Answers to Your Questions

1. Domain Name

1.1. General questions

What are the services provided by Gandi?

Gandi provides you with the following services :

Ownership of your domain name, completely independent of your web host
Possibility to modify most of the domain's settings online, at any time, and as often as you like.

As an option, and without any additional fee, we provide:

Your URL forwarding
Your email forwardings
Zone management
A secondary DNS
Protection of Whois data
An anti-virus filter
An anti-spam system
Free e-mail assistance that is rapid, competent (and friendly!)
A customizable e-mail address (soon)
A personal blog
And much more in the coming weeks...

You can see a list of the services we provide on our price list.

Which TLD do you provide?

For information on which TLDs we provide, please have a look at our price list.

As an accredited registrar, we pay fees for each operation (creation, renewal...) to the registries (organizations that manage the worldwide databases for each TLD). To give you an idea, here are some typical fees :

Creation of a .com: about 6 dollars
Creation of a .fr: 9 euros
Creation of a .eu: 10 euros

When Gandi was created, the usual rate was around $35 per year, with 2 years paid in advance at the time of initial registration. We believed that this rate was too high, and therefore chose to lower our rate to 12 euros (excluding VAT) per year.

Since then, our rates have not changed much, since we have chosen to stay focused on domain names. This is why we cannot give promotional service rates.

We have therefore chosen to add additional services to this base price, by concentrating our efforts on the creation and improvement of the following services

If you are only looking for the lowest price, you will certainly find cheaper than us. However, Gandi focuses on the quality, the stability, and the continuity of its service.

Are there hidden costs?

The registration fee includes all that you will need to pay to register your domain name for the period chosen during registration. During the validity period of the domain name, only an ownership change will generate an additional fee if you are unable to do it via our online interface and if it requires our manual processing and the sending of documents via the post.

Our technical services (e-mail forwarding, DNS, etc.) and e-mail help are free, and without any hidden fees.

All the modifications that you can do yourself via our web site are also free.

Nothing is charged either if you wish to leave us.

Where can I find my contract?

You can find all our contractual documentation here.

You can also find your current applicable contracts from your "Domains" page.

For how long is my domain name valid?

Domain names do not last indefinitely.

The duration of a domain name's validity depends on the TLD (generally from 1 to 10 years), and the length of its validity is determined during registration and renewal.

A domain name that is not renewed will be automatically destroyed shortly after its expiration. The period between the expiration date and the actual deletion of the domain name does not depend entirely on Gandi.

Who will be the owner of the domain name?

The domain name will belong to the person or entity specified as the owner at the time of it's registration and indicated as such in the Whois, as long as it is renewed each year. The owner is not necessarily the one who paid for the domain name.

A domain name's owner can be found by looking up the domain name in Gandi's Whois search engine.

The owner of a domain name is listed in after 'owner-name', under the line, domain

For instance: regarding gandi.net the owner is GANDI SAS

domain : GANDI.NET
owner-name: Gandi SAS
owner-address: 15 place de la Nation
owner-address: F-75011
owner-address: Paris
owner-address: France

What do I need to access my web pages from my domain name?

You need :

A domain name : this is provided by Gandi. The domain belongs to you.
A nameserver (DNS) : this is supplied either by Gandi for free, or by another host of your choice.
A web host : You can choose, for example, Gandi hosting service !

1.2. Purchase of a domain name

How do I choose my domain name?

Technically speaking, the choice of your domain name has no effect on its functioning (with the exception of IDN domains with accented letters).

Simply choose the domain name that you like the best, is easy to remember, and available for registration.

Elements to take into account when choosing the name itself :

Length of the name : it is often difficult to find a name that is available, short, and explicit. The name is limited to 63 characters. If it contains several words, you may use hyphens to separate each word.
Please note : The name that you choose must not infringe upon the liberties or rights of a third party (notably trademarks), and must uphold public order. In the event of doubt, please contact a legal specialist in the field.

When choosing the TLD :

Technically : there is no difference between the various TLDs. The resolution is done the same way in the DNS system.
Contractually speaking : the conditions are different from one TLD to another, since each TLD is managed by different organizations, (a trustee authority and a registry.
Availability : generally speaking, one chooses a TLD depending on the availability of the name. If a domain is not available in one TLD, it might be available in another. Our Whois search engine and registration form can help you see whether or not a name is available in the various TLDs that we support.

When can I purchase a domain name that has expired?

A domain that has expired is deleted in several successive stages. The deletion procedure partly depends on the registry in charge of the domain. Depending on the TLD, domains go through the following stages to deletion :

Domain expiration
Deletion of the domain: HOLD period
Deletion of the domain by Gandi: REDEMPTION PERIOD
Deletion of the domain by the registry: PENDING DELETE
Release of the domain name.

For each of the following TLDs, you will find the various final deletion periods of domain names registered with Gandi :

.com .net .org .biz .info: expiration date + 65 days -> D+65
.name: D+35
.be: D+41
.fr: D+31 (to be confirmed by AFNIC)
.eu: D+41 (to be confirmed by EURid)

If you would like to purchase a domain name that is not yet available, contact the owner of the domain.

During the so-called "Redemption Period", which does not exist for certain TLDs, the previous owner has the ability to restore their domain, for a higher price than for a standard renewal.

At the end of all these steps, the domain once more becomes available for purchasing (new registration), with any registrar. It then becomes an issue of "first-come, first-served".

For more information on the various stages of deletion please consult our FAQs on deletion/restoration.

How can I purchase a domain name at Gandi?

You can register a new domain name from our main page or our registration page.

Enter from 1 to 50 domains in the text area, select the TLDs that you want (.com, .net, etc.), click submit to continue. If this is your first purchase at Gandi, you can create your account in the following pages. At the end of the process, you can pay by credit card (MasterCard, or Visa, not Visa Electron), or by cheque (from a French bank only).

Please note that :

The principle of "first-come, first-served" applies to the registration of domain names.
Your order will be processed upon reception of your payment. Each request made via our interface and for which we have not received payment cannot be considered as successful. Additionally, such a case and cannot be used as any sort of proof of previous rightful ownership of the domain should a dispute occur, since we do not have a pre-reservation service. This being said, however, if you pay by credit card, your order will quickly be processed (generally in a few minutes).

How long before the domain is registered and activated?

After you have requested and paid for a domain name, your domain is registered by Gandi as quickly as possible (normally this occurs in a few minutes, except for a .FR domain name). As soon as you receive our order confirmation by e-mail, the domain name belongs to you, and is no longer available for anyone. Then you can manage the domain via your "Domains" page.

Our database is updated immediately, and the registry's one is normally updated within a few minutes (except .FR). That's why sometimes you may not see immediately your domain name in the Whois database.

Technically, your domain may take about half a day to become available worldwide. This is the delay required for the technical information to be distributed throughout the internet. During this time, your website will not be accessible from this domain name.

This delay pertains to DNS propagation, and does not depend on Gandi, but rather, on the entire network of servers that make up the internet.

Are there special conditions for some TLDs?

Depending on the TLD, certain restrictions may apply.

These conditions are made available to you on our price sheet, by clicking on "more info".

Can I change the spelling of my domain name?

Once the registration is made, this is nomore possible to modify the name of the domain. If you made a spelling mistake in the name of the domain, you only can process a new registration for the correct domain name. But contractually this can not give right to any refund.

However, sometimes it is possible to cancel the first domain at the registry. But we need to react rapidly (less than 5 days). So please contact us as soon as possible, so that we can try to find the best solution for you.

Can I register several years in advance?

A domain can only be registered for a total of 10 consecutive years (except for .eu, .be, and .fr), you may, depending on your domain's expiration date, add from 1 to 9 years to your domain name.

You may keep your domain name as long as you wish, though at any given time the expiration can only be a maximum of 10 years from that time.

Why is my domain name still available for registration on other web sites?

If you have received our creation confirmation e-mail, that means that the domain has been created.

Please note that if you did not provide us with a valid e-mail address, you will not receive the confirmation e-mail, and no other creation confirmation message will be sent.

You may also receive a confirmation e-mail following the creation of your Gandi handle, even though domain name was not created. In this case, you may contact us in order to find out whether or not your order was successfully processed.

If your domain name is still available for registration on other web sites, this is because the updated information has not yet been sent to everyone by the registry.

