The person or business a domain is registered to legally controls it. That means they control your website and every email address that ends in your domain. For a lot of small businesses, that isn't the business itself.
Why it's often not you
Domains are usually registered by whoever builds the first website. That might be a web designer, an IT person, a former staff member or a family member. They register it in their own name or business name because it's quicker, and nobody thinks about it again.
It doesn't matter until something changes. The designer moves on. The renewal emails go to an inbox nobody reads. Or you want to change providers and find you can't move your own domain without someone else's permission.
How to check a .au domain
- Go to auDA's WHOIS lookup at whois.auda.org.au.
- Type in your domain, for example yourbusiness.com.au.
- Look at Registrant and Registrant ID.
The registrant should be your business's legal name, and the ID should be your ABN or ACN. If you see your designer's business name, they're the legal holder.
How to check a .com domain
Use a WHOIS lookup from ICANN or your registrar. Many .com records hide the owner's details for privacy, so you may only see the registrar's name. In that case, log in to the registrar account. If you don't have a login, that tells you something too.
What to do if it isn't yours
Ask the current holder to change the registrant to your business. For .au domains, the registrar has a change of registrant process. It usually needs a form from both parties and sometimes a small fee. Do it while everyone is on good terms. It's a ten-minute job now and a stressful one after a falling out.
While you're there, make sure you have your own login, auto-renew is on, and the card on file is yours and current.
Check it in one minute
Deedbox checks whose name your domain is in, plus the registrar, DNS, email and hosting behind it, and every renewal date. It's free, with no sign-up.