This is one of the most common questions considered when thinking about a new website.

A domain name is the unique web address that browsers use to find your company or organisation on the internet. It can be used in a website, such as www.mydomain.com, and in an email address, such as [email protected] instead of the usual @gmail email.

Domains are sold for both business purposes and non-commercial purposes. Domain names will usually be up to  63 characters, without spaces, and including the letters A to Z. You can also include hyphens, and the numbers 0 to 9. So, if you have a Brisbane based company called ACME Transport a good website name is www.acmetransport.com.au.

All domain names consist of the main domain name and the Top Level Domain (TLD) or the domain extension. In our example above, the main domain name is “acmetransport” and “.com.au” is the TLD.

Every site on the internet has it’s own number-based address called an IP address. This is a set of numbers used to locate a server where the website exists. This number isn’t very user-friendly and it’s hard to remember.

Each domain for sale is assigned to one unique IP address, and it provides an easy to remember name instead of a long list of numbers. When you type a domain into your web browser, your computer will check a DNS server that translates that easy-to-remember name into the numbered address of that website address.

Domain names are all about making it easier for humans to find your website on the internet.

You don’t actually buy or sell a domain name. Instead, you register for exclusive use for a period of time – usually one or two years. Unless renewed before expiry, anyone else may be able to register that same domain name and claim ownership for future periods.

To manage this process, private companies are registered to administer domains and provide services to domain name owners. This accreditation comes from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the .au Domain Administration (auDA). These authorised private companies become Domain Name Registrars.

Domain registrars can process your domain name registration on your behalf and will pass the costs of this process onto you, including additional fees for providing this service. They provide a domain search service, allowing you to search for domains and check their availability. Many also provide additional services which they include within the same registration fee like customer service, support, and administration tools.

ICANN is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. All top level domains (.com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .us, .name, etc) and many second level domains (.co.uk, for example) are administered by ICANN, who draw up contracts with each registry and run an accreditation system for registrars.

The .au Australian domain name (.com.au, .org.au, etc) registry is called Afilias, and is administered by auDA, the .au Domain Administration.

Domain names are often confused with a URL, but they are different things.

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator and refers to the entire address used to visit a website, including all those colons and slashes. This address includes the domain name.

The URL for the Asporea website is ‘https://asporeadigital.com’. This contains the ‘hypertext transfer protocol secure’ (https), telling the browser that you are using a domain name instead of an IP Address and the secure part lets visitors know that their information is safe. This is then followed by the domain name itself (www.asporea.hk or asporea.hk — both are valid). This points to the server where the website is hosted and the particular files on that server to be accessed.

Email relies on a domain name and hosting to work. Once you have a domain name, it is short work to create your own email address of [email protected]. This has many advantages for branding and professional communications. Many people register domain names purely to have their own email address instead of relying on Hotmail, Gmail or any other generic service.

Domain names are generally registered on a first-come-first-served basis; however, disputes can arise between parties when one has a trademark on the name or can show abusive registration of the name. In these instances, the registrar must follow the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), which means they will not cancel, suspend or transfer the domain name until such time as an agreement, court action or arbitration has been reached.

Domain names that are no longer in use with registration that has been allowed to lapse are considered expired. This period extends for 30 days, during which you have the opportunity to renew registration. If you do not renew within these 30 days, there is a further 30-day period known as the redemption period during which you can recover the domain for a fee. Five to seven days after the redemption period has ended, the domain name will be released as available for anyone else to register. If your domain name has expired, and you still want to use it contact us immediately and we’ll do our best to help.

The .au domain extension is a country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) which is restricted to use by individuals, organisations, or companies registered and/or residing in Australia.

.com.au and .net.au domains may only be registered by Australian sole traders, businesses, or companies who can supply an Australian Business Number (ABN), Australian Company Number (ACN), State Business Number, Trademark Number, or Incorporated Association Number to prove their eligibility.

.org.au domains may only be registered by Australian non-profit organisations and registered charities.

.asn.au domains may only be registered by non-profit Australian associations, clubs, sporting groups, political parties, and close equivalents.

.id.au domains may only be registered by Australian individual citizens or residents. The domain name must be clearly based on the registrant’s name or nickname and photo ID is required.

In all cases, the .au domain must have a close and substantial connection to the person or business intending to use it.

There are no restrictions on who can register .com domains — any person or organisation can own a .com domain and use it for any legal purpose. The period of registration can vary between 1 and 10 years.