However, note that the domain name is not really available, nobody can purchase it anymore, as soon as you have received our creation confirmation e-mail.

Can I reserve a domain name and pay later?

No, most of our providers (trustee autohorities and registries) do not allow this procedure.

Can I register subdomains at Gandi?

You are free to create subdomains in your domain name.

It does not change anything about the purchase : at Gandi you will register a domain name, not a subdomain.

On the technical side, to create subdomains you need to operate the nameservers (DNS). This means that you will need to contact the Company which provides you with the primary and secondary DNS. It is often your hosting company, or directly Gandi if you well know DNS zone file configuration (free "Customized DNS" service).

What about .EU domain names left over from Sunrise ?

The EURid registry has announced that domain name applications rejected during Sunrise will be made available on June 7 at 11.00, Belgian Local time.

Subsequent releases of Sunrise domain names will take place on a weekly basis, first on June 7, and then on Tuesdays at 11:00 (Belgian time) starting June 13.

Contrary to what was announced by EURid, the domain name list and release dates will not be published on EURid's website. Information for each domain name will be visible via their Whois directory. According to EURid, this should limit the possibility of cybersquatting.

Gandi does not provide pre-registration, .EU domain names released from Sunrise will be registrable at Gandi starting from the official EURid release date, which is specified in the EURid's whois of each domain name.

How to convert firstname.lastname.name into lastname.name ?

4 parts to take into account :

Technically you can not change a domain name. firstname.lastname.name and lastname.name are two different domain names.
But under some conditions, it can be possible to register lastname.name.
The domain lastname.name can be registered only if there is no existing domain name such as ***.lastname.name, at any registrar.
The registry GNR has an updated list of the existing domains such as ***.lastname.name. As the access is restricted we can not get this list for you.
But you can request GNR to tell you if you are the only one with a third level such as ***.lastname.name. Specify the name of your domain.
If you are the only one with domain names such as ***.lastname.name, GNR will suggest deletion of these domains at the registrar.
Once done, please request GNR to tell you exactly when the domain lastname.name will be free for registration.
This process is not guaranteed, the first one who purchase the domain will get it. If, between the time you inquire about the presence of other ***.lastname.name domains and the time you attempt to register lastname.name someone else registers another domain such as ***.lastname.name, you will be unable to register lastname.name.
If you wish you can request Gandi to delete your firstname.lastname.name. Please notice that:
- A deletion before the expiration date does not open right to any refund
- The final deletion takes about 5 days, and can not be canceled at Gandi
- There is no guarantee that you will be the first one to register lastname.name.

Can I register a domain name with accented characters?

It is possible to register an e-mail address with accented letters (ex. ø, ü, æ, etc.). For more information on this topic, please refer to out FAQ on IDN (Internationalized Domain Names).

1.3. Renewing a domain name

How can I renew domain names?

You can change the expiration date of your domains in our "Renew" page.

What is the best moment to renew?

A domain can be renewed at any time except :

If the domain is not registered with Gandi
If the domain has the status "Redemption Period" or"Pending Delete" (domain expired, and already deleted from our database)
During the 15-day period before an outgoing transfer.

It is neither recommended nor necessary to wait until the last moment to renew, because:

You would not gain any prorata : a renewal adds a full year to the expiration date
You would risk a disruption in service : website, e-mail would be pulled offline
You would risk losing the domain : once the domain is deleted, it can be registered by anyone (the 'first-come, first served' rule applies to domain registration).

Is the renewal automated?

At Gandi, domains are not automatically renewed by default.
Domain names are not automatically renewed at Gandi unless you have specifically asked for that service. If you have not enabled automatic renewal on your domain name, you will not be debited and your domain will automatically be deleted. Depending on the TLD (extension) the deletion time after the expiration date varies, from 1 to 65 days.

Automatic renewals are possible via the use of a prepaid account. It is very simple to activate automatic renewal for a domain, you just need to click on the small grey circular arrows icon that is to the right of your domain name in your control panel. Deactivation is just as simple : click on the icon a second time.

Automatic renewal occurs 15 dats before the expiration date at the Registry, and you will be given a warning by e-mail at any rate. The only thing that you need to manage is the crediting of you prepaid account. An e-mail reminder will be sent to you if your account's balance is not enough to cover the renewal.

What if I forget my access codes?

Technically speaking, you do not need any password to renew a domain name.

During the renewal process you will have the opportunity to create a new account, and receive an invoice in your name. Choose "You do not yet have a Gandi handle" on the log in page.

Who can renew my domain name?

The renewal can be done by anyone before the expiration date.
The name of the payer is mentioned on the invoice.

Are there renewal reminders before expiration date ?

The contacts of the domain receive e-mail reminders. Reminders are sent :

2 months before expiration (to the billing contact)
1 month before expiration (to all contacts of the domain)
15 days before expiration (to all contacts)
On the day of expiration (to all contacts, for information).

However, if the concerned domain name is managed by a reseller, the concerned will receive our renewal reminders, as he is the main contact.

It is therefore important that the contacts' e-mail addresses are still valid.

What happens if I do not renew before the deadline?

At Gandi, domain names are not automatically renewed.

If you do not renew before the expiration date, the domain will no longer be active (HOLD status : no website, no e-mail ). This suspension period applies to all domain names except .fr .eu and .be TLDs. The duration is different according to the TLD. During this period, you can reactivate the domain name by renewing with the standards conditions. In the event of a late renewal, we reactivate the domain as soon as we receive your payment. Then the reactivation will be propagated on the Internet within a half-day.

If you do not renew, then we will we send the deletion command to the registry. Then the delay for a complete deletion depends on the registry.

During this second period, you can no longer renew the domain, though is it possible for us to restore it. Please, be aware that, since restoration fees are much higher by the Registry than an ordinary renewal, the restoration process is more expensive than an ordinary renewal.

For how many years can I pay in advance?

The duration of a domain (except for .be, .fr, and .eu) can not exceed 10 consecutive years, so you can add up to 9 years to your domain name.

You can keep your domain name as long as you want, but at any given moment, the expiration date can not exceed 10 years.

For .fr .eu and .be TLDs, the expiration date can not exceed 2 years.

Can I set the same expiration date for all my domains?

You can arrange the same approximate expiration date for your domains, but it is not posssible to manually set the exact expiration date for each.

For .com/.net domain names, the registry Verisign can provide registrars with a ConsoliDate service, which enables to add up to 11 months to a domain name. Gandi does not provide this service.

However you do not lose any prorata with renewal, thus you can renew all your domains at the same time each year, even if they do not have the exact same expiration date.

What is DROA (Domain Registry of America) ?

If you receive a renewal reminder from Domain Registry of America, please, ignore that letter.

We have no connection with that company. Your domain cannot be registered with their services, that company is not an ICANN accredited registrar.

If you have not already transferred your domain to them, it is still registered at Gandi. You can check this in the Whois database. Pay particular attention to the lines "Registrar" and "Expires".

We plan to take action against this company. If you wish to support this action, feel free to contact us so that your case will also be filed, and you may even send us a copy of the DROA letter. Our fax number : +33 (1) 43731851.

Please also notice that you can protect your domains against fraudulent transfers, by activating the Transfer Protection from your "Domains" page (except .FR .EU and .BE domain names).

1.4. Transferring a domain name to Gandi

What is a transfer?

A transfer is a change of registrar. This is not to be confused with a change of owner or a change of web host.

Our transfer procedure is outlined in the FAQ page : "How to transfer a domain name to Gandi".

How to transfer my domain name to Gandi?

Our process is totally automated, and complies with the ICANN rules: http://www.icann.org/transfers/

As future contact of the domain, you will receive by email the intermediates and final status of the transfer (steps 2, 3, 4).

---Requirements---

To insure that the operation has the best possible chances of succes, please check the following:

Domain not yet expired, nor near the expiration date (at least one month)
Domain was created since more than 60 days, or renewed since more than 45 days
Contacts are updated at the current registrar's Whois; their email addresses are accurate
Contacts and owner are aware of this transfer
Domain is not locked for transfers (domain secured by the registrar, pending dispute, domain expired, etc).

---1. Payment---

You can start a transfer via our website (https://www.gandi.net/transfer?l=EN), and pay by credit card or bank check.

For .COM .NET .BIZ .INFO .NAME or .ORG domains, please provide the authorization key (more help here).
For .BE domains, please provide the documentation to the registry.

