If someone asks where your business domain is registered, would you know the answer? For many business owners, the answer is no. Your domain may have been registered years ago by an employee, web developer, IT company or previous marketing agency, and you may know that you own your domain without knowing which company actually manages the registration.
That usually is not a problem until you need to make a change. Maybe you are building a new website, changing hosting providers, updating your email, transferring your website to another company or trying to renew a domain that is about to expire. Suddenly, knowing where your domain is registered becomes very important.
The good news is that finding your domain registrar is usually fairly straightforward.
What Is a Domain Registrar?
A domain registrar is the company through which a domain name is registered and maintained. Companies such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, Hover and many others provide domain registration services.
For .CA domains, registrars operate within the system managed by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, or CIRA. CIRA manages the .CA domain registry, while certified registrars sell and manage .CA domain registrations for customers.
Your registrar is typically where you:
- Renew your domain
- Update contact information
- Change nameservers
- Manage certain DNS settings
- Unlock your domain for transfer
- Obtain a domain transfer or authorization code
- Control auto-renewal
Your domain registrar is not necessarily the same company that hosts your website. That distinction causes a lot of confusion for business owners.
Domain Registration, Website Hosting and Email Are Different
A business may use completely different companies for its domain, website and email. For example, your domain may be registered with one provider, your website hosted with another company, and your business email handled through Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.
These services can still work together because your domain's DNS records connect them.
This is why moving a website does not necessarily mean transferring the domain, and changing your domain registrar does not necessarily mean moving your website. Understanding where each service is managed can save a lot of confusion when changes are needed.
How to Find Where a .CA Domain Is Registered
If your domain ends in .ca, one of the easiest ways to identify the registrar is to use the CIRA WHOIS lookup (opens in a new tab).
CIRA's WHOIS directory can provide information about a .CA domain, including its registration status, creation and expiry information, and registrar.
- Visit the CIRA WHOIS lookup (opens in a new tab).
- Enter your domain name without https://, www or any page information.
- Look for the Registrar section in the results.
For example, search for yourcompany.ca rather than the full website address for an individual page.
Once you know the registrar, you can determine where you may need to log in or who you need to contact about the domain.
How to Find the Registrar for a .COM or Other Domain
For many generic domain extensions such as .com, you can use the ICANN Lookup (opens in a new tab) service.
Enter your domain name and look for the registrar information. ICANN's lookup service can help identify the registrar associated with a domain registration.
Knowing the registrar gives you a starting point for locating the account that controls your domain.
What If You Do Not Recognize the Registrar?
It is common to look up a domain and see the name of a company you do not recognize. There are several reasons this can happen.
Your domain may have been registered through a reseller. The company you originally purchased the domain from is not always the actual registrar shown in WHOIS records. Some website companies, IT providers and hosting companies resell domain registration through larger registrars.
Someone else may also have originally created the account. A former employee, previous web designer, IT provider or marketing agency may have registered the domain on behalf of your business.
Search your email records for terms such as:
- Domain renewal
- Domain registration
- Domain name
- WHOIS
- DNS
- Nameserver
- ICANN
- CIRA
- Your actual domain name
Old registration notices, invoices or renewal emails may help identify the account that manages the domain.
What If You Know the Registrar but Cannot Log In?
Finding the registrar is only the first step. The next challenge may be determining which account actually owns or manages the domain.
Start by trying the email addresses that are most likely to have been used when the domain was registered. This may include your current business email, an older company email address, an administrative account, a former employee, your IT provider or your web developer.
Use the registrar's password reset or account recovery process rather than creating a new account. Creating another account with the same registrar will not automatically give you access to an existing domain.
Who Should Control Your Business Domain?
Ideally, the business itself should ultimately have control over its primary domain name.
A web design company or IT provider can certainly help manage the domain on your behalf, but the business should still know:
- Where the domain is registered
- Which account controls it
- Which email address is associated with the account
- Who receives renewal notices
- How the account can be recovered
- Whether multi-factor authentication is enabled
Your domain is an important business asset. Losing access can create problems with your website, business email and other services connected to it.
Registrar vs Domain Owner
The registrar manages the registration, while the registrant is the person or organization that holds the domain registration.
