This article covers basic information about domains. If you’re looking for basic information about DNS, go to the DNS in a Nutshell article.

In this article, you will learn:

• What domains are and how they work
  • How to order a domain
  • How to renew a domain
  • How to transfer a domain
  • How to change a domain’s owner
  • What add-on services we offer with domains
• What are domain contacts and how they work
• Glossary

Domains are addresses of services on the Internet. Their main purpose is to make them easy for people to read and remember. Through DNS, they then translate these words into codes and numerical addresses that are better understood by computers.

For more information about DNS, read DNS in a Nutshell.

A domain usually consists of a name and a TLD (Top Level Domain). For example, for the domain wedos.com, the name is wedos and the TLD is com.

Higher-level domains, sometimes called subdomains, have multiple names separated by periods, such as client.wedos.com. If you have a registered domain, you automatically manage all its subdomains as well. You can do so using DNS according to the instructions DNS – Subdomains, or directly on Webhosting according to the instructions Webhosting – Subdomains.

The various TLDs are managed by registries, such as EURid for the .eu domains. Registrars, for example WEDOS, have contracts with these registries. Whenever you order a domain from a registrar, they will connect with the registry and take care of the necessary details for you.

You can typically register a domain for a period of 1-10 years. During this period and at a certain stage of the expiration process, you can renew the registration, but to a maximum of 10 years.

If your current registrar doesn’t suit you, you can transfer the domain to another registrar that offers the TLD. The transfer is usually charged by renewing the domain by 1 year (the exception is CZ domains, where transfer is free).

With WEDOS, you can register any domain with a TLD listed in our ever-expanding price list. We offer the national (ccTLD) domains CZ, PL, SK and EU, as well as a wide selection of generic (gTLD, nTLD) domains.

Podrobný postup objednávky domény najdete v návodu Domains – Registration.

When you renew a domain, you extend its lease with the registry by at least another 1 year. We inform you about the approaching domain expiration by email with a payment request for the set period.

We do not send a payment request email if the domain is terminated or if you turn such notifications off. Regardless of these settings, however, the registry may contact you regarding domain expiration.

You can find detailed instructions for domain renewal in the Services – Renewal guide.

Domains that you do not renew will expire. Expiration is governed by the rules of your TLD’s registry. You can find detailed information in the article Services – Expiration.

Changing the registrar means changing the company through which you register the domain. This typically does not a change the domain’s owner.

With a CZ domain, you can change the registrar completely free of charge. For all other TLDs, you simultaneously renew the domain for 1 year (already included in our price) – you add 365 days to the original expiration date of the domain.

You can find detailed instructions for domain transfer in the Domains – Transfer article.

The domain owner the person or company listed in the register as such. Importantly, this can differ from the customer in whose account the domain is located (e.g. the administrator) as well as from the customer (the person listed as a billing contact).

By changing the domain owner, you do not change the customer account or billing information.

You can find detailed instructions on changing the domain owner in the Domains – Change Owner article.

You can find the current overview of additional services for domains on the Domains – Add-on Services product page.

A domain contact contains information about a person or company, such as name (company name), address, email and telephone contact. Each such contact is maintained for a certain domain registry (e.g. EURid).

The unique identifier of such a contact is its ID, which you can enter when registering and sometimes transfering a domain within the given registry. You can have multiple domains under one contact, making it easier to manage personal or company data.

The system creates a domain contact automatically when you register (sometimes transfer) a domain, when you enter the owner’s information. You can also create a contact manually according to the instructions Domains – Create New Contact.

Generic domain registries require contact verification, which takes the form of a link in an email. Domains of contacts that have not been verified within 15 days may be blocked by the registry.

You can edit your existing domain contact with the exception of ID and person or company name. The latter change is treated by the registries as a change of owner. You can find more detailed information about editing domain contacts in the article Domains – Edit Contact Information.

• AUTH-ID: A special password for the domain or domain contact. Some registries (CZ.NIC) allow you to request it from anywhere, others only through the registrar. It is used to authorize domain or contact transfers and other actions. For instructions on how to obtain it, see Domains – AUTH-ID.
• ccTLD: Country Code TLD, a national domain (specific to a country and usually managed by a national registry).
• Contact: A set of information about a natural or legal person kept at the registry.
• DNS: Domain Name System. It directs the domain to Internet services and holds various settings. For more information, see DNS in a Nutshell.
• DNSSEC: Prevents DNS record spoofing. For more information, see Domains – DNSSEC.
• Domain: A more human-friendly name for a numerical name (IP address) used by a computer.
• Expiration: The end of the period for which the domain is registered, usually followed by a grace period.
• gTLD: Generic TLD, e.g. COM, NET, ORG, INFO. It does not belong to a specific country, rather it hints at its purpose (com = commercial, org = international organization, …)
• Grace period: A certain time after expiration, during which domains are usually blocked, but can be renewed by paying a registration and/or restoration fee.
• ICANN: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. A non-profit organization responsible for the DNS namespace, the distribution of large blocks of IP addresses, etc. It transfers the authority to manage individual TLDs to other entities (registries).
• IDN: Internationalized Domain Names. Domains containing special characters, such as special letters.
• Level (of a domain): The number of period-separated parts of a domain name. E.g. com is a 1st level domain, wedos.com is a 2nd level domain and kb.wedos.com is a 3rd level domain.
• nTLD: New generic TLD, e.g. ONLINE, WEBSITE. They vastly expand the original gTLDs.
• Owner: A natural or legal person who is registered as a domain owner in the registry. For instructions on changing the owner, see Domains – Change Owner.
• Registrar: The domain registrar enables end customers (owners) to register and manage domains. WEDOS is a registrar, for example.
• Registry: The main database of domain names, their owners and other data. The registry manages specific TLDs, e.g. EURid for the European domain EU.
• Restore: Renewal of generic domain registration at a later stage of the grace period charged according to the price list.
• Subdomain: A higher-level domain, such as order.wedos.com. You do not register subdomains, you create them in DNS or directly on the hosting.
• TLD: Top Level Domain, e.g. EU or COM.
• Transfer: Change of domain registrar. For instructions, see Domains – Transfer.
• WHOIS: A registry service that provides information about domains, their contacts, nameservers and other related data.