---2. Holder authorization---

For .COM .NET .BIZ, .INFO, .ORG and .NAME domain names :

Gandi sends by email, the FOA (Form Of Authorization) to the owner and the current administrative contact of the domain. This email includes an authorization key, which should be sent back within 5 days.

If both persons return the authorization key, the transfer passes immediately to the next phase.
If we receive only one answer, we will wait for the 5 days delay to reach its end.
If we receive a refusal of transfer or no answer at all, the transfer will fail.

To authorize the transfer, you need to send the code, only once, in the body of your message, in plain text format (no HTML, no attached file nor automated signature), to the email address that is specified and within the time limit. Please make sure that you respect the format of the key : [DOMAIN/..../ACCEPT] with the brackets.

Possible states :

Wait contacts : we have not yet received any answer, the 5 days delay is not expired.

Fail contacts : no answer within 5 days, or transfer refused.

Invalid authentication code for domain : the authorization key that you have provided is incorrect (only .COM .NET .BIZ .INFO .NAME .ORG).

For .BE domain names, the registry has already taken care of the authorizations : the transfer goes straight to step 3.

---3. Registrar authorization---

Gandi submits the transfer request to the registry, and the registry forwards it to the losing registrar (registrar of record). Except for .BE domains, this registrar has 24 hours to send you his FOA (Form Of Authorization) as an informative notice. At this moment your authorization is not mandatory, but you can stop or speed the process if you reply.

The registrar has a maximum of 5 days to reply. If he does not reply the transfer is accepted.

Possible states :

Wait registry : the registrar has not yet answered, the 5 days delay is not expired.
Fail registry : the transfer was immediately refused by the registry, because the domain is too young (created since less than 60 days), or because of a status problem (expired domain, domain locked by default, etc). Many registrars set by default a LOCK status on all domains, in this case they have to provide you with an online tool to UNLOCK the domain easily. For more help on this subject, please see our FAQ section 3.3.4.
Fail registrar : the registrar has refused the transfer, for more information, you need to contact its support.

---4. Transfer---

If the transfer has not failed at the previous steps, the registry procedes with the transfer and adds one year to the domain name's expiration date (except for .BE domains). For .COM and .NET domains, the Whois takes 24 to 48 hours to be updated, but you can use Gandi's tools to manage your domain as soon as you have received our transfer confirmation.

State OK : the transfer succeeded.

How to transfer a .co.uk domain name towards Gandi ?

The first step happens with the current registrar of the domain name :

You need to specify towards which registrar you want to transfer the domain.
This operation is called a "PUSH" or "PUSHING YOUR DOMAIN".

To do so, you will need to specify Gandi's "TAG".
A "TAG" is a handle specific to each registrar.

Gandi's TAG is :

GANDI
Once this is done, you can start the transfer procedure from our "Transfer" page as for all other extensions.

The procedure is similar to the one used for other extensions.

Can I transfer any extension (TLD) to Gandi ?

You can transfer any domain name to Gandi only if its TLD (ex : .com, .fr, .net, etc) is managed by our services.

To find out which TLDs are handled by Gandi, please consult our price list page.

What are the consequences of a transfer?

Contract

When you change your registrar, you change your contract; you may find more information on this topic by consulting our contract.

Expiration date for .COM, .NET, .ORG, .BIZ, .INFO, and .NAME TLDs

The transfer will add one full year (12 months) to the current expiration date, you keep all the prorata. This rule applies to every accredited registrar.

Expiration date for .BE and .FR TLDs

The transfer will add one year to the transfer date, so you will lose the surplus from the previous expiration date. This rule applies to every accredited registrar, because when the registry DNS.be makes the transfer, it resets the creation date (transfer date = new creation date).

Contacts change

Each registrar uses its own handles to identify the contacts of a domain. During the transfer these handles will be changed. That means that the contacts can very well be different people after the transfer; in that case, the former contacts will no longer have authority over the domain.

Nameservers do not change

A transfer in itself will not lead to a change in DNS. Your current services (website, e-mails, etc) should work as usual during the entire transfer process. However if your DNS were provided by the losing registrar, the DNS services may be cut after the transfer. If you have any doubt concerning your DNS, please contact your DNS provider.

Owner

At some registrars, you may request that both the registrar and owner be changed simultaneously. For security reasons, Gandi does not offer this possibility. You must therefore make a change of ownership before or after the domain is transfered to Gandi.

How much does it cost to transfer a domain name?

Transferring a domain name to Gandi costs 12 Euros excluding tax, which is the same price as creating or renewing a classic domain name at Gandi.

In addition, if the transfer should fail for any reason, it is possible to restart the process without any additional fees; a process that may be done as many times as necessary in the Administration tab, and then in your Orders in Progress page.

How long does it take to transfer a domain?

Your transfer will take about 1 to 10 days depending on the contacts of your domain, and the speed at which your current registrar replies to the authorization request e-mails.

Who must I contact to transfer my domain?

It is always the receiving registrar (the destination registrar) who is in charge of the procedure and deals with letters of authorization, billing, etc.

To transfer a domain to Gandi, please follow the procedure outlined on our "Transfer" page. If you want to transfer your domain from Gandi to another registrar, please, contact your new registrar.

I could not start my transfer, what should I do ?

You were not able to begin your transfer, you encountered an error.

If the Whois information on the domain is not available :
Please contact your registrar. Our system needs the Whois for finding which e-mail addresses the transfer request must be sent to. Once the Whois information becomes available, you may make an online transfer request.

Ìf the current Whois data presents the correct e-mail addresses of the contacts :
Please contact us (see the link below). Your registrar might not use one of the standard formats, or perhaps they recently changed how it appears in their Whois output. In that case, our system cannot detect it automatically, though we can take care of it manually if is brought to our attention.

What are the possible reasons for failures ?

Fail Registrar : expired domain name

The transfer failed because your domain name has expired. What now?

You should renew your domain name with the current registrar. Then wait 46 days before requesting another transfer.

The 46-day delay guaranties that the combined years of the renewal and the transfer will be added together. Sometimes the auto-renewal system of the registries can cancel one of those years, as explained in the ICANN Advisory, dated June 6th 2002.

If necessary, you may restart the transfer process without any additional fees; a process that may be done as many times as necessary, with no time limit, and without any limit on the number of attempts that may be made. This may be done at Administration - Orders in Progress.

We strongly advise not waiting until the deletion of the domain name. There is no sure way to know the exact deletion moment, and you can not be sure that you will be the first one to re-register this domain (the "first-come, first served" rule applies). Moreover, if you choose to wait for the domain name to be deleted, you could lose the transfer payment: we do not refund failed transfers when the failure is not due to Gandi.

Please keep in mind that you can check the expiration dates of your domain name(s), at any time, in the Whois database. We advise you to start your next transfers at least one month before the expiration date. By doing so, you will hopefully get enough time to restart the transfer if it failed at the first attempt.

Fail Registrar : no apparent reason

The reason can be one of the following:

The domain is less than 60 days old
The domain is blocked (status LOCK or HOLD) for a specific reason: pending dispute, lack of payment, etc
The domain is protected against transfers by default.

Many registrars set a LOCK status, or another type of security measure on every domain by default. In this case, they must provide you with an online tool that can be used to easily UNLOCK the domain.

In all such instances, you should contact your current registrar. They must inform you of the exact reasons for their refusal. Gandi can not get this information for you, since we are not privy to this information.

Once the issue is settled, you will be able to restart your transfer request for free with Gandi.

Fail Registrar : Joker

Your transfer has failed because it was denied by the registrar Joker.

At Joker, all the domains are locked against tranfers by default.

You need to ask Joker to unlock your domain. The transfer will be possible for a short period of time. This time frame is called a window. This window opens 5 days after you have requested your domain to be unlocked, and stays open for 10 days thereafter.

We advise you to wait one day between when you ask Joker to unlock your domain, and your new transfer attempt with Gandi.

Fail Contacts/Holder

Your transfer failed because the holder (owner of the domain or his/her representative: administrative contact) has not replied within the time limit, or has refused the transfer.

Reminder : Gandi's transfer request is sent by email to the owner and the administrative contact of the domain. You can check their emails in the Whois database.

We advise you to check the following points. Then you can restart your transfer request for free.