For businesses, it is worth checking that the domain has not accidentally been registered under a former employee, previous developer or unrelated third party.
For some domains, public ownership information may be hidden because of privacy protections. A WHOIS lookup that does not display a person's name does not necessarily mean there is a problem with the registration.
Do You Need to Transfer Your Domain When Building a New Website?
Usually, no. A new website can often be launched simply by updating the appropriate DNS records while leaving the domain with the existing registrar.
Your domain can remain with the same registrar while:
- Your new website is hosted somewhere else
- Your email remains with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
- A new web company manages the website
- Existing email and third-party services continue operating
This is why DNS changes need to be handled carefully. Changing the wrong record or changing nameservers without understanding the existing setup can affect more than just the website.
What Information Should Your Business Keep on File?
Every business should maintain a basic record of its important website and domain accounts.
At minimum, document:
- Domain name
- Domain registrar
- Account email address
- Renewal date
- Auto-renewal status
- Website hosting provider
- DNS provider
- Email provider
- Website administrator
- Who has account access
Passwords should be stored securely in a reputable password manager rather than in an unsecured spreadsheet or document. Where available, multi-factor authentication should also be enabled.
The important thing is making sure this information does not exist exclusively in one employee's inbox or with an outside service provider.
What If Your Web Company Registered the Domain?
It is not automatically a problem if your web design company registered or manages the domain for you. Many agencies help clients handle domains, DNS records, nameservers and renewals because most business owners would rather not manage the technical details themselves.
The important part is understanding how your particular arrangement works.
Ask your provider:
- Who is listed as the domain registrant?
- Who receives renewal notices?
- Who pays for the domain renewal?
- Can the domain be transferred if needed?
- Who has access to make DNS changes?
A reputable provider should be able to clearly explain how your domain is managed.
Can You Transfer a Domain to Another Registrar?
In most situations, a domain can be transferred from one registrar to another as long as the applicable transfer requirements are met.
For many domains, a transfer requires an authorization code, which may also be called an Auth-Code, EPP code or transfer code. This code helps protect against unauthorized domain transfers.
However, you do not need to transfer your domain simply because you are changing web design companies or moving your website. In some situations, leaving the domain with its existing registrar is the simplest option.
Be Careful Before Changing DNS or Nameservers
If you are moving a website or changing providers, do not immediately change your nameservers without first reviewing what is currently connected to the domain.
DNS can control services including:
- Website hosting
- Business email
- Subdomains
- Verification records
- Third-party applications
- Marketing platforms
- Security services
Changing nameservers without copying the required DNS records can interrupt one or more of these services.
If you are unsure, have your web developer or IT provider review the existing DNS configuration before making changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out where my domain is registered?
For a .CA domain, use the CIRA WHOIS lookup (opens in a new tab) and check the registrar information. For many other domain extensions, you can use ICANN Lookup (opens in a new tab).
Is my domain registrar the same as my website host?
Not necessarily. Your domain registration, website hosting and email can all be managed by different companies.
Can my web designer manage my domain?
Yes. A web designer or agency can manage your domain on your behalf, but your business should still understand where it is registered, who controls the account and how access can be recovered.
Do I need to transfer my domain when changing web companies?
Usually not. A website can often be moved by updating DNS records while leaving the domain with its existing registrar.
What if I do not know the login for my domain?
Identify the registrar first, then use its account recovery process. Check old emails, invoices and renewal notices to determine which email address may have been used to create the account.
Can changing my domain settings affect my email?
Yes. DNS records can control both website and email services, so DNS or nameserver changes should be reviewed carefully before they are made.
Need Help Finding or Managing Your Domain?
At EB Media, we have worked with domains, website hosting, DNS and website migrations for businesses and organizations across Southern Ontario for more than a decade.
If you are preparing for a new website and are not sure where your domain is registered, where your website is hosted or who manages your DNS, we can help you sort through the setup and determine what needs to happen next.
You do not need to understand every technical detail yourself, but you should know who controls the important parts of your online presence.
If you are planning a new website or need help untangling an existing domain, hosting or DNS setup, contact EB Media.
