Register a domain name

A domain name is the address of your website and of your email addresses: yourcompany.com, hello@yourcompany.com. Registering it means renting it for a set period, which you can renew. This guide is for anyone who wants to register a first domain or add a new one to their Upkyo account.

Before you start

• An Upkyo client account. If you do not have one yet, you create it during checkout, see Create your Upkyo account.
• One or two name ideas. Also write down variants: with or without a hyphen, singular or plural.
• A payment method. Prices are shown excluding tax.

Register a domain step by step

1. Open the domain search, or click Register a domain name from your client area.
2. Type the name you want, with or without an extension.
3. Look at the list: the available extensions are displayed with their yearly price.
4. Add the domain or domains you like to your cart.
5. Choose the registration period.
6. Place your order and pay the invoice.
7. Find your new domain in the Domains section of your client area.

How do you choose a good domain name?

A good name is easy to remember, easy to say over the phone and easy to spell. A few simple rules:

• Short: fewer characters means fewer typos.
• Unambiguous: avoid double letters, numbers that could be written as words, and unusual spellings.
• No accents or special characters: internationalized names exist, but many apps and email clients handle them poorly.
• Hyphens in moderation: one hyphen can help readability (smith-plumbing.com), several make the name hard to remember.
• Consistent with your brand: the same name as your business, your shop sign or your social media handle.

Before you confirm, also check that the name does not use a trademark owned by someone else. A domain that imitates a well-known brand can be taken away from you.

Which extension should you choose: .com or something else?

The extension is the part after the dot. It has almost no direct effect on search rankings, but it matters for trust and memorability.

• .com: the best-known extension, suitable for most businesses and for international audiences.
• Country codes (.fr, .es, .uk, .de…): ideal if your customers are mainly in one country.
• .net and .org: common alternatives, .org being traditionally used by associations.
• Themed extensions: useful for a specific project, but less familiar to the general public.

Many businesses register both the .com and their country extension, so nobody else can take the other one. You can then redirect one to the other.

What happens after you order?

Once the invoice is paid, the domain is registered in your name. It appears in Domains, where you can see its expiry date and settings. You can then:

• Manage its DNS zone to connect a website or email service, see Edit your DNS records.
• Point it to your website, see Point a domain name to a website (A and CNAME records).
• Create your email addresses, see Create an email address.

Renewal happens automatically before expiry, using the card saved on your account, see Renew a domain name.

Common mistakes

• The name is already taken: try another extension, add a word describing your business or your city, or use the AI suggestions.
• Typo in the order: check the name in your cart before paying. A registered domain cannot be renamed, you would need to order another one.
• Incomplete contact details: the domain owner is the person or company shown on your account. Keep a valid email address, it is used for important confirmations.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a domain name cost?

The price depends on the extension. It is shown for each available extension when you search, as a yearly price excluding tax. The renewal price is then shown on the domain's page.

Can I buy a domain name without hosting?

Yes. You can register a domain on its own, for example to protect it or to keep it for later. You can add hosting or email whenever you need them.

How do I know if a domain name is available?

Type it into the domain search: available extensions are listed with their price. If an extension is not shown as available, it is already registered by someone else.

Is the domain registered in my name?

Yes. The domain is registered in the name of the owner shown on your account. You can transfer it to another registrar whenever you like, see Transfer a domain to another registrar.

What if I have no idea for a name?

Use No name idea yet? in the search: describe your business in one sentence and Upkyo's AI suggests names that are still free.