Are you sure that the holder agrees with a transfer process?

maybe he/she has refused the transfer just because he/she was not sure what to do
maybe he/she does not open often his/her mailbox
if you are the domain owner, and if the administrative contact still refuses the transfer, you can replace this contact by another person. This change must be requested from the current registrar. After this change, please wait for the Whois update before restarting your transfer request.

Can the holder be contacted by email?

If the e-mail addresses in the current Whois are not valid, you need to update this data. Request this modification from your current Registrar, and check the new Whois. Then you can then restart your transfer.

Did the holder have problems accepting the transfer?

Our transfer system is all automated, thus we need to receive an answer with a specific syntax. To accept the transfer, you must only reply with the accept code in the main message, including the square brackets.

Warning : if you quote the whole original message, our system will find several codes, thus your authorization will fail.

Failure of Authorization Key

The transfer failed because the registry did not accept the authorization key that you provided.

You can restart the transfer for free.

To avoid a repeat failure, you should contact your current registrar. They must provide you with the correct code in order to transfer this domain.

Unfortunately Gandi does not have access to this code, and has no way to validate another code. If you cannot get this from your current registrar, you may consider lodging a complaint with ICANN.

Are failed transfers refundable ?

In order to avoid misuse, we do not refund transfers that have failed for a reason that cannot be attributed to Gandi(no reply or refusal from any of the contacts, refusal from the current registrar, several paid and started transfers instead of restarting the same one, etc.). If you do not know exactly what to do, please, feel free to contact us before paying for your transfer.

If necessary, you may restart the transfer process without any additional fees; a process that may be done as many times as necessary on the "Administration" tab and then on your Orders in Progress page.

How to restart a failed transfer?

If necessary, you may restart the transfer process without any additional fees (except .fr domains); a process that may be done as many times as necessary at Manage - Orders in Progress. If the occasion should arise, you can alo change the authorization key on the same page.

You may relaunch transfers of .fr domains for free up to 7 weeks after your initial payment.

What should I do if my domain status is Registrar-lock or Transferprohibited ?

Your transfer order has been rejected because your domain is currently in "LOCK" status (or equivalent).

A registrar can set a domain status to "LOCK" for several reasons: dispute in progress, expired domain, etc. Some registrars set a "LOCK" status by default on all domains registered with them. This practice is in total accordance with ICANN transfer regulations if the registrar offers its customers an easy way to remove the lock via its web interface.

We have put together a list below that tells you how to unlock your domain(s) at other registrars.

How to remove the LOCK at...
If your registrar is not listed below or if you notice a mistake, please feel free to contact us!

Registrar	Process	Update
AITDomains	Login into your account. Then click: Domain Management Lock/Unlock domains Select your domain Search on the following page, remove the lock	05/2006
Amen (reseller)	Log into your customer account, then click on: Your packs, or "Suivi packs" Domain name in question Outils -> Outils Registrar/Whois Protection transfer sortant -> voir Blocage des changements de registrar Modifier Débloquer Enregistrer	05/2006
BulkRegister	ou may consult their FAQ or ask your reseller for their special procedure : this will be sent to the administrative contact of the domain by e-mail.	05/2006
Dotregistrar	See Iholdings below	08/2005
Dotster	Log into your account then: Click on "My Domains" Domain Locking In the scrolling menu during step 2, select "Which Management Option do You Want to Perform" select"Unlock Lock these domains - to allow transfers"	05/2006
Enom	Login into your account then click: Options Domains My domains Select the domain Utilities Set auto-renew/registrar-lock options Uncheck the Lock button Save changes	05/2006
GoDaddy	Login into your administration interface, then: My account Domains names Manage Domains Set locking, or Lock all domains.	05/2006
Iholdings/Dotregistrar	Log in to your account then : Select the option, "Protect Your Domains" Select the domain name(s) in question Click on "Exclude"	05/2006
Joker	Go into : Servicezone Switch off domain protection.	05/2006
Namebay	Log into the administration interface of the domain, then click on : Domain Managing Edit Modify your domain names Select the domain Modify the status Unlock. not yet available in API mode. Please note that Namebay will reject the transfer if the domain will expire in less than 5 days.	05/2006
Network Solutions	You must be the owner or the administrative contact of the domain. Click on Account manager home Select the domain click on turn off / turn on.	05/2006
Nordnet	On the website, click on the bottom left on the link "Unlocking/Locking of a name"	05/2006
OVH	Log into your account administration page Manager Nom de domaine Click on "Déverrouiller votre domaine"	05/2006
Register	Ask them to unlock your domain by sending them a question. A confirmation e-mail will be sent to the administrative contact of the domain	05/2006
Stargate	Login into the administration page.	05/2006
Tucows	Your reseller is authorized to do this on your behalf. You may use this form to find the name of your Twocows reseller.	05/2006

What is the 60 days delay mentionned in my contract ?

You may have noticed the mention of this delay in our contract.

This is the minimum period of time required between the original registration date (new domain name), and the time by which transfers are allowed (change of registrar). This delay applies to all registrars.

For some TLDs, during this 60-day period, the status of your domain shows: TRANSFER PROHIBITED.

Usually this restriction does not cause any inconvenience : you can change your domain parameters as soon as it is created. Particularly you can move the DNS management to the hosting provider of your choice.

Note that domains more than 60 days old are not concerned with this issue. You can see the initial date of creation in Gandi's whois, after the mention :

reg_created:...

There is no contractual delay between two transfers, but it is recommended to wait 45 days. Indeed, if not enough time has passed between two transfers, the registry may cancel a renewal (for details please see the ICANN advisory).

How do I get my authorization key ?

What is this code?

For .COM .NET .BIZ .INFO .NAME and .ORG domain names, you will need an authorization key.

You will find it through your current registrar. Unfortunately Gandi does not have access to this key, and has no way to deliver another key. If you are not able to get it from the current registrar, you may consider filing a complaint with ICANN.

How to get your authorization code from...

Registrar	Process	Update
AITDomains	If the domain was created at AITDomains, the authorisation code is your AITDomains ID. Otherwise, only the current administrative contact can ask for it from their customer support.	05/2006
BookMyName	Contact their support.	05/2006
Dotster	Login into your account. Click on List Domains, select the domain name then, click to get the authorization code. It will be sent directly from the Registry to the email address of the domain.	02/2004
Enom	Login into your account. Select Domain Names, My Domains, then the domain you wish to transfer. In Utilities, select Contact/Whois Option. You will find the authorization key on the bottom of the page.	05/2006
Go Daddy	On the website, select Domains > My domain names and login into your account. In Manage Domains, select the domain. In Domain Details, look for the "Auth Info Code" line and click on "Send Email". On the next page, click again on "Send Email", then the code will be sent to the email address of the administrative contact.	01/2006
Joker	If the 10-day window is open, you can get the key (auth-id) in the Servicezone / Status request of Transfer	05/2006
MelbourneIT	Use their email recovery interface. The Auth code will be sent to the administrative contact of the domain. See also Verio if you are registered by this retailer.	05/2006
Namebay	Send your request by fax, (+377 97 97 21 13), enclosing a proof of identity. You will receive your Auth-code by email.	05/2006
Names4Ever	It is precisely the same code as your account password.	05/2006
Network Solutions	You must be the administrative contact of the domain. Send your request from your email address as the administrative contact, Subject: Authorization Code for the domain ... They will send your the auth-code in response to this address.	05/2006
OVH	Login into your customer account Manager. Select the Domain Name section, then click on the green padlock on the bottom of the page. Click on the "Unlock" button, and wait about 5 minutes. Reload the page: a transfer code (auth info) appears.	05/2006
Register	To obtain your authorization code, you must call them during business hours 13:00 - 23:00 GMT at (877)-866-0045 (from the USA), (902)-749-2056 (international calls).	06/2007
Schlund + Partner AG (via 1&1)	If you are managing your domain through 1&1, you may recover your authorization code by clicking here.	10/2006
Stargate	You must be the administrative contact of the domain. Send a request by email, from your email address as the administrative contact.	05/2006
Tucows	If you are a Tucows retailer, the authorization code is in the Domain Extras section of your Retailer management interface. You must be the administrative contact of the domain with an updated email address in the Whois. Ask your Tucows Retailer to send you the key (authorization code) by email. It is the same device as the login codes recovering system (login information).	05/2006
Verio	(MelbourneIt retailer) Send an email from your email address as the administrative contact. If you receive no response, try to call them on the phone +1-800-438-8374, or you can write them at this address.	08/2004

If your key is incorrect

If your transfer failed because your key was not recognized, you can restart your transfer request for free with Gandi.

