Frequently Asked Questions

The NearlyFreeSpeech.NET FAQ (*)

Domain Registration (*)

How do I change the name servers of a domain registered here?

What are the steps involved in an inbound domain transfer?

I let my domain expire a while ago. Now I'm trying to renew it and I get "renewal failed." Why?

I have a domain with a proxy privacy registration service. Can I transfer it to NearlyFreeSpeech.NET?

I want to transfer a domain to NearlyFreeSpeech.NET. Will my site/DNS/email go down if I do?

What happens to my domain's name server settings during a transfer?

Can I add or remove RespectMyPrivacy on a domain I already registered here or transferred?

Is NearlyFreeSpeech.NET an ICANN-accredited registrar?

Will you remind me before my domain expires?

If I still have time left on my existing domain registration with another registrar, can I keep that time if I transfer the domain to NearlyFreeSpeech.NET?

Why is my domain transfer taking so long?

What happens to my domain after it expires?

Why is the domain I transferred to NearlyFreeSpeech.NET not pointing to my site?

Why am I still paying for RespectMyPrivacy service on my expired domain?

Can I create child name servers (glue records) within my domain?

What's the maximum number of years for which I can register a domain name?

What does the error "The name server modification failed." mean?

What is whois verification?

How I do I get the transfer code for a domain registered here?

Will you be adding additional top-level domains to register?

Where are the actions for editing my registered domain?

Do I need to put valid contact information on my domain registration?

What happens if my domain transfer fails?

Can you send the domain transfer approval to a different email address?

I have a bunch of domains to register/renew/transfer. Can you help?

How do I renew my domain name?

How long does it take to transfer a domain away from NearlyFreeSpeech.NET?

How do I transfer a domain registration away from NearlyFreeSpeech?

What top-level domains do you support for registration?

When should I renew my domain name?

How do I get rid of a registered domain I no longer want?

Why does domain registration have different Terms of Service than NearlyFreeSpeech.NET hosting?

Why did my domain transfer fail?

I renewed my expired domain. Why is it still parked?

Why does my domain registrar show as "external?"

What are the steps of a domain registration?

When you register a new, available domain with us you'll do the following steps:

  1. Visit the Domains panel and select "Register a New Domain" from the "Actions" box.

  2. On the next page, tell us more about the domain you want to register:

    • Enter your desired domain name in the "Name To Register" field; for example if you wanted to register example.com, you'd enter just "example" (without quotes).
    • Choose the top-level domain (TLD), such as .com or .net from the provided menu. All of the TLDs we support are listed in that menu.
    • Select the number of years for which you'd like to register the domain, up to a maximum of 10.
    • Once you've verified that your information is correct, use the "Add Domain" button to proceed to the next page.

  3. Next, choose whether to use your own contact information or our RespectMyPrivacy service:
    • If you want to use RespectMyPrivacy, just select it using the button next to "I want RespectMyPrivacy.COM Proxy Contacts." You won't be asked to enter any contact information during the registration process.

    • If you want to use your own contact information, choose "I will enter my own contact information." If you've never entered contact information before, the next page will present you with an explanation and the "Add a New Contact" button and you'll be taken to a form that is prepopulated with your account information, which you can edit if necessary. (This won't affect the contact information as it is listed on your account with us.) Once that step is done, or if you already have other registered domains with us, you'll be presented with a list of contact types and corresponding menus that contain any previous sets of contacts you've submitted, and the option to edit the selected registrant contact's information or create a new contact instead if you like.
  4. After you've chosen your contact type and done any needed additions or editing, continue to the page that lets you choose how you want to set up your DNS:

    • Choosing "set up DNS and name servers automatically" will tell our system to enable our DNS service for this domain and add relevant name servers to the registration;
    • Choosing "I want to specify my own name servers" will take you to a form that allows you to enter them.
  5. Once you've completed the setup of your DNS, the final page of the process shows you the information you've entered and gives you an opportunity to complete the registration. If you see something that's amiss, you can start over, but be sure to use the "Start Over" button; you might get unexpected results if you use your browser's back button.

  6. When all of this is done correctly, you'll receive a page confirming that you've successfully registered the domain.

I deposited funds for my domain registration renewal but it hasn't been renewed. What's wrong?

What does the error "the contact information you entered was not accepted by the registry" mean?

I don't want to keep my domain. How do I stop receiving emails that it's going to expire?

When is RespectMyPrivacy enabled during domain registration?

Why doesn't the domain name I just renewed show up in the renewal monitor?

Why do I get "Invalid URL" when I click the email link to approve or cancel a domain transfer or verify a domain contact?

Does NearlyFreeSpeech allow managing DNSSEC (DS) records?

How do I update the public WHOIS contacts for a domain registered here?

What are ccTLDs, and why don't you support registering them?

How does manual registration of domains work for subscription members?