Who Should Own My Domain Name?

A while back, a new customer came to me with a .ca domain that had already expired. They'd gone well past the renewal date, and the email address on the account no longer worked, so the renewal reminders never reached anyone.

By the time they came to me, a simple renewal wasn't an option anymore. We had to let the domain run all the way through the redemption period and then buy it back at auction. It went okay. Only a few companies take part in .ca bidding, so the process was easy enough to manage. Still, getting it back meant bidding on their own business name.

Nobody did anything shady. The reminders just went to an inbox nobody checked. So when someone asks me who should own their domain, I think about more than whose name is on it. I also want to know which email address gets the notices, who can log in to the account, and who's watching the renewal date.

What Happens When a .ca Domain Expires

Most people assume an expired domain sits there waiting for them to remember. For a while it does, but your options shrink as the weeks go by.

Once the expiry date passes, your website and email can stop working fairly quickly. Your registrar will usually still let you renew for a while. After that comes a 30-day redemption period, when the domain has been deleted but you can still get it back, usually for an extra fee.

If nobody redeems it, the domain goes on CIRA's To Be Released list. CIRA runs the .ca registry, and it releases these domains in a session every Wednesday. Anyone can ask a registrar to try for a domain on the list, and when several people want the same one, registrars often settle it with a short auction. That's the stage my new customer's domain had reached, and nothing guarantees you'll be the one who gets it.

The Two Ways I Set Domains Up

When I register or move a domain for a client, where it goes depends on what they need.

If you'd rather not think about it, I look after everything. The domain stays in my account, I keep it renewed, and I make any changes for you. If you ever want to move it somewhere else, I unlock it and help you move it.

If you want to be hands-on, or you have specific technical needs, I set up your own account with a domain company and make sure everything is registered in your name. You get the login, so you can make changes, or leave, whenever you like.

Both work. The part I care about is that someone is clearly responsible and the renewal date doesn't catch anyone by surprise.

The First Things I Check

When a new client comes to me, the first thing I look at is the domain's expiry date. It tells me what we're dealing with. Some things can or can't be done depending on when the domain was last renewed or when it's due to expire. A domain that was just moved often can't be moved again right away, for example, and one that's already expired needs a different approach.

Next, I look at the email address on file and whether we can get into it. If that inbox belongs to a former employee or an old web person, or it simply doesn't exist anymore, every reminder and every approval request goes nowhere.

Check Yours in Five Minutes

• Find where it lives. A WHOIS lookup shows which company your domain is registered with and when it expires. For .ca, you can use CIRA's lookup at cira.ca.
• Try logging in. If you can't, find out who can. A past web designer, an IT person or a former staff member are the usual places to start.
• Look at the email on file. Make sure it's an inbox someone reads every week.
• Check auto-renew and the card. Auto-renew only helps if the card on the account hasn't expired.
• Write down the renewal date somewhere you'll actually see it.

If your email runs on your domain, this matters even more. When the domain lapses, your business email goes with it.

If you're not sure where your domain is or you can't get into the account, that's something I help with as part of my domain name work. You can also run the free checkup for a quick look at how your business shows up online.