1.5. Deletion and Restore for a domain name

What is the deletion process ?

At Gandi the deletion system is automated. Deletion occurs 30 days after the expiration date, except for .be domain names which are deleted the day after the expiration date.

For all TLDs except .be, Gandi sets a HOLD status on your domain name at its expiration date. If you had a website or an e-mail address with this domain name, they will no longer work. This process is our last attempt to contact the domain's holder, if he/she has not read our renewal reminders.

30 days after the expiration date, if the domain is still not renewed, Gandi sends the deletion command to the appropriate registry. Then, the time before the final deletion depends on the registry concerned. In all cases, it is too late to renew at that point.

How to delete my domain name before the expiration date ?

Domain names are not automatically renewed at Gandi. If you do not renew your domain name, it will be automatically deleted few time after its expiration.

However if you need, as owner, to delete your domain name before the expiration date, you can send a request as described below. Please notice that this deletion does not give right to any refund.

Please find below the steps to delete a domain name before the expiration date.

Form :

please print and fill out the Deletion before the expiration date form, which is available in the section customer care, tab Paper form.

The document is a PDF file. You need to use Acrobat Reader to open it, which you can download for free here.
Proofs of identity :

please do not forget to enclose the necessary proofs of identity. As proof of identity, we are waiting for:
- For Individuals : proof from the signatory (for example copy of identity card or driver's license)
- For Companies : proof from the signatory + proof that the Company does exist and that the signatory is authoritative for this Company (for example certificate of incorporation, naming the signatory individual as CEO)
- Other cases : please contact us.
Sending :

GANDI SAS
Deletion service
15 place de la Nation
F-75011 Paris
FRANCE

On receipt of your documents we will delete the domain from our database, and you will get a confirmation by email. After that the delay for a complete deletion depends on the registry involved, so your domain might remain a few time in the Whois.

What are the deletion delays ?

Here are the various steps in the deletion process of each TLD:

HOLD status: Gandi grace period, late renewal is possible at Gandi.

.com .net	status from D (expiration date) to D+1	status from D+1 to D+30	status from D+30 to D+60	status from D+60 to D+65	status after D+65
	ACTIVE (active and renewable)	HOLD (inactive and renewable)	REDEMPTION PERIOD (deleted but restorable)	PENDING DELETE (no action possible)	available for new registration

.org .info .biz	D	D+1	D+30	D+60	D+65
	ACTIVE (active and renewable)	HOLD (inactive and renewable)	PENDING DELETE RESTORABLE (deleted but restorable)	PENDING DELETE SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE (no action possible)	available for new registration

.be	D	D+1			D+41
	REGISTERED (active and renewable)	QUARANTINE (deleted but restorable)			available for new registration

.name	D	D+ 1	D+30		D+35
	OK (active and renewable)	HOLD (deleted but restorable)	PENDING DELETE (deleted, no action possible)		available for new registration

.fr	D	D+1			D+4
	active and renewable	Gandi grace period late renewal possible			available for new registration

.eu	D	D+ 1			D+41
	REGISTERED (active and renewable)	QUARANTINE (deleted but restorable) (to be confirmed by EURid)			available for new registration (to be confirmed by EURid)

What do I do if my domain is in redemption period ?

You can see this element in a domain name's whois :

Status : REDEMPTIONPERIOD
Status : PENDING DELETE - RESTORABLE

That means this domain name has been suppressed from Gandi's database, because it has not been renewed in a proper delay (30 days after expiration date). It is no longer available, usable, and you can't purchase it anymore. By the way, it remains possible to restore it.

Gandi provides a restoration service. Restoration charges are higher than renewal charges. To restore your domain name you just have to click on this link.
You can also wait for the registry to make the domain name available for purchase, from any registrar. You have to wait for 65 days from the domain name's expiration date.

When the domain name is free, the "first-come, first-served" principle applies : Gandi don't provide any pre-reservation service.

What do I do if my domain is in quarantine ?

In a domain name's whois you can see this element :

Status : QUARANTINE

That means this domain name has been suppressed from Gandi's database, because it has not been renewed in a proper delay (before expiration date).

The only action available on the concerned domain is restoration : you can have access to this option via the renew page. All restoration charges for each TLD are available here.
If the domain is not restored, it will be freed by the registry 41 days after its expiration date. Once the domain has been freed, the "first-come, first-served" principle applies : Gandi does not provide any pre-reservation service.

What is domain name restoration?

Restoration is technically not possible during the 30-day period that seperates the deletion of the domain name by Gandi and by the Registry. This period is either called the "Redemption Period" or "Pending Delete Restorable", depending on the registry.

Gandi can restore your domain during this period for a fee of 100 euros, excl. tax.

This operation can be done online, and for .com, .net, and .be domains, you may either pay by credit card or cheque (all cheques must be drawn from a French bank, and be in Euros); all other TLDs can only be restored by bank wire transfer. Also, please note that in the event of payment by cheque, the operation will only take place once we have received your cheque.

Gandi must receive your payment at least 7 days before the deletion of the domain name by the registry, on order to allow for the time necessary to process the request. By default, your domain will not be restored. For more information on your deadlines and possible means of payment, you may contact Gandi's Customer Care department.

Gand provides a domain restoration service. It means that if your domain is in "Redemption Period" status, we can restore it for you.

The restoration process consists in recovering the domain's previous settings (same owner) and adding one year to the domain's validity.

Please, notice that when your domain falls into "Redemption Period" status, it is no longer managed by Gandi, but by the related Registry.

Why is it more expensive to restore a domain than renew it?

Gandi is charged more for a restoration than for a renewal by the registry.

Therefore, we must raise the price of a restoration to cover the cost of the operation.

1.6. Transferring a domain name from Gandi

What is the outgoing transfer process ?

You wish to transfer your domain name from Gandi to another registrar.

Minimum registration period

If your domain is less than 60 days old, it cannot yet be transferred. This is an ICANN rule, which applies to all registrars

Expiration

First you should check that your domain is not expired, nor expiring soon. You can find the expiration date in the Whois database. If you need to renew, please wait 46 days between the renewal and the outgoing transfer. This delay warrants you that the one year renewal and the one year transfer will add up (for more on this, please see the ICANN Advisory, dated 6 June 2002).

Authorization code

For .COM, .NET, .BIZ, .INFO, .NAME and .ORG domain names, you will need an authorization key. You will find it on our website by clicking on the concerned domain name (Identify as the administrative contact or as the owner of the domain. On the domain details page, you will be able to obtain the Authorization key.

Protection

Then check if your domain is currently protected against transfers (status LOCK or Transfer Prohibited). If relevant, unlock the domain for transfer (You need to be administrative contact to do that). After unlocking a .COM or .NET, it is best to wait for the Whois update (24-48 hours) before proceeding to the next step.

Process at the future registrar

Next, follow the gaining registrar's procedure. You have nothing to pay at Gandi. Authorize the transfer according to your current registrar's procedures.

Process at Gandi

For your information, the contacts of the domain will receive an email notice from Gandi. This email will look like: IMPORTANT: Transfer of ... to another registrar.

For .COM .NET .ORG .INFO .BIZ .NAME domain names: in our message you will find a link, which can be used to speed or to stop the transfer. Your action will be applied immediately. If you do not use the link, the transfer will proceed after a 5-day delay.

Do I have to transfer my domain name to my web host?

Technically, you do not need to transfer your domain to your web host to use their hosting services

You have various options, two of them are :

Either you link your host's DNS to your domain by Gandi :
DNS update time : about 3 days

Or you use URL forwarding by Gandi:
update time : 2 hours

Is there a fee to leave Gandi?

All our customers can leave us at their own convenience (before the expiration date) and without any additional cost.

What are possible outgoing transfer failures explanations ?

