This guide walks through ordering a domain from start to finish. You can check prices for every extension we sell on our domain price list first, or go straight to the search:
1. Search for the name #
Type the name you want into the search box. If it is available, a Continue button appears. If it is taken, alternatives are suggested underneath, and you can add any of them with the Add button. You can order several domains in one go.
2. Choose the domain options #
Three options are offered with every domain. We recommend enabling all three.
- DNS Management — lets you point the domain wherever you like and edit its records yourself. You need it for services such as Blogger, for email records, and for connecting a CDN.
- ID Protection — keeps your name, address, phone number and email out of the public WHOIS record. Without it, that data is scraped within days and you will start receiving marketing and phishing mail at the address you registered with.
- Email Forwarding — forwards mail sent to an address at your domain to a mailbox you already use.
3. Check out #
Click Continue, then Checkout. If you are new to HostNil, choose Create a New Account and enter your name, address and phone number. Pick a payment method, accept the terms and place the order.
4. Pay #
A payment button appears once the order is placed. The domain is normally active within a few minutes of payment clearing.
Worth knowing #
- Enter your real details. Registries can suspend a domain if the registrant contact information cannot be verified, and the verification email goes to the address you give here.
- Leave auto-renew switched on. A lapsed domain can be expensive to recover, and in some cases impossible.
- The renewal price is often different from the first-year price. Both are shown on our price list.