Domains FAQ
If your question is not covered here, please do not hesitate to contact us.
See Also
Registering domain names
- What characters can a domain name contain?
- Can I register two character domains, e.g. ab.co.uk?
- I want to register a domain using a TLD not listed on your website. Can you register this for me?
- If I register a domain using Purple Cloud, who will you register it to?
- I want to register a domain with Purple Cloud, but use another service provider to host my domain. Is this possible?
- How long does it take to register a domain?
- What registries does Purple Cloud use to register domains?
- Can I register a domain to my company or business?
- Can I use my domain for email or web hosting?
- The domain I want has expired but still is not available to register. When will I be able to register it?
- Can I hide my personal details so that they are not displayed on a WHOIS search?
Making changes to domain names
Transferring domains
- How do I transfer a domain to Purple Cloud?
- What is your tag for .uk domains?
- If I transfer my domain to Purple Cloud, will you change the name servers?
- My existing registration agent is refusing to transfer my domain to Purple Cloud. Can you help?
- Can I transfer my domain from Purple Cloud to another service provider?
Miscellaneous
- What is WHOIS?
- What are name servers?
- I have received a letter/email about my domain name from a company called Nominet. Is this genuine or some kind of scam?
- Someone registered a domain on my behalf using Purple Cloud, but I do not have access to the account. Can you help?
Registering domain names
What characters can a domain name contain?
You can only use letters, numbers and the hyphen (-) character (although names cannot start or end with a hyphen).
Can I register two character domains, e.g. ab.co.uk?
No, your name must be at least three characters in length.
I want to register a domain using a TLD not listed on your website. Can you register this for me?
Currently we can only register domains for the TLDs on our website.
If I register a domain using Purple Cloud, who will you register it to?
As part of the order process you will be able to enter the name and contact details for the person or business that you want to register your domain to. Some other domain registrars will register domains to themselves instead of to their customers, which makes transferring these domains much harder.
I want to register a domain with Purple Cloud, but use another service provider to host my domain. Is this possible?
Yes - once you have registered the domain, you can change its name servers to move the hosting to another service provider.
How long does it take to register a domain?
Once you have placed and paid for your domain name order, our system will register the domain automatically in a matter of minutes. It can however take several hours for services such as email and web hosting on your domain to start working.
What registries does Purple Cloud use to register domains?
Purple Cloud is a member of Nominet, the .uk domain registry. For gTLD domains (.com/.org/.net/.biz/.info) we use Enom, one of the world's largest domain registries.
Can I register a domain to my company or business?
Yes, simply enter the relevant details when placing your order.
Can I use my domain for email or web hosting?
Yes - you can order email or web hosting services from us at the same time as your domain or at a later date. Or you could use another service provider to host a domain that you have registered with us.
The domain I want has expired but still is not available to register. When will I be able to register it?
Unfortunately there is no set answer to this question. It can take anywhere between 1 and 6 months for expired domains to become available for registration.
Can I hide my personal details so that they are not displayed on a WHOIS search?
.uk domains registered to an individual (as opposed to a business) can opt-out of the WHOIS register. This means only your name will be displayed - all other contact details will be hidden. For gTLD domains (.com, .org, .net, etc.) it is not possible to hide the contact details. You are strongly advised not to enter false information as this will weaken your ownership of the domain and possibly cause problems when trying to transfer it.
Making changes to domain names
Can I change my domain name?
No, once a domain is registered it cannot be cancelled or changed. If you want a different name you will need to register it separately. Obviously you are not obliged to renew a domain when it expires if you no longer want it.
Can I change the details displayed on a WHOIS search for my domain?
Yes, you can update all contact information using My Purple Cloud. The only exception is the registrant name (i.e. the name of the person or business that the domain is registered to) for .uk domains. This can only be changed directly with Nominet - see http://www.nominet.org.uk/registrants/maintain/transfer/ for details.
Transferring domains
How do I transfer a domain to Purple Cloud?
Please click here for full details.
What is your tag for .uk domains?
Our tag is PURPLECLOUD.
If I transfer my domain to Purple Cloud, will you change the name servers?
We will only change the name servers for your domain if you have also ordered email or web hosting from us. Please contact us if you do not want us to change your domain's name servers.
My existing registration agent is refusing to transfer my domain to Purple Cloud. Can you help?
Nominet can change the tag on your .uk domain if your current registration agent is unwilling or unable to do so. Please see http://www.nominet.org.uk/registrants/maintain/changeagent/faq/ for details. For gTLD domains (.com, .org, .net, etc.) please contact us for advice. Make sure that you include the domain name you are trying to transfer in your message.
Can I transfer my domain from Purple Cloud to another service provider?
Yes. We make no charge to release domains from our service. Please click here for more information.
Miscellaneous
What is WHOIS?
A WHOIS search on a domain will tell you if the domain is registered, and if so it will list contact details for the registrant of the domain as well as other technical information.
What are name servers?
Every domain name must have at least two name servers which will define where on the internet the domain is hosted. This allows you to "point" your domain name at a particular hosting service for web and email services.
I have received a letter/email about my domain name from a company called Nominet. Is this genuine or some kind of scam?
Nominet are the registry for all .uk domains - we register domains with Nominet on your behalf. They will send you a confirmation of your domain name registration in the post within 6 months. If you receive a letter or email from another company concerning your domain and are unsure if it is genuine, then please contact us for advice.
Someone registered a domain on my behalf using Purple Cloud, but I do not have access to the account. Can you help?
Please contact us for advice. Make sure that you include the domain name concerned in your message.