Important new domain registry rule that you can't afford to ignore

On January 8, 2014, the domain registry authority ICANN introduced a new policy requiring that domain owners validate the WHOIS information after registering, transferring or modifying information for a domain.

Failure to complete the validation process will lead to the suspension of your domain name. So it's important that you complete the validation process as soon as you receive the email notice.

This applies to all gTLD domains (that is any domain whose extension is not a country code, such as .cc or .uk), and affects you whether you registered the domain through us or another registrar (though some details may be different elsewhere - check with your registrar to be sure).


What you can do today to avoid problems in the future
Make sure the domain owner email address is valid, that you have access to it and that it is an address you check regularly. If you registered your domain through Winhost (or transferred your domain to us), here's how you check the domain owner's email address:

• Log in to Control Panel and click the "Domains" tab: https://cp.Winhost.com/domains/
• In the "Domains registered through Winhost" section, click "View / Edit" link in the "Whois Record" column.
• Look for the section titled, "Registrant (Domain Name Owner) Contact." The email address in that section is the important one. If it isn't correct, enter a valid email address that you have access to and check regularly, then click the "Update" button.

If your gTLD domain is not registered at Winhost, this message still applies to you, and you should contact your registrar and verify that the domain owner email address is correct.


When will you receive an email domain validation notice?

• When you register a new domain
• When you complete a domain transfer to us
• When you change the first name, last name or email address of the domain owner
• When a WHOIS Data Reminder Policy email bounces (this email is sent 120 days before the anniversary date of the domain registration)
• When the 30 day or 5 day domain expiration notice emails bounce (this email is sent to the domain owner)

The email that is sent when any of these things take place will contain a link, and you must visit that link and follow the instructions on the page. Again, if verification is not done, your domain will be suspended by the registrar, and your site and email will stop working.

If you suspect your domain was suspended because you meet any of the above criteria but you cannot find a verification email, make sure you are checking the email address associated with your domain. If you still cannot find the validation email, please contact support and we can help troubleshoot and resend the email to you if necessary.

You can read more about the ICANN validation requirement here.