Domain Registrar
A domain registrar is an ICANN-accredited company authorized to sell and manage domain name registrations, letting individuals and businesses reserve and control ownership of a domain name.
Definition
A domain registrar is an ICANN-accredited company authorized to sell and manage domain name registrations, letting individuals and businesses reserve and control ownership of a domain name.
Overview
Every domain name on the internet is registered through a registrar, which acts as the intermediary between the customer and the domain's registry (the organization that manages a given top-level domain, such as .com or .org). When you register a domain, the registrar records your ownership, lets you configure which Nameserver records point to your hosting, and handles renewals to keep the registration active. Registrars compete mainly on price, included extras like WHOIS privacy protection, and the quality of their management tools; well-known examples range from budget-focused options like Namesilo, Porkbun, and Dynadot to larger, more full-featured providers. A registrar is a distinct service from a web host: registering a domain doesn't include hosting a website, and most users either point their domain's nameservers to a separate hosting provider or use a registrar's optional bundled hosting. Because domain ownership is tied to registration and renewal, allowing a domain to lapse can result in losing it to another buyer, which is why registrars typically offer auto-renewal and, on higher-value domains, extended expiration grace periods before a domain becomes available for public registration again.
Key Concepts
- ICANN-accredited to sell and manage domain registrations
- Acts as intermediary between customers and top-level domain registries
- Manages nameserver configuration and DNS delegation
- Handles registration renewals to keep domains active
- Often includes WHOIS privacy protection
- Distinct from web hosting, though sometimes bundled