Maintaining updated contact information for your domain name in the WHOIS database is an important practice. You may not realize it, but there are certain important reasons why you should update this information, especially the registrant contact email address for your domain.
You have or may have purchased your domain name from HostGator through our registrar eNom, or through LaunchPad, organizations accredited by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Your registrar is responsible for publishing the relevant domain information in a WHOIS database. A WHOIS database is an online directory where the general public can look up domain names using the WHOIS search tool.
Requirement for Accurate Contact Information
ICANN policy requires registrars to maintain the accuracy of the domain name owners’ contact details in the WHOIS database. eNom or LaunchPad may contact the e-mail address on file to notify the domain name owner of domain expiration, transfer attempts, and general domain management information. If we receive no response, eNom or LaunchPad has the authority to delete the domain name, allowing someone else to register the same domain name.
Inaccurate Information can lead to Domain Expiration and Redemption
Domain expiration can be disruptive. ICANN provides for a redemption period, during which the registrar temporarily deactivates the expired domain name. But reactivating the domain name during this period requires a reactivation fee of $75 to $90 USD (some registrars charge as much as $250). More importantly, you could lose important incoming e-mails and experience unavailability of the related website. Domain name expiration can seriously impact the business of the domain name owner.
You can avoid expiration by practicing good domain name management. Simply log into the domain control panel every 3 months to update the contact details for the domain name and maintain the accuracy of your WHOIS entry. We recommend that you update the entire record, including phone, address, email and business organization information. This will help ensure you receive notice about renewals, transfers and domain management. If you require help in updating your contact details, please read the related articles listed below.