Don't Ignore That Email! No, Really! ICANN's New Domain Verification Rules

ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers - is the organization in charge of overseeing and coordinating the domain name system. When it comes to the buying, selling and registering of domain names, everyone has to play by their rules - and they have a new one. One that you need to be aware of.

A few months ago I posted about the importance of keeping track of your domain registration and contact information. As important as that was before, it’s even more important now - because now if you make a change to your domain registration you will be required to verify your email address, and if you don’t do so in a timely manner your website will go down.

Don’t Be Scared - Be Aware!

Don’t be nervous - keeping this from happening is very simple, you just have to realize the importance of following the verification process.

If you have registered a new domain or if you have updated the contact information on your existing domain registration then you will be required to verify your email address. Your registrar will send you an email with a link that you will need to click in order to complete this verification.

That’s it - Really!

That’s all you need to do - click the link. There is a time limit - the email you receive will give you your deadline - generally the window is 15 days. If you do not complete this process by the deadline, your domain will be suspended. This means that your website will be unavailable until you resolve the issue.

If this does happen to you, all you need to do is click the verification link in order for your domain to be unsuspended, but I think we can all agree that it would be best to avoid suspension to begin with!

Know Your Registration Details!

Make sure that anyone with access to your domain registration is aware of this - and always, always be aware of the email address that is listed on your domain registration’s contact information! This email address should be one that you check regularly - if your domain related email is being sent to a long neglected email account then you’re putting your domain in a precarious position.

Don’t be caught off guard - keeping your domain secure is extremely easy as long as you stay informed!