Here are some possible causes of failure:

The domain is less than 60 days old; after this period has ended, ask your future registrar to restart the transfer request.
The domain has expired: you need to renew the domain at Gandi.
After the renewal, please wait 46 days, and then restart your transfer at the gaining registrar. The 46-day delay warrants you that the one year renewal and the one year transfer will add up. This delay only applies to late renewals (renewal made after the expiration date). For more on this, please see the ICANN Advisory, dated 6 June 2002).
The domain is protected against transfers: status LOCK or Transfer Prohibited is displayed in the Whois. As administrative contact you can remove this security feature.
The domain is blocked but not expired or protected: please contact us through the link below.

1.8. Technical settings (nameserver, IP address..)

What is a DNS ?

Let's have a look here !

Who provides DNS ?

Caution : Your Internet Provider may have provided you DNS when you subscribed. These DNS are not necessarily for domain names management. You can ask your Internet Provider technical support for more informations.

You can use these types of DNS :

Gandi's, without any additionnal cost* :

During your domain name registration process, use the fast buying interface : the domains will be automatically registered with Gandi DNS.
After your domain name registration process, use the "Manage" page tab. Once you are authentified on the control panel, select the domain you want to modify. At the bottom of the domain name's details, click on the "Modify" link of the "Technical parameters" area. Set our parking service DNSa.dns.gandi.net /b.dns.gandi.net / c.dns.gandi.net .

Your web host provider
Any organisation/provider/other that uses a permanent connection, and a server set as a nameserver.

* You can not combine using this service with using your web host DNS : you have to choose between Gandi DNS and your web host services'.

How do I find an inaccurate Whois complaint form ?

Here is our interface for filing a complaint concerning incorrect Whois data for a domain name registered with Gandi.

How do I change my domain technical parameters online ?

You can update your domain details online. This kind of changes requires a few days propagation, in order for the whole Internet network to update.

You just need to go on Gandi's website to modify your DNS.

If you need some support or advices about the changes you want to make, you can contact our technical support team by e-mail.

Note that you can not use your Internet Provider DNS and Gandi DNS (forwarding services, personalized DNS zone file) at the same time. You have to choose between Gandi DNS or your Internet Provider DNS.

The owner and the administrative and technical contacts have the rights to modify technical parameters. To do so, click on the Manage tab. Authentify with your Gandi handle. Select the concerned domain name, and on the bottom of the page, use the "Technical Parameters" part :

Click on the "Modify" link and type your web host service DNS
After validation, Gandi will maintain your web forwarding until the new servers are properly propagated. If your website is no longer available, you have to contact your web host service.
If there is any access problem concerning the website that is linked to your domain name, after the modification, you will have to contact your web host service technical support.

Can I configure my domain with my own DNS ?

You have a permanent connection and you have configured your own DNS. You must update your DNS in your domain name's technical settings.

Verify that your nameservers have been registered with the appropriate Registry.

To register a new nameserver, contact the administrator of the domain in which your DNS is contained. For example, if your DNS is called a.dns.gandi.net, you must contact the owner of gandi.net.

Control Panel

All that remains now is to associate the nameserver to your Gandi domain, by using the Manage section.

Note :

Unless you use our secondary DNS, your new list of DNS must not have any of Gandi's nameservers. They will not be correctly configured for your domain, which will cause problems in their operation.

How can I manage my Gandi DNS zone file?

Only the administrative or technical contact of the domain may create, delete, or modify records in your Gandi DNS zone file.

For this, please go to our "Manage" page. Select the domain to modify and look at the "Technical Settings" section of the page, and simply click on "Manage DNS zone file".

This is where you can modify the content of your zone via three interfaces: simple, normal, or expert.
Modification are applied to Gandi's DNS nearly instantly.

To see how to do this step-by-step, visit this topic on our "Show me" guide!

Where can I learn about the zone file?

How to choose my nameservers (DNS) ?

Using Gandi's DNS servers is not charged.

Caution on the delays : every change of DNS server has consequences on your website accessibility.

You have 6 possibilities to choose your DNS servers :

You don't have DNS : read our "Who provides DNS servers ?" FAQ.
You want to use our forwarding services :
Web forwarding (Gandi) ou
E-mail forwarding (Gandi)
You know how to configure a server zone in a Bind file :
Personnalized DNS (Gandi)
Your web host provides you DNS :
Web host DNS
You have your own nameservers :
Other DNS / Personnal DNS
You have your own primary nameserver but no secondary nameserver :
Other DNS / Secondary DNS (Gandi)

What is the propagation delay?

About half a day. All the servers of the Internet need some time to take into account your modification. This is called the DNS propagation delay. This delay is not up to Gandi.

Does Gandi provide a secondary nameserver ?

You have your own primary nameserver, but you need a secondary DNS. Gandi can provide this service to you, with no extra charge (you only pay for the domain registration).

In your "Domains" page, select the domain in question. You will have instant access to the administration of your domains here. In the section, "Technical Settings", click on "Modify" in the "Technical" column.

Then, simply add the following nameserver (as secondary):

ns6.gandi.net 217.70.177.40

Note that in order for this to work, you must first have the possibility of including ns6.gandi.net in the zone, as it will be requesting zone tranfers from the primary nameserver.

After you submit your form, our DNS server will automatically be updated (if the primary server is correctly configured). IT will be ready to use by your domain within 24 hours of your modification. It is periodically synchronized with the list's primary nameserver.

What are the advantages of the customized DNS service ?

This is Full DNS hosting (primary and secondary DNS). Gandi's servers are connected permanently to the Internet, thus they can act as nameservers for your domain name if you so wish.
This service is free of charge. You only pay for the domain registration.
You can modify your zone file at any time.
You can set up A CNAME MX TXT AAAA SRV records (zone file handling).
You can define and change your zone through our Web interface:
- Create A records in your domain name to any static IP address
- Create aliases and subdomains in your domain name
- Declare servers handling mails
- Setup a wildcard.

Does Gandi provide a reverse DNS service ?

We cannot offer a Reverse DNS service, because the IP address is not provided by Gandi. You should send your request to your IP provider.

Does Gandi provide a dynamic DNS service ?

You want to add a nameserver to your domain, using a dynamic IP service.

Gandi does not provide and does not plan to provide a dyndns service.

Nonetheless, you can use Gandi as registrar and use a third-party dyndns service for your domain. You just need to state DNS you want to use (for example DNS from dyndns.org) exactly as you would do for any webhosting company.

What forms of web forwarding does Gandi provide?

Gandi provides you with three different types of forwarding: 301, 302, and "Masked".

301 Direct (permanent) Forwarding: the real address of the site appears after the forwarding. Good search-engine ranking.

This is direct forwarding, meaning that the domain name will change once the browser has been forwarded to the new address. 301 forwarding is called "Permanent" forwarding, because it is intended for addresses that are "permanent" - such as the address of a website - as opposed to just a link within a page.
302 Direct (temporary) Forwarding: the real address of the site appears after the forwarding. Poor search-engine ranking.

This form of direct forwarding is called temporary, because it is used for links within websites that are not meant to be there for a long time. Search engines, therefore tend to give this type of forwarding lower priority when indexing content for their query results.
"Masked" Forwarding: the real address does not appear (your domain name stays in the address bar). Very poor search-engine ranking.

This type of forwarding is used to forward your domain to another website, while keeping your domain or subdomain name in the web browser's address bar. The main disadvantage of this type of forwarding is that is uses Frames. Many search engines, such as Google, ignore framed content, and so your site will not be found easily via your domain in a search engine query?

Click here to see how to set up your domain for web forwarding.

How can I set up URL forwarding?

To forward your domain using our URL forwarding service, you just need to log in here with your Gandi handle and password.

In the Control Panel, click on the domain for which you want to activate URL forwarding.

On the bottom of this new page, in the "Technical Settings" section, you will see a "Forwarding" column where you can simply activate your forwarding.

Only the owner, the administrator, or the technical contact can make this change.

You can also set up forwarding on the domain from our main page. After you have chosen the domain and its contacts, you can configure your URL forwarding.

How long must I wait before this forwarding becomes active?

If you have only changed the URL forwarding, it will take place almost immediately.

If you also modified the list of DNS servers associated with the domain (for example, because you were previously using DNS servers other than Gandi's), please wait up to 72 hours.

How can I stop Gandi's forwarding services?

If you want to keep Gandi's DNS, but delete the existing forwards, simply go to the Manage section of our website. Select the domain to modify.
Once you are on the page with all the domain's details, on the bottom of the page, you will see the "Technical Settings" section; from the "forwarding" column, click on "update" then remove any forwarding address you may have, and click on "submit".

