Domain Privacy & WHOIS Protection
As a domain owner, it's essential to understand the importance of protecting your personal contact information from being publicly visible. In this article, we'll explain what WHOIS is, how domain privacy/WHOIS protection works, and provide step-by-step instructions on enabling or disabling it for your domains.
What is WHOIS?
WHOIS is a public database that stores information about domain owners, including their name, email address, phone number, and physical address. This information is publicly accessible, which can be convenient but also raises concerns about privacy and security.
What does Domain Privacy/WHOIS Protection do?
Domain privacy/WHOIS protection replaces your personal contact information with the registrar's privacy service information in the WHOIS database. This means that instead of seeing your name, email address, phone number, and physical address, people will see the contact details of Right Servers' privacy service.
Why is Domain Privacy Important?
Enabling domain privacy/WHOIS protection helps prevent:
- Spam: By not making your email address publicly visible, you reduce the likelihood of receiving unwanted emails and spam.
- Personal info exposure: Keep your personal contact information private and secure.
- Unwanted solicitations: Reduce unsolicited calls, letters, or emails from companies trying to sell you something.
How to Enable Domain Privacy/WHOIS Protection
To enable domain privacy/WHOIS protection for your domain:
- Log in to the client portal.
- Navigate to the Domains section.
- Select the domain you want to enable WHOIS privacy for.
- Look for the WHOIS Privacy or Domain Privacy option.
- Enable it by toggling the switch or checkbox.
How to Disable Domain Privacy/WHOIS Protection
If you need to disable domain privacy/WHOIS protection:
- Log in to the client portal.
- Navigate to the Domains section.
- Select the domain with WHOIS privacy enabled.
- Look for the WHOIS Privacy or Domain Privacy option.
- Disable it by toggling the switch or checkbox off.
Availability and Cost
Not all top-level domains (TLDs) support domain privacy/WHOIS protection. Some country-code TLDs, like .ca, have different rules and regulations. Additionally, some TLDs may include WHOIS privacy free of charge, while others may offer it as an add-on service.
Important Note
Even with domain privacy/WHOIS protection enabled, Right Servers Inc. still has your real contact information on file for legal and billing purposes. This ensures we can fulfill our obligations to you and comply with relevant laws and regulations.