Generally there are no restrictions on who can register .net domains — any person or organisation can own a .net domain and use it for any legal purpose, however the original intention of .net domains was for use by organisations involved in networking technologies, such as Internet service providers, only. The period of registration can vary between 1 and 10 years.

Generally there are no restrictions on who can register .uk domains — any person or organisation can own a .uk domain and use it for any legal purpose. The period of registration can vary between 1 and 10 years.

Ordinarily, there are no constraints on who can register .org domains — any person or organisation can own a .org domain and use it for any legal purpose, nevertheless, the original intention of .org domains was for use by non-profit and non-commercial organisations only. The period of registration can vary between 1 and 10 years.

Yes, it is your right to transfer your domain name registrations between registrars. Click here for more information on Transferring Your Domain Name.

If you wish to move your domain name from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another, you may initiate the transfer process by contacting the registrar to which you wish to transfer the name. Note that there are certain situations that can prevent a domain name from being transferred, such as if it is subject to a 60-day Change of Registrant lock. See FAQ #8 for more information. Absent any valid reasons a transfer request cannot be processed, the registrar will confirm your intent to transfer your domain name using the Initial Authorization for Registrar Transfer form. If you do not respond or return the form to the registrar, your transfer request will not be processed. Please note that as of 25 May 2018, if the gaining registrar cannot access registration data for a name subject to a transfer, then the gaining registrar is not required to obtain the Form of Authorization from the Transfer Contact.

Your current registrar must also verify your intent to transfer using the Confirmation of Registrar Transfer Request form. Click here for more information on Transferring Your Domain Name.

There are certain situations that can prevent a domain name from being transferred to a different registrar, such as a new registration. Your registrar may deny a transfer request if the domain name is within 60 days of initial registration. Another situation is if the domain name is subject to a 60-day Change of Registrant lock. You cannot transfer a domain name to a different registrar within 60 days of making changes to the registrant name, organization or email address (or the Administrative Contact email address, if there is no registrant email address). At their discretion, some registrars may provide an option for you to opt-out of this 60-day lock period. However, this rule is in place for your protection against unauthorized transfers and the registrar does not have to offer this option. If your ultimate goal is to transfer the domain name, you may want to consider completing the transfer process before changing your contact information.

Registrars also have the option of denying a transfer request within 60 days from when you last transferred the domain name to a different registrar. You may have the option to change web-hosting providers instead of registrars to avoid the inter-registrar transfer process (and lock) altogether. You may also update your domain name’s nameservers or change the hosting IP address assigned to your domain name. Check with your registrar and/or hosting provider to see what options you have.

It is your right to transfer your domain name registration between registrars. If you wish to move your domain name from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another, you may initiate the transfer process by contacting the registrar to which you wish to transfer the name.

To transfer your domain name to another registrant, you can initiate a change of registrant by contacting your current registrar. Your registrar will then ask for your confirmation via a secure mechanism (which typically will take the form of an email to the registered name holder). You must provide your confirmation within the number of days set by your registrar (not to exceed 60 days) or your transfer will not proceed. Once your registrar receives confirmation from you, they will process the transfer and notify you and the new registrant once the transfer is completed.

An Auth-Code (also called an Authorization Code, AuthInfo Code, Auth-Info Code, or transfer code) is a code created by a registrar to help identify the domain name holder and prevent unauthorized transfers (also known as a registrant or registered name holder). An Auth-Code is required for a domain holder to transfer a domain name from one registrar to another.

Your registrar may allow you, via an online interface tool, to generate and manage your own AuthInfo code. If not, you will need to contact your registrar directly to obtain it. Your registrar must provide you with the AuthInfo code within five (5) calendar days of your request.

If you don’t know who your current registrar is, you can look it up by performing a search for your domain name at: https://lookup.icann.org/ The “Registrar” field shows you who your registrar is.

No. You have the right to transfer an expired domain. Registrars are not allowed to deny a transfer due to expiration or nonrenewal, (unless you haven’t paid for a previous registration period).

However, if the current registrar has begun to delete your domain (i.e., the EPP status code (https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/epp-status-codes-2014-06-16-en) shows the domain in Redemption Grace Period (see also https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/gtld-lifecycle-2012-02-25-en), the name must be restored by your current registrar before it can be transferred. This may result in an additional fee, sometimes referred to as a redemption fee.

If you believe your registrar is in violation of the ICANN Transfer Policy, you may file a complaint with ICANN by going to: https://forms.icann.org/en/resources/compliance/complaints/transfer/form.