If you want to use other DNS, you may make the changes in the "Technical" column of the "Technical Settings" section. In order for your domain to remain accessible without interruption, our servers will maintain forwarding for several days, the time necessary for the new servers to take the relay (propagation time). Gandi's forwarding service does not hinder the outcome of this change, and assures that there will not be any disruption in service for your new website.

Can I hide my website's real address?

Yes! There are a couple of ways to do this:

Using our Gandi's domain forwarding service: Our URL forwarding service is masked, meaning that your domain name will stay in your web browser's address bar, even though you have been forwarded to a different website.
use the DNS services of your web hosting company: to point the domain name to your website's IP address, or to get an invisible web redirection (with a proxy or frames). In this case you can update your domain name's settings via your "Manage" page.
If you have a static IP address: and if you know how to configure a DNS zone (Bind file), you can use our Zonefile DNS management service. Click on the concerned domain and use the "Web forwarding" part. Free of charge, this service enables to point your domain name directly to your static IP address.

Does web forwarding affect my search engine optimisation ?

You can find informations about web forwarding and search engine ranking in our "What forms of web forwarding does Gandi provide?" FAQ.

How can I set up an e-mail forwarding ?

To create an e-mail forwarding address, you need to:

Go to the domain name's control panel (if you have more than one, you need to click on the domain that you want to create an address for)
Click on the link "manage my accounts" in the e-mail area (down in the Technical Settings section). This will take you to the page where you can create a new mailbox.
From there, click on the "create" button and select the type of e-mail service you want to create. Select "forwarding" in this case.
Enter the name of the forwarding address that you would like.
Enter the name of the e-mail address or addresses (one address per line only) to where you want to forward the mails to that are sent to your forwarding address.

NOTE : Please ensure that your domain is configured in such a way so as to allow you to use this service (more).

What is the difference between http://, https://, and ftp://?

http://
HTTP stands for "Hypertext Transfer Protocol". When you (via your browser) send a request that begins with http://, you are specifically requesting a transfer of a file over the internet. Once the file arrives, you will then be able to open and view it on your browser (ex. a website).
https://
HTTPS stands for "Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer". This is a web protocol like HTTP, but it sends and receives data that is encrypted. This is often used by banks, etc. who require added security.
ftp://
FTP stands for "File Transfer Protocol". This is a special protocol that is used for exchanging files and commands over a network, such as the internet. This is most commonly used for uploading and downloading files to and from a server.

Unless you have a specific reason to do otherwise, you should use http:// when setting up your web forwarding address.

What is an IP address?

Internet Protocol (IP) is a system of communication that allows machines that are networked together to exchange information between them. In order for a computer to know where to find another computer on the network, it must know what its number is (IP address).

A domain name allows one to associate words (easier to remember) to an IP address. The worldwide system of domain names is really like a giant telephone book.

To have your computer appear in this "directory", you must register your domain with an accredited registrar, such as Gandi.

1.10. Definitions

TLD

Final part of the domain name, that comes after a dot. TLD (Top Level Domain) refers to the Internet zone in which your domain name is located. It is also known as "extension".

There are several TLDs:

generic, called gTLDs, such as .com .net .org .biz .info .name...
national (one per country), called ccTLDs for "country code TLD", such as .fr for France, .be for Belgium...

For each TLD, a worldwide database guarantees that each domain name is the only one in the world. The organization that manages this database is called a registry. Each TLD is created and regulated by a trustee authority.

Changes in the database (creation, deletion, and/or modification of domain names) are made through registrars (such as Gandi), who are accredited by the trustee authorities and registries of the TLD.

Domain name status

	Active	Inactive	Transfer Prohibited	Registrar Lock	Lock	Hold	Pending Transfer	Redemption
DNS changes	yes	yes	yes	no	no	no	no	no
other changes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	no	no
transfer	yes	yes	no	no	no	no	no	no (except .BE .EU .FR)
deletion	yes	yes	yes	no	no	no	no	no
renewal	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no (*)	no	no
domain resolved on the Internet	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	no
(*) at Gandi, the domain is automatically taken off "Hold" as soon as we receive payment, thus renewal is possible

State	Similar State
Active	Active / OK / Registered
Lock	Registrar Lock / ClientLock / Client {Delete +Transfer +Update} Prohibited / Registry Lock / Server {Delete +Transfer +Update} Prohibited
Hold	Registrar Hold / Client Hold / Client {Delete +Transfer +Update +Renew} Prohibited / Registry Hold / Server {Delete +Transfer +Update +Renew} Prohibited / ServerHold / Pending Restore
Redemption	Quarantine / PendingDelete Restorable / PendingDelete-Scheduled for release / RedemptionPeriod
Resurrection	This status does not exist! :)

InterNIC

Internet Network Information Center, www.internic.com.

Registered service mark of the U.S. Department of Commerce, licensed to ICANN. Please do not confuse with a registrar, this mark has not been managed by NSI (Network Solutions) a few years now.

DNS

May mean either, "Domain Name System" or "Domain Name Server".

Domain Name System

this designates the naming system in general, which is a global decentralized and distributed directory that allows one to convert numerical addresses (IP addresses, used by machines to communicate with each other) into alphanumerical addresses (domain names, easier to memorize for people), and vice versa. For example, 217.70.177.41 <-> www.gandi.net. This makes the internet easier to use.

Domain Name Server

this designated the computers that make up the system. It is also the most common use of the DNS acronym, and the one that we use in this FAQ.

DNS servers (primary DNS and secondary DNS), with a permanent connection to the internet, allow one to access content from only providing a name. For example, once you request access to www.gandi.net, the machines dns0.gandi.net and dns1.gandi.net know where to find the information that is stored on our web pages.

A DNS server is configured in such a way as to be able to reply to DNS requests, and it may be authorized to act on behalf of one several domain names. It must always be connected to the internet via a static IP address. This means that a nameserver cannot work with a temporary and/or dynamic IP address, which is notably the case with conventional RTC or ADSL connections. As it is difficult for an individual to meet these technical obligations, certain companies provide customers with the possibility of hosting their DNS servers, like Gandi, other registrars, and hosts for example,

Change of contacts

Change of one or more contacts who handle the domain on the behalf of the owner. For more information on contacts, please have a look at our FAQs concerning Contacts.

Change of web host

Also called DNS delegation or DNS redelegation.

Change of the nameservers (DNS) of the domain name. Quite often, the technical contact of the domain is also changed.

You can make this change online, via our website. To see a step-by-step demonstration, please visit our 'Show me' guide on the topic.

Change of ownership

Change of the name and the address of the domain owner (Registrant). An ownership change does not modify the contacts, nor the DNS of the domain name.

DNS redelegation

It is another name for a change of web host.

Handle

This is a code (login, ID) used to identify a person who manages one or several domain names. Each registrar uses their own handle system.

ICANN

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, www.icann.org.

ICANN is the technical administrator for the Internet, and regulated the use of domain names.

IDN (Internationalized Domain Names)

You can register a domain name with accented letters, or other linguistic symbols that are present in your native language (except for "&" and "@"). For example: société.com, società.com, compañías.com.

More than the standard characters (letters, numbers and hyphens), the IDN system can use the specific characters of more than 350 different languages (French, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Greek, ...).

The domain name is said to be thus, "international" or "IDN" (for Internationalized Domain Names, or even Localized or Multilingual domain name).

You can register your internationalized domain name with Gandi, you just need to specify the corresponding native language. IDNs use recent technology, though one that does not replace the existing global DNS infrastructure. So that the domain name can be resolved on the internet, it is thus the client's system that must be adapted to be IDN compatible, whatever the platform used. As a result, web browsers, e-mail clients, chat programs, and file transfer programs must all be made compatible with this system.

Certain navigators do not need to be updated, such as recent versions of Mozilla.

For Microsoft Internet Explorer, it is necessary to install a plug-in. This may be downloaded for free at VeriSign's website.

The IDN system is outlined in the RFC 3490, 3491, and 3492 standards; Proposed Standard.

Technically speaking, the special character is coded as described via a conversion chart. That's why an IDN always begins with these 4 characters: "xn--". For example, bébé.com will become xn--bb-bjab.com.

IETF

Internet Engineering Task Force, www.ietf.org/.

