We mentioned previously that on December 1st new ICANN rules are going into effect that change the way some domain contact information changes are processed. Well, here we are, and now we know a bit more about how the changes are going to be handled by our registrar, OpenSRS, so here’s an update.
First, the change affects all “generic top level domains.” Those are domains like .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, etc., and it includes all of the new domain extensions, like .blog, .photo, etc. Country code domains such as .uk, .tv, .co, etc. are not governed by ICANN, so they are not affected.
After December 1st, when you change the first name, last name, email address or organization for the registrant (that’s the domain name owner) you’ll have to approve the change in two separate emails. This only applies to changes made to the registrant’s contact information. Changes to the administrative, billing or technical contacts for your domain are not affected.
The reason there are two emails to respond to now is because changes to the registrant’s name, organization or email information are now treated the same way a “registrant change” has always been treated. The difference being, in the past that “registrant change” was assumed to be a change of ownership from person to person, so emailing both parties made sense.
But now that those emails are triggered any time you update something like your email address, those two emails will go to the same person – you. Unfortunately, you still need to approve the change by clicking a link in both emails, or the change will fail.
I know, it doesn’t make any sense and it complicates a previously simple operation, but this is the way it’s going to be done now, so we’ll just have to adapt.
How you can avoid problems or delays related to the change
- Take a few minutes now to make sure your registrant (domain owner) information is up to date, especially the email address.
- When you change the first name, last name, email address or organization for the registrant (domain owner), but are not transferring ownership to another person, make sure you approve the change by clicking the link in both emails that you receive.
- Additionally, you can avoid any problems or potential delays by granting OpenSRS (our domain registrar) “Designated Agent” status, which gives OpenSRS the right to automatically approve “Change of Registrant” updates for you. This option will be available on the confirmation page that will be linked to in the change approval email(s).
For more details on the new policy, please see this Knowledge Base article.