Domain names are virtual real estate and once registered it becomes your asset as long as it is renewed each year. Most domains ending in .com, that are spellable, easy to remember, and brandable only increase in value.
We believe in making the domain registration as easy as possible. Our registration rates are amongst some of the best in the industry and our Client Portal makes it easy to manage multiple domains. Rather you're starting your first domain or building a portfolio, we've got you covered.
To register your domain, simply follow these steps:
1) Go to our Instant Domain Search, type in your domain, and click the search button
You may enter a phrase with or without a TLD (i.e. .com) depending on your needs. Based on your search, a list of available domains will be shown:
Searching with or without a TLD (domain extension) returned a list of available TLDs along with the first year registration price in orange and the yearly renewal cost in gray.
2) Filter search results and select your TLD (i.e. .com, .net, .org, etc.)
If you want to get a bit more specific, you can apply filters to the list of available domains.
Categories - If you click the categories drop down, you can sort the TLDs by specific categories. By default, all are shown. To apply filters, simply click a category to eliminate it:
Premium domains? - Some domain names have a much higher initial registration price because they're considered Premium. These are either domains that have already been registered but are available from the aftermarket or domains that the registry has marked as premium, mostly one-word domains to many of the gTLDS. If you don't want to see these domains in your search you can toggle this filter on.
Available Only - This filter only shows domain names that are available for registration (or purchase) by default. If you want to see all taken results you can toggle this filter off.
Help - Clicking the help dropdown will display a legend which helps explain the above filters in more detail.
3) Select the domain(s) you wish to register and click Checkout
Once you've found the domain(s) you'd like to register, you can simply click the add to cart button. An orange checkout button will appear which you can click when you've selected the domain(s) you wish to register:
Some customers wish to register multiple TLDs at once (i.e. the .com, .net, and .org) of a domain, but you can always go back and purchase later.
4) Configure your Domain Options
If you don't already have web hosting with us, or you'd like to add another account, you may add it here. If you purchase a Web Hosting package for 2 years or longer, the domain transfer is free! Additionally you can configure your domain with some extra services:
DNS Management - Allows you to manage DNS records for domains if you do not have a hosting service with us.
ID Protection - Protects your personal information from being shown in the public Whois database. Includes an email forward with Spam filtering. Highly Recommended
Email Forwarding - Provides the ability to forward email @yourdomain.com to an existing email account (i.e. @gmail.com). Not needed for customers who purchase hosting with their domain.
Nameservers - Enter the nameservers you wish to use for your domain. If you have an existing hosting service, these can be found inside our Client Portal or in your welcome email. If you're ordering hosting with your transfer, these will be automatically set for you.
Tip: If you're wanting to use your hosting immediately with your domain, enter the nameservers related to your hosting account in your current provider. They'll transfer over automatically.
Once finished configuring, click Continue.
5) Review your cart & Checkout
This page shows a breakdown of all domains added to your cart and the prices of any add-ons (such as ID Protection) as well as the renewal costs. Note: If you're purchasing a premium domain, the renewal cost will most likely be much less.
If you're an existing customer, make sure to click the Already Registered button to login. If not, proceed with filling out your information. It's important you enter valid information as our order system will not process your payment if it cannot be verified. Additionally, new customers will need to enter a unique four-digit PIN number, to be used for verification if you need to contact support.
Finally you can enter your payment method and complete the payment. For domains, it's highly recommended you use a valid debit/credit card (we accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express), as PayPal/Coinbase cannot process an auto renewal. Remember, domains must be renewed each year, and failure to pay will result in the domain becoming available again to the general public. Also, Credit Card (Stripe) is best for International cards outside the United States.
To complete your order, please review our Terms of Service and Payment Policy to ensure you understand our compliance guidelines. Domain registrations and transfers are not refundable as they're immediately submitted to the registry.
6) Make sure to verify your email address
For all new domain registrations, we must verify your email address is valid. Within a couple hours of your registration you will receive an email from the registry containing a link that MUST be clicked within 15 days. It looks like this:
Depending on the TLD of your domain, the verification email might be slightly different:
Failure to click this link WILL result in the registry placing it on HOLD, disabling it (meaning your website will go offline). If you do not see this email within 24 hours of registration, please check your Spam/Bulk email folder or reach out to our team to have it resent.
7) Begin managing your domain
Once your payment is completed your domain will be visible in the NameHero Client Portal:
You can click the Domains tab to see all of your domains and perform management actions such as changing your nameservers (to connect it to your web hosting account). To manage the domain, click the "3 dots" menu to the right of the domain like so:
Note: If you ordered a web hosting package along with your domain registration, the nameservers are automatically set for you.
To connect a new domain to your existing web hosting package, you may enter the unique nameservers of your package here. These can be found inside our Client Area for the specific package or in your hosting account welcome email.
Remember, when you change the nameservers of your domain, they take a couple of hours to propagate live across the Internet. This may take anywhere from an hour to 24 hours depending on your local Internet service provider.
By default, all domains are on auto renewal, so if you register a domain you do not wish to automatically renew each year, you must disable this inside the Client Area.
Frequently Asked Questions
I've paid for my domain why is it still listed as pending? Most all domain registrations are submitted to the registry and made available instantly. However in some cases, especially for premium domains, we must first verify all the details. This will be completed automatically within 24 hours (most of the time sooner) but if further action is required on your end, we'll send you an email.
I misspelled my domain on registration, how can I correct it? If you domain shows as active inside our Client Area it's already been submitted to the registry automatically and we're unable to process a refund/make any changes. If you quickly contact our team, there are some instances where we can cancel it, but we cannot promise.
I have not yet received my email verification email. Please allow up to 24 hours after a new domain registration to receive the email verification link. If you do not see it after that, please be sure to check your Spam/Bulk email folder and then reach out to our team to get it resent. You are not allowed to use invalid contact details on a domain.
I didn't add ID Protection when I registered my domain, can I still add it? Yes, you can add domain add-ons such as ID Protection, DNS Management (not needed if you have hosting), and Email Forwarding (not needed if you have hosting) at anytime inside the domain management section of our Client Area.
I no longer want my domain, can I delete it? No. All domain registrations are active for the duration of the time purchased (most often 1 year). If you no longer want your domain, please disable auto renew in our client interface and it'll be deleted a couple weeks after it expires.
Can I sell my domain to a third-party? Yes. You may resell any domain to another party. We recommend using a secure service such as Escrow.com to complete this and we can assist in moving the domain to the new owner's account, just let us know.
I want to move my domain from NameHero to another domain registrar. Ah gee, we hate to see you go! Please reach out to our team to see what we can do to help! If you still wish to continue you may unlock your domain and get the EPP/Auth code to move to another provider from inside the domain management section of our Client Area.