The IETF is a large open international community, which is concerned with the evolution of the Internet's architecture, and with the smooth operation of the Internet. The IETF defines web standards.

NS Name Server

Same as DNS.

NSI Network Solutions

Network Solutions Incorporated, www.nsi.com.

NSI is the company that was initially granted the management of .com, .net, .org, and .edu domain names. Once the monopoly ended, the company maintained the registry of those TLDs, while still being one of the registrars for them.

Since then, the registry division has been sold to Verisign, and the .org TLD was transferred to the PIR registry.

Registry

Organization that manages the centralized database of domain names registered in a TLD zone.

It is the authoritative source of information, which updates whois and root nameservers for the TLD with the content of its database.

Registries for each TLD are:

.COM and .NET: Verisign
.ORG: Public Interest Registry (PIR)
.BIZ: Neulevel
.INFO: Afilias
.NAME: Global Name Registry (GNR)
.BE: DNSBE
.FR: AFNIC
.EU: EURid

Each TLD has its own policies and procedures. This structure has clients called 'registrars', which manage domain names for their customers.

Transfer

A transfer is a change of registrar.

This is different from an ownership change, from a change of contacts, or from a change of web host (also called DNS redelegation).

Verisign

www.verisign.com

Company handling digital certificates, having bought NSI.

Thus this Company manages some TLDs through its 'Verisign Global Registry Services' division, while also being a registrar through 'Verisign Registrar'.

Whois

Administrative directory, available to everyone on the Internet (for example on our website at http://www.gandi.net/whois). This database has records of all registered domain names, together with the names and contact information of their respective owners.

Publishing and updating this Whois database is a contractual obligation applying to all accredited Registrars such as Gandi. This directory is a useful tool for visualizing owner and contact information of domain names, and in particular to facilitate the notification of a technical or legal problem.

Any suggestions?

Should this glossary be updated? Please feel free to contact us.

Trustee authority

Entity that defines and regulates the conditions of assignment and use of domain names, applying to each particular TLD.

The Trustee authority for generic TLDs is ICANN : a non-profit corporation that, for historical reasons, reports to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

As for the national TLDs, each government appoints a Trustee authority with its own rules. For instance, DNS BE is the Trustee authority for the .BE TLD (Belgium); AFNIC is the Trustee authority for the .FR (France).

The registration conditions are set by these entities, and change from one TLD to another. Some TLDs can be more flexible and easier to obtain than others, in terms of restrictions, procedures and prices.

Registrar

Organization like Gandi, accredited by the competent authorities in assigning and managing domain names. This may be, depending on the TLD:

a trustee authority, generally governmental, dealing with political and judicial matters
a registry, in charge of managing the centralized database for each TLD, that only registrars can modify.

The role of the registrar mainly consists of selling and managing domain names for the general public. In the naming organization scheme, the registrar is the last technical party that customers can access to purchase a domain name.

The registrar's activity is complementary with that of web hosts, internet service providers, and IP address allocation. All these actors work together to make the internet work.

Domain name

A domain name is alpha-numeric Internet address, formed by the name that you have chosen, and a TLD. A domain name is most often used to name a website (such as www.gandi.net) or an email address (example@gandi.net). In these examples, "gandi.net" is the domain name; "gandi" the chosen name and "net" the TLD.

A domain name (like gandi.net) is easier to remember than an IP address (such as 217.70.177.41). Moreover, the domain name does not change according to the place where your web or e-mail data is actually hosted: you can change your hosting company or your Internet access provider without having to change the name of your website or your e-mail address.

In terms of syntax, a domain name must contain less than 63 alphanumeric characters (no spaces); domain names are not case-sensitive.

The rules of the naming system are set forth by the trustee authorities (such as ICANN), the databases are centralized by the registries (such as Verisign for the .com TLD), and commercial and usual management are ensured by registrars like Gandi.

1.11. Dispute on a domain name

What can I do in case of fraudulent use of my domain ?

If you believe that your password has been compromised and you have noticed some unexpected modification to your domain or handle, please contact us as soon as possible (use the link below).

What is an UDRP (Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy) ?

For .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, and .name domain names.

Policy and Rules

To lodge a compaint, you need to follow the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), and the Procedures outlined within this policy.

For more information, please visit the ICANN website about the UDRP and Approved Providers.

Which are the criteria for decision?

Usually the panel decides the case on the base of these criteria and their supporting evidence:

The domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the complainant has rights,
The respondent has rights or legitimate interests in the domain name (for example, the legitimate offering of goods and services under the same name),
The domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith.

How to resolve a dispute for a .EU domain names (ADR process) ?

A dispute resolution policy has been implemeted by EURid: the ADR.

This pertains to:

Resolving speculative and abusive registrations,
Or contesting a EURid (via PwC) decision pertaining to a sunrise-period application, in the event that EURid did not adhere to EC Regulations.

How can I use the same handle for several domains?

To have an easier management of your domains, you may combine several of them under a same user account, via your "Domains" page.

To do this, be sure to log in as the owner or administrative contact of the domain(s) in question.

Use multiple changes option that is located on the bottom of the "Domains" page.
Concerning the domain names for which you are set as administrative, technical, or billing contact, you just need to launch a change of the concerned contact procedure.
Concerning the domain names you won, use the "Change owner" link. Please note that the ownership change is free if the operation is consecutive to a transfer (from another registrar to Gandi), except regarding .fr .be and .eu domain names (this type of changes is inexorably charged for these extensions).

2. My Personal data

2.1. My Gandi account

What is a handle?

Your domain name is managed by three contacts. These contacts are authenticated via an ID code, or "handle". Each handle is linked to a person, and protected by a password.

To find out what a contact's handle is for a given domain name, you just need to do a Whois query.

Each registrar uses its own handles. You cannot use IDs from other registrars. You can easily spot Gandi handles: they always end with -GANDI.

When and how can I create a Gandi handle?

You can create your handle :

When you place an order (registration, transfer, renewal...)
Or, at any time, via our Register a new account page.

I have lost my handle, what should I do ?

You can use our Whois search engine to find all the contacts of a domain and their handle.

If you do not have a domain with us, but only have a Gandi handle, you have to click here.

I have lost my password, what should I do ?

If you have lost your Gandi password, you can recover it on your email address by going on this page. If you can't access your email address anymore, an identification form will let you recover it by contacting our support team.

How do I update my personal informations ?

You may modify the contact information of your Gandi account by logging into our Account page, (in the "Administration" tab). Then click on the "Update my personal information" link.

All information may be updated. Please note that if your account it associated to the owner of a domain name, you may not change the following fields :

The first and/or last name
The name of the company
The type of the account (individual, association, company, etc.)

The country may only be modified if the owner account is not tied to a .FR domain name.

You may also update your address and e-mail if they have changed.

If you have lost your password, please follow our change of e-mail by form procedure, which will allow us to identify you by proofs of identity instead of a password.

Your modifications will be applied automatically, and will be visible immediately in the Whois.

How can I hide my email address ?

Like any other accredited registrar, we must publish not only your e-mail address in our Whois database. However, in order to avoid problems with spam, we offer your the option of encrypting your email address as it appears in the Whois.

Simply check the antispam option on your Account page.

The coded address will be like: ab3a1046d1b51f35a55862198a88013b-ar41@contact.gandi.net, and it will have the following characterics :

It is published instead of your true email address
It is a valid email address
Messages sent to this address will go through our anti-virus and anti-spam filters
The coded address will vary: it may be regenerated on a regular basis, automatically, or on upon your request
When the address is regenerated, the previous one is still available for 24 hours.

How can I do to recover my password if my email address is invalid ?

You have lost your password, and unfortunately you cannot get it back with the online tools because your email address is incorrect.

You may ask Gandi to change the e-mail address associated with your Gandi account. To do this, please fill out and mail to us the email change form.

This is a PDF document. If you cannot open the document, you may need to download (for free), Acrobat Reader.

Don't forget to accompany your form with the necessary proofs of identification. Please send your documents to:

GANDI SAS
Email change
15 place de la Nation
F-75011 Paris
FRANCE

On receipt of your documents, we will change the e-mail address according to your wishes. You will receive an e-mail confirmation. Then you will be able to get back your password with the online tools.

2.2. Access privileges

What access rights does an owner have?

The owner of a domain name has access to all our website's domain management tools, and has the authority to change the owner