew and the transfer lock. The whole thing takes about ten minutes. The two mistakes that cost people their domain are both after checkout: ignoring the verification email, which ICANN's rules allow the registrar to answer with suspension after fifteen days, and letting the card on file expire.
Step 1: Check the name before you get attached
Search the exact name you want, plus a backup or two. A registrar's search shows whether it is free to register; our domain name generator checks a keyword across several popular extensions at once, and the bulk search checks a whole list of candidates.
Three checks before you buy:
- Say it out loud. If you have to spell it for someone, it will be mistyped. How to choose a domain name has the full set of rules.
- Search the trademark registers. A name that contains someone else's brand can be taken from you through a UDRP complaint. The WIPO Global Brand Database, EUIPO and USPTO searches are free.
- Look up the record if it is taken. A WHOIS lookup shows when it was registered and when it expires; how to buy a domain that is taken covers what to do next.
Step 2: Choose a registrar on the five-year price
The first-year price is a promotion; the renewal price is the bill. Compare the cost of holding the name for five years, which is the first-year price plus four renewals. For a .com, on prices read from the registrars' own pages on 16 October 2026:
| Registrar | Register | Renew | Five years held | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porkbun | USD 11.08 | USD 11.08 | USD 55.40 | Porkbun's public price list |
| Dynadot | EUR 9.95 | EUR 9.95 | EUR 49.75 | dynadot.com/domain/prices (shown to us in euros) |
| Cloudflare Registrar | At cost | At cost | About USD 52 to 56 | Its own "at or below what registries and ICANN charge us" statement |
The Cloudflare line is arithmetic, not a quoted price: Verisign's .com wholesale fee is USD 10.26 until 1 November 2026 and USD 10.97 from then, and ICANN adds USD 0.20 a year, so an at-cost .com is about USD 10.46 now and USD 11.17 after the rise. Cloudflare's registration documentation also says domains registered with it must use Cloudflare's nameservers. On other extensions the gap between first year and renewal can be far wider: at Porkbun on the same day a .online cost USD 1.96 to register and USD 28.84 to renew. Domain registration cost 2026 compares more registrars on exactly this basis, and our registrar comparison lists their published prices side by side.
If you want a straightforward starting point, Spaceship and Namecheap both include WHOIS privacy with the domain according to our registrar data, and Namecheap vs Spaceship compares the two.
Step 3: Add the domain and decline the upsells
Choose the registration period (one to ten years; one is fine, more locks in today's price) and then read every line in the basket. Most add-ons can be bought later if you turn out to need them.
| Add-on at checkout | What it is | Do you need it on day one? |
|---|---|---|
| WHOIS / domain privacy | Replaces your details in the public record with a proxy | Keep it if it is free; WHOIS privacy explained covers when a paid one is worth it |
| Email hosting | Mailboxes at your domain | Only if you have chosen a provider; business email on your own domain compares options |
| SSL certificate | Encryption for your website | Usually not: most hosts issue a free certificate; see what an SSL certificate is |
| Web hosting or a site builder | Where your site will live | Only if you have already chosen that host |
| Premium DNS | Paid DNS with extras | No, for a first domain |
| Extra extensions (.net, .co and so on) | The same name on other endings | Only to protect an established brand |
Step 4: Pay, then answer the verification email
Create the account with a password manager and turn on two-factor authentication before you do anything else. Then pay and go straight to your inbox.
Your registrar has to verify your email address or phone number. Under ICANN's 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement, if it does not get an affirmative response "within fifteen (15) calendar days", it must "either verify the applicable contact information manually or suspend the registration". A suspended domain stops working exactly as if you had not paid. Click the link the day it arrives, and check the spam folder if it does not.
Your contact details have to be accurate even though most of them are hidden: since 21 August 2025 ICANN's Registration Data Policy makes registrars redact the registrant's name, street address, postcode and phone wherever data protection law applies, but the registrar still holds the real data and your country stays public. What WHOIS is shows what a stranger can see.
Step 5: Lock it down
Three settings, all in the registrar's dashboard:
- Auto-renew on, with a card that will not expire before the domain does. For a .com and other generic extensions, ICANN's Expired Registration Recovery Policy requires renewal reminders "approximately one month" and "approximately one week" before expiry, but reminders sent to an old inbox protect nobody.
- Transfer lock on. A WHOIS lookup should show the status clientTransferProhibited. Many registrars set it automatically; confirm it.
- Two-factor authentication on the registrar account. The registrar account is the key to the domain, its DNS and its email.
One rule to know in advance: section 3.7 of ICANN's Transfer Policy lets a registrar refuse a transfer requested within 60 days of the domain's creation date, so a new domain may have to stay where you registered it for about two months. Choose the registrar you are happy to keep. The domain transfer guide covers moving it later.
What to do next
Point the domain at your website with how to connect a domain to your website, set up mail with business email on your own domain, and if you would rather follow a click-by-click walkthrough of one registrar's screens, the tutorial how to buy your first domain name does exactly that.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to register a domain name?
The checkout takes a few minutes and the domain is usually registered immediately. Pointing it at a website and waiting for DNS changes to spread takes longer, typically minutes to a few hours.
How much does it cost to register a domain?
A .com cost USD 11.08 to register and to renew at Porkbun on 16 October 2026, or USD 55.40 over five years. Newer extensions vary far more, and the renewal price, not the first-year price, is the one to compare.
Can I register a domain without a website?
Yes. A domain is just the right to use the name; you can hold it with nothing behind it and add a website, email or a redirect later.
What happens if I do not verify my email after registering a domain?
Under ICANN's 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement, if the registrar gets no affirmative response within fifteen calendar days it must verify your details manually or suspend the domain, which stops it resolving until you respond.
Can I move a new domain to another registrar straight away?
Not always. ICANN's Transfer Policy lets the registrar refuse a transfer requested within 60 days of the domain's creation date, so pick a registrar you are prepared to stay with for at least two months.
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