How Does Domain Privacy Protection Hide My Information
When you receive privacy protection for your domain, your domain registrar records your personal information for legal purposes but masks it with its generic contact information on the Whois directory. In such a manner, your private details are kept safe from the public eye and you are never bothered by scammers or spammers.
Domain Privacy Hides Your Information From Competitors
Anyone who has a business or is thinking of starting one will likely do into the industry. Competitor research is a typical part of that process. Including your details in the WHOIS directory makes digging up information about your company that much easier for competitors.
If you own multiple websites especially, the WHOIS directory is an easy way for people to make the connection between them. If youd rather keep your brands separate in the eyes of competitors, or you simply dont want to make it easy for them to find out more about your company, domain privacy is worth it.
Should You Buy Domain Privacy
Yes, you should get domain privacy. But you shouldnt have to pay extra for it.
Check out our domain records. See our contact info there?
If youre dead set against transferring your domain names to a registrar that includes privacy, then yes pay for it. The annoyance isnt worth the money youll save. But if youre willing to transfer your domain registration you can keep your info private without the extra charges.
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Where To Get Free Domain Privacy Protection For Life
Namecheap announced in 2018 that they’d be offering FREE WhoisGuard protection on ALL of their domains, and as someone who has collected quite a few domain names, I jumped for joy!
With other domain registrars, this service generally tacks on at least a few dollars per year onto each domain. Therefore, I’ll likely be switching some domains I have on other registrars over to Namecheap very soon! And since I’ve been very happy with Namecheap otherwise, it’s currently the only domain registrar I’d recommend.
Of course, unless you get a first-year deal with your hosting company, you’ll have to pay for your domain name to begin with. But the free WhoisGuard option is just one reason I like to host all my domains on Namecheap!
No Unnecessary Sale Pitches
When your email and phone number are accessible to everyone, you are bound to be contacted by pushy salesmen regularly. However, with domain privacy protection, you wont face any such issues and your inbox will be free of unwanted marketing emails or spam ones. Additionally, you wont be bothered by sales calls that are uncalled for.
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The Benefits Of Whois Protection
If youre considering whether private domain registration is worth it, lets go over the reasons why you benefit.
1. Protect your personal information
Identity theft is a serious problem online, and personal information is needed when registering a domain name. If someone were to gain access to this data, it could cause serious problems for you or your business. Whois protection conceals this information. Domain privacy is necessary to help prevent your data from getting into the wrong hands.
2. Prevent unsolicited marketing outreach
Listing your contact information alongside your domain invites unwanted attention from salespeople, spammers, telemarketers, and fraudsters. Some individuals scan the Whois database for contact information, trawling newly registered websites in particular. Soon after registration you may be targeted with emails and calls about trying to offer online marketing, SEO, making domain privacy protection worth getting just to avoid such communications!
3. Minimize spam
Private registration for a domain name is necessary if you want to protect your email, and cut down on unsolicited emails from spammers. Your domain registrar will include an alias email in place of your own within the Whois database cutting down the likelihood of phishing emails. Such phishing emails wont reach your true email if you use domain privacy protection.
4. Greater control over your personal information
What If You Checkout But Want To Add Domain Privacy Later
No problem. If you already purchased the domain, you can simply go login and click on the my domains tab and then click add privacy next to your desired domain. I have done this for many of the domains that I own.
Some may decide not to add it at. For example, some people buy and sell domains for profit online. This practice is called domain flipping. There are many helpful domain flipping guides online that show beginners how to make money with it.
If your idea is to buy domains on Godaddy and flip them quickly on Godaddy auctions, Flippa.com, Sedo, etc, then you might bypass Domain Privacy. However, if you are buying a domain on which you plan to build a website on for the long haul, then getting Godaddy Domain Privacy Protections is definitely worth adding it if you already purchased it.
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Why Theres A Need For Domain Name Privacy
Several different websites enable you to do a WHOIS lookup, including the official ICANN site. Its easy to understand why this directory exists having a central and public database of domain names and their owners can come in handy if theres ever a legal dispute over ownership.
More than that, however, is the accountability this system affords in cases of cybercrimes and copyright theft. Information acquired from the WHOIS database can be used to limit the malicious behavior of offenders across the internet.
Here are some of the most common ways people typically use information from the WHOIS directory:
- To buy a domain thats not currently available. Business owners sometimes find that the domain name that matches their unique brand has been taken. The WHOIS directory is one way to find the current owner of the domain and offer to buy it. This is particularly relevant if, for example, that person doesnt have a live website containing their contact details.
- For unsolicited marketing efforts. If you have a domain name, youre probably either looking to build a website or already have one. Therefore, you can expect to receive dozens of emails from marketers offering to help you build or redesign your website.
- For running scams. Aside from spam emails, its almost inevitable that youll receive emails from people whod like nothing more than to scam you out of your websites data or profits.
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Domain Privacy And General Data Protection Regulation
You may already know about GDPR regarding its impact on your and your users web privacy within the European Union . Theres a little more to understand about how this ties into domain privacy and the WHOIS database in general.
Of course, the GDPR keeps your data safe and protected. So does domain privacy, although theres one key distinction. With domain privacy, you have a forwarding address. That means if theres a need to contact you, someone can legitimately use the WHOIS database to reach you while still enabling you to keep your information private:
In contrast, while the GDPR also ensures that your details dont display within the WHOIS database, theres no forwarding email address. Thus, nobody will be able to contact you for legitimate reasons. While this isnt a huge concern given what we said earlier, its still something to note.
