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Updating WHOIS Information - LaunchPad

 

This article introduces what WHOIS is and the importance of keeping your domain's WHOIS information accurate.

Please click the links below to jump into sections.

 

What is WHOIS?

WHOIS is a widely-used directory that houses all domain names and their information, including domain registration and expiration dates, domain owners (registrants), and name servers. The WHOIS records may also publicly show the registrant's technical and administrative contact details unless you make it private by using Domain Privacy.

Domains name registrations are considered similar to registering a company. Yup, you heard that right. According to ICANN regulations, valid and accurate contact information must be submitted whenever a domain is registered. This is to make sure you are your domain owner and the only one with full control over your domain.

Want to know more about WHOIS? Please check out this article, Why Update Your WHOIS Information.

 

Why is it important to maintain correct WHOIS information?

You must keep your WHOIS contact information up-to-date to receive important notices about your domain, such as expiration reminders. It also determines who legally and contractually has control over the domain. Make sure to provide a valid email address, as you will be required to verify your WHOIS information via email after the domain purchase and when changes are made to the registrant's contact information. If no validation is done within 15 days, the domain name will be suspended. In cases of domain transfer, if no validation is done, the transfer will be interrupted.

Here are some helpful guides about domain validation.

  • Domain Order Validation - For new HostGator domain registration, this is a great read.
  • WHOIS Update Validation - If you wish to update your domain contact details, please visit this article.
  • Domain Transfer Validation - Transferring domains to another register also requires validation. Please visit this article if you are interested in transferring your domain TO and AWAY from HostGator.
Helpful Tip:
We recommend you use an email address different from the domain you are registering since you need immediate access to this email address to verify your WHOIS information.

 

GDPR domain masking

While European customers' contact information will be masked publicly by default due to GDPR, this means that you will not know instantly when someone is looking to contact the domain in question. Keeping Domain Privacy on your domain will allow any inquiries to be forwarded to you.

Domain Privacy adds a layer of protection on top for those that are protected through GDPR law. Further details regarding this service can be found in our Domain Registration Agreement.

 

How to update WHOIS information

HostGator provides you the ability to manage your domains within your Customer Portal, and that includes your WHOIS contact information. Most eNom and Launchpad domains can be managed from this single control panel.

If a domain purchased from HostGator does not appear in the Customer Portal, it may be an eNom domain requiring management via Registry Rocket. To know your domain's registrar, please visit the article Is My Domain Registered with LaunchPad or eNom?

Please reach out to us via phone or Live Chat if you're unable to update your domain information within your Registry Rocket account. 

What to expect when updating WHOIS information

If you wish to update your WHOIS information, here are a few things that will happen in accordance with the ICANN regulations.

  1. Confirmation email  - This is sent to the current WHOIS email address. If you change the email address, both the old and new email addresses will receive confirmation emails. Failure to complete both confirmation emails will result in the domain becoming suspended.
  2. A 60-day transfer lock - The transfer lock will prevent the domain from being transferred away to another registrar.

To change your domain (WHOIS) information:

  1. Log in to Customer Portal.
  2. Click Domains from the left menu.

    Customer Portal - Domains

  3. Locate your domain, then click More. You will see more details about the selected domain and have access to several other functions.

    Domains - More

  4. You will find the domain's Contact Info in the lower right corner. Click the Change link to update the WHOIS information.

    Domains - Contact Info - Change Link

    Alternatively, you can click the Contact Info from the left sidebar.

    Domains - Contact Info Icon

  5. In the Contact Info section, the registrant, administrative, technical, and billing contacts are displayed. You may enter different data into each contact (tab) or click the Use for all contacts checkbox to use your registrant information for all four contacts.

    Domains - Contact Info Page

  6. Once all the contact information has been filled out (don't forget to double-check for accuracy!), click Save Contact Info to save your changes.
  7. A Warning pop-up window will appear notifying you of the change.

    Domains - Change Info - Warning

  8. Click Save Contact Info to confirm the update.

 

Privacy protection for your domain's personal and business information

Domain Privacy allows you to keep your personal and business contact information, such as your name, email, address, and phone number, hidden from the public while still listed as the domain owner.

Do you want to keep your domain contact information private? We're here to help you with the process! Please check out the article How to Enable WHOIS Privacy to know more about Domain Privacy and how to enable it within your Customer Portal.

Still have questions or concerns? Please contact HostGator's Support so we can assist you!