What is domain name contact verification, and what should I do?

Domain name contact verification is a mandatory process by which domain name owners verify their email address. This is done by way of an automated email, sent to the email address associated with the owner of the domain name. This email contains a link which MUST be clicked.

Domain name contact verification is enforced by ICANN, who are the administrators of several internet namespaces, including .com. Starting January 1, 2014, ICANN require that all domain name owners verify their email addresses - and as administrators of the namespace, they have the ability to suspend the domain name, if it is not verified.

Do not ignore the verification email, as ignoring it will cause your domain name to be suspended, meaning that your website will go offline and your email will stop working.

Please ensure that the owner's email address for each of your domain names is valid, and that you are regularly checking this mailbox. If the email address is invalid, or if you're not checking the mailbox, you won't see the verification email and thus won't be able to verify, which will result in the domain name being suspended.

If you have not received a verification email you were were expecting, please check your spam folder. If you still cannot see it, resend it using the control panel provided by your domain name registrar. If we manage the name on your behalf, please contact us and we will arrange for it to be resent.

To see the owner's email address for a given domain name, please use our Domainname availability checker. Expand the details for the domain name in question, and examine the contents of the "Registrant Email" field.

To change the owner's email address for a given domain name, please use the control panel provided by your domain name registrar. If we manage the name on your behalf, please contact us and we will arrange the change.

Note: if your name has been suspended, it will appear that your website has been replaced with a page asking you to verify your email address. This is normal. Please verify your email address using the link in the verification email which was sent to the email address associated with the owner of the domain name. This done, the page will be removed, your website will reappear, and your email will start working once again. This process may take up to 48 hours to complete.

For more information, please see ICANN's page: About Verification of Contact Information.

NOTE: it's generally not a good idea to click links sent to you via email. Unfortunately, ICANN's process requires you to do this. Please ensure that the verification email is legitimate before you click the link.