Glossary · ENCheck a domain

Domain registrar

A domain registrar is a company or organization that lets people register and manage domain names. It connects the customer, called the domain registrant, with the registry that maintains the records for a domain ending.

What does a registrar do?

When you register a name, the registrar checks whether it can be requested under the rules for that domain ending, submits the registration to the registry, and gives you a way to manage the registration. Depending on the ending and the provider, that management may include renewals, contact details, and settings that tell the DNS where to find website or email services.

For example, Sam registers sam-garden.example through a registrar. The registrar processes the request and provides Sam with an account for managing the registration. Sam can use a different company to host the website. The registrar still manages the domain registration, while the hosting company supplies the website files when visitors request them.

How is a registrar different from a registry?

A registrar serves customers who want a domain. A registry operator maintains the central database for a particular top-level domain, such as .com, and coordinates the domain records for that ending. Registrars submit registration information to the registry. The registrant is the person or organization associated with the registered name; the registrar is the provider handling the registration.

These roles are part of a chain. For many generic top-level domains, a registrar must be approved (accredited) by ICANN, the organization that coordinates these registration arrangements, to connect directly to the registry. A country-code domain may follow a different arrangement set by its own registry operator, and a retailer may also sell registrations through another registrar. The label shown in a storefront does not always tell you which organization holds the direct relationship with the registry.

What should I check when choosing or using a registrar?

Check who is named in the registration agreement, which account controls the domain, how renewals are handled, and how to contact support. Keep the account secure and the registrant's contact details current. The agreement and the rules for the specific domain ending determine the exact terms, available services, and transfer process.

If you later move the registration to another registrar, that is a domain transfer. It does not by itself move the website or email service: those services are reached through DNS settings, which can remain pointed to the same providers during a registrar change. Keep access to both the current registrar account and the contact email used for the registration while arranging a transfer.

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