Domain names are easy to register and easy to neglect. Most problems that domain owners face are not caused by attackers or registry failures but by small oversights: an expired card, an old email address, a name that is hard to spell. The ten mistakes below are common, and each has a simple preventive step. Registrar features and policies differ, so check the details with your own registrar.
1. Relying on memory for renewals
Domains are registered for a fixed period, typically one to ten years. Many registrars offer automatic renewal, but it only works if the payment method on file is valid. Turn on auto-renew for important domains, keep the payment method current and consider renewing critical domains for several years at a time.
2. Using an email address you no longer check
Renewal notices, transfer confirmations and verification requests go to the registrant and account email addresses. If those addresses are outdated, or use the same domain that has stopped working, you may miss critical messages. Use a reliable address on a different domain as the account contact.
3. Registering in someone else's name
Domains are sometimes registered by a web designer, an employee or an agency under their own account or contact details. If that relationship ends, proving control can be difficult. Make sure the registrant is the person or organization that should own the domain and that you have access to the registrar account.
4. Ignoring account security
Whoever controls the registrar account controls the domain and its DNS. Use a strong unique password and enable two-factor authentication. Where available, keep the transfer lock on, and for high-value domains ask whether your registrar offers additional registry-level locking.
5. Choosing a name that is hard to say or spell
Names that rely on unusual spellings, numbers that could be written as words or doubled letters at word boundaries are easily mistyped when heard aloud. Before registering, say the name to a few people and ask them to type it. If many get it wrong, consider an alternative or register the common misspellings too.
6. Misusing hyphens and length
Domain labels may contain letters, digits and hyphens, but cannot begin or end with a hyphen, and each label is limited to 63 characters. Hyphens are allowed but are often forgotten when people remember a name. Long names are technically valid yet hard to type and share. Shorter, unhyphenated names are generally easier to use.
7. Overlooking trademark conflicts
Registering a domain does not grant rights to a name, and a domain that matches someone else's trademark can be challenged through dispute procedures such as the UDRP for many gTLDs, or through the courts. Search trademark databases in the relevant countries before investing in a name, and seek legal advice when in doubt.
8. Forgetting about DNS when changing hosts
Moving a website or email to a new provider often requires changing DNS records or nameservers. Forgetting MX records can break email; removing a TXT record can break verification for services. Export or document existing records before changes, and lower TTLs in advance if you want changes to propagate faster.
9. Missing the grace periods
After expiry, many domains enter a renewal grace period and then a redemption period, during which recovery is still possible but may cost much more. Lengths and fees vary by registry and registrar. Do not count on these periods as a safety net; once they end, the domain can be released for anyone to register.
10. Not keeping records
Organizations with several domains often lose track of where each is registered, when it expires and what it is used for. Keep a simple register with the domain, registrar, account owner, expiry date, DNS provider and purpose. Review it at least once a year.
Key takeaways
- Use auto-renew with a valid payment method and reliable contact email.
- Register domains to the true owner and secure the registrar account.
- Choose names that are easy to say and spell, and check trademarks first.
- Document DNS records and keep an up-to-date register of your domains.