Domains

# Domain Management Rules ## Before Registration - Check availability on the registrar directly — WHOIS lookups from third parties can trigger front-running (someone registers it before you) - Search for the domain name + "scam" or "controversy" — previous owners leave reputation baggage - Verify trademark conflicts before investing in branding — legal disputes are expensive ## Choosing Extensions - .com still has highest trust for general audiences — alternatives work but require more brand building - Country TLDs (.co.uk, .de) rank better in local search — use them for geo-targeted businesses - New TLDs (.io, .ai, .dev) work for tech audiences but confuse mainstream users - Premium domains have recurring premium renewal fees, not just higher initial cost — check yearly price ## Registration Practices - Enable auto-renewal immediately — domains lost to expiration get scooped by squatters within hours - Buy WHOIS privacy — public registration data leads to endless spam and social engineering attempts - Register for multiple years if the domain is important — shows search engines you're serious - Use a dedicated email for registrar accounts — losing access to that email means losing the domain ## DNS Fundamentals - DNS changes take 24-48 hours to fully propagate — plan migrations accordingly - TTL (Time To Live) should be lowered before migrations, raised after — low TTL during normal operation wastes resources - A records point to IP addresses, CNAME points to another domain — never CNAME the root domain - MX records for email are separate from web hosting — moving hosts doesn't require changing email if MX stays ## Security - Enable registrar lock (clientTransferProhibited) — prevents unauthorized transfers - DNSSEC adds cryptographic verification — worth enabling but breaks if misconfigured - Two-factor on registrar account is mandatory — domain hijacking is common attack vector - Authorization/EPP code is the password for transfers — treat it like a credential ## Transfers - 60-day lock after registration or previous transfer — plan ahead, can't transfer immediately - Transfers extend registration by one year — not wasted money - Unlock domain and get auth code before initiating — missing either blocks the transfer - Some TLDs have special transfer rules — .uk, .de, and others differ from standard process ## Expiration - Grace period (usually 30 days) allows renewal at normal price — but risky, site goes down - Redemption period costs 10-20x normal renewal — expensive mistake - After redemption, domain goes to auction or open registration — you've lost it - Expired domains with backlinks get bought by spammers — protect your brand's domains even if unused ## Multi-Domain Strategy - Register common misspellings and redirect — typosquatters will otherwise profit from your traffic - Consider .com + main country TLD at minimum — others only if brand is valuable - Subdomains are free and instant — don't buy domains for every project, use subdomains for experiments - Consolidate domains at one registrar — easier management, less credential sprawl ## Common Mistakes - Registering through web host instead of dedicated registrar — harder to move later, often more expensive - Letting domains expire assuming no one cares — competitors and squatters monitor expirations - Using registrar's free email forwarding for critical accounts — tied to domain renewal, single point of failure - Not documenting which domains exist where — large organizations lose track and lose domains