On the registrar’s end, the domain registration process involves a series of interactions with the registry responsible for the TLD or ccTLD. Here’s a technical overview of the steps taken by the registrar:
- EPP Communication: The registrar communicates with the registry using the Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP). EPP is a standard protocol specifically designed for domain registration and management. It allows the registrar to send commands and receive responses from the registry.
- Domain Availability Check: The registrar sends an EPP command to check the availability of the desired domain. This command includes the domain name and the TLD or ccTLD being queried. The registry responds with the status of the domain, indicating if it is available for registration.
- Contact and Registrant Details: Once the domain is confirmed as available, the registrar collects the necessary contact and registrant details from the customer. This information includes the registrant’s name, address, email, and other contact information required by the registry.
- EPP Domain Create Command: The registrar sends an EPP command to the registry to initiate the domain registration process. This command includes the domain name, registration period, and the contact and registrant details obtained from the customer. The registrar may also include additional optional parameters as required by the registry.
- Registry Validation: The registry validates the provided information and performs checks to ensure compliance with registration policies. This may involve verifying the accuracy of the contact details or ensuring that the domain name meets specific requirements.
- Domain Registration Confirmation: If the validation is successful, the registry sends a response to the registrar indicating that the domain has been registered. This response typically includes the registration details, such as the registration date, expiration date, and domain status.
- DNS Configuration: After the domain is registered, the registrar allows the customer to configure DNS settings for the domain. This includes specifying nameservers, creating DNS records (such as A, CNAME, MX records), and managing other DNS-related configurations.
- WHOIS Update: The registrar updates the WHOIS database with the registration information provided by the customer. This ensures that the domain’s WHOIS records reflect the current ownership and contact details associated with the domain.
- Billing and Payment: The registrar handles the billing process, charging the customer for the domain registration services. This may involve collecting payment information, generating invoices, and managing payment transactions.
- Domain Management: Once the domain is registered, the registrar provides the customer with access to a control panel or management interface. This allows the customer to manage various domain settings, including DNS configuration, nameserver updates, contact information modifications, and domain renewals.
The registrar’s systems interact with the registry’s infrastructure using the defined protocols and APIs to facilitate domain registration and management. Technical implementation and specifics of the domain registration process may vary between different registrars.
Whois lookup – https://www.whois.com/whois/