Our advice is always to take the option of domain privacy if possible. At this point, its worth noting that some top-level domain extensions dont get the opportunity to have private WHOIS entries. This is often related to country-specific TLDs, such as .us, .uk, and .it, and many second-level domains such as .us.com, and .net.in.
Still, youll have the ability to hide your personal data under GDPR, but without the benefits of domain privacy implementation.
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How Do I Get It
The process varies from registrar to registrar, but for the most part, its pretty simple. You have one of two options:
1. Purchase domain privacy at the time of registration.
Once youve found your awesome domain name, you should have the ability to add domain privacy before checking out. If you dont see it in as an option in your cart, call customer service. A representative should be able to help you add domain privacy.
2. Purchase domain privacy at a later date.
You can add domain privacy to any domain youve registered at any point in time. However, if you have the ability to add privacy up front, do so.
Thats not to say that your information wont become private after adding domain privacy, but there will still be time for spammers and scammers to take advantage of your personal details. Plus, the internet archives data, which can be searched by using the Wayback Machine.
Where To Buy Domains For Your Websites
Previously, I used to buy Domains from Godaddy but later I stopped mainly due to the fact that its way more expensive to Register at Godaddy and sadly the prices keep going up every single year! Eventually, I realized that there are still a few quality web hosting companies such as Bluehost out there offering their new customers with a FREE Domain whenever they create a hosting account with them.
This way they will only have to pay for their web hosting bill and completely chuck the Domain Name Registration bill which is FREE of cost. Moreover, Bluehost gives you up to 60% Special Discount on their web hosting service which is so COOL! Isnt it?
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Can I Buy Domain Privacy Later
Of course! Its never too late to get privacy protection for your domain. You can always get it for any domain you registered in the past. However, in such a case, there is a possibility that your personal information might have already reached the hands of spammers and scammers.
If you werent aware of the importance of domain privacy protection earlier and facing troubles now, Id recommend you to get in touch with your domain registrar to make changes to your personal information in the Whois register and get privacy at the same time so that your new contact details are not displayed publicly ever.
Is Domain Privacy Protection Necessary
Though domain privacy protection is an optional feature I must recommend my readers to go for it.
Tell me, is it good to give your personal information to anyone you dont trust?
Its not!
Yes! thats why It is necessary to opt for domain privacy protection if you really want to protect yourself from being contacted by spammers and advertisers who may contact you to sell their services.
Mostly these spammers are kind web designers or digital service providers, but it is wise to not get caught by them.
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Add Domain Privacy Protection With Your Domain Registrar
If your hosting provider doesnt offer domain privacy, you may be able to add a protection plan through your domain registrar. With a service such as , you can include domain protection at the initial checkout stage.
If you havent purchased your domain yet, start by entering your target URL name in the Google Domains search bar:
This will show you if your domain is available to purchase. If not, Google Domains will give you suggestions for alternate names or TLDs:
When you find the domain you want, select it and proceed to checkout. In your cart, youll see an option for privacy protection under Registration. Use the slider on the left to turn on domain privacy:
During checkout, you can also add auto-renew and a custom email. After youve modified your domain add-ons, click on Check out. Then, you can complete your purchase.
If you want to upgrade an existing plan, the process should be equally straightforward. You can consult your account to investigate your options, or get in touch with your registrars support team to find out how you can make this change.
Where To Get Domain Privacy Protection For Free
Besides Bluehost, there are only a few other web hosting companies that will give you domain privacy protection for free.
You may not know it, but Namecheap web hosting starting at only $1.58/month offers FREE whoisguard! You can buy you domain & hosting here at www.namecheap.com.
NOTE: If you prefer to use Bluehost web hosting, then you can simply point your Namecheap nameservers to Bluehost web hosting if you want. If you need help with doing this, just drop me a comment down below.
The great thing is that domain privacy automatically comes on every domain that you purchase there. Every year that you renew your domain name, this service will be FREE.
However, in my opinion although Namecheap has cheap WordPress hosting and gives domain privacy. Although they have awesome 24/7 customer support, its only through chat and email. If this doesnt bother you having only chat and email support for your web hosting, then you should jump on Namecheap. The truth is that they will be cheaper on your pockets and save you more money in the long run.
Bluehost web hosting on the other hand has faster 24/7/365 phone, chat, and email customer support to answer your questions whenever you need them. I must say that when comparing Namecheap to Bluehost, Bluehost has faster page loads and rock solid uptime server performance that every online business website, blog, or eCommerce needs. But the decision is yours if you will use Namecheap or Bluehost to create your website today.
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The Pros And Cons Of Domain Name Privacy
At this point, lets take a closer look at what you stand to gain or lose when you opt for domain name privacy, rather than sharing your information openly.
Pros:
- You protect your personal contact information since all identifying details will be replaced by the domain registrar.
- Youll avoid some spam and attempted scams.
- You can mitigate the risk of having your site hacked or hijacked completely.
Cons:
- You are sometimes charged a premium for this service, which can be anywhere between $10 to $30 .
- You risk creating a false sense of security. Your protection is still not 100% guaranteed, as disreputable companies may sell your personal information.
- Ownership of your domain name is less legitimate. The entity whose details is listed in the WHOIS database for a domain is considered its legal owner.
Its worth noting that here at DreamHost, we offer domain privacy for free, which mitigates one of the chief disadvantages. This means that for most users, the positives of keeping their domains private will outweigh the few drawbacks.
Before moving on, we should also mention that some TLDs have special circumstances, and domain name privacy may either be attached by default or be forbidden. These include:
So when deciding whether or not you want to make your domain private, youll also want to consider your TLD and find out if it has any special rules.
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