Domain ownership verification
Every domain you own has to have accurate contact details recorded against it, and both of the bodies that run the UK’s domains will suspend a domain whose details cannot be confirmed. How that is enforced depends on the extension, and the two systems work quite differently - so it is worth reading the section that applies to you rather than the whole article.
- .uk domains - including .co.uk, .org.uk and .me.uk - are governed by Nominet. Your details are checked automatically against external data sources. There is no verification email to reply to.
- .com, .net, .org and other generic extensions are governed by ICANN, whose rules require a verification email that you must act on.
You can view and update your contact details at any time in your Krystal client area. Keep them valid even if you use our domain privacy option - privacy hides your details from public whois searches, it does not exempt you from having to hold accurate ones.
.uk domains (Nominet)
Nominet checks the name and address on a .uk domain automatically, against a number of external data sources. This happens when the domain is registered and again whenever those details are changed. You are not sent anything to click, and there is nothing to reply to - if your details match, you will never hear about it.
If they cannot be matched, Nominet contacts the registrant and you have 30 days to put it right. After that a data quality lock is applied, which suspends the domain and stops it working. A suspended domain also cannot be transferred, and its tag cannot be changed, so it is worth dealing with promptly.
To clear it, correct your details in your client area - or supply evidence of the details if they are already correct but simply not matching any public record, which is common for new companies and for people who have recently moved. If you are not sure which applies, open a ticket and we will tell you what Nominet has asked for.
.com, .net, .org and other generic extensions (ICANN)
These are covered by ICANN’s Registrar Accreditation Agreement, which has required verification of registrant contact details since 2014.
When you change any of your existing domains' contact information, or register a new domain, a verification message may be sent to the registrant email address.
It is imperative that you respond to this email.
If this email is not responded to within 15 days then the domain will become suspended and placed into ClientHold status, affecting any services that rely on it. Although this is reversible, it may take anything up to 72Hrs to reactivate the domain. These policies are mandated by ICANN and implemented directly by our registration partners. We cannot intervene or be held responsible if you do not respond in time.
What if I don't receive the validation email?
If you don't receive the validation email it is highly likely that the email has either gone into your spam folder/quarantine, or that you provided incorrect contact details. Please check carefully to ensure that this is not the case.
If the validation emails are rejected, then the email address is deemed invalid and the domain name will be suspended and placed in ClientHold status.
What if my domain gets suspended?
If your domain names gets suspended, you can log into your Krystal client area and correct your domain name contact records. When you have corrected the details, raise a support request and we will request that the validation email is resent. Once you have correctly validated your domain name it will be unsuspended - but this may take up to 72Hrs.
