Understanding .nz domain name jargon
Like any industry, the domain name space has its share of jargon. Understanding this jargon will help make domain name management easier! We want to demystify some of the terms.
Registrant, registrar, or reseller – the who?
When you see the term ‘registrant’ it means the domain name holder. They are the person who owns the rights to the domain name
The ‘registrar’ or ‘reseller’ is the service provider that you pay for your domain name. They are your go-to for anything domain name-related.
Tip: You can check who the registrant and registrar is for any .nz domain name by using our handy WHOIS tool on our website.
UDAI and the power they hold!
A UDAI (Unique Domain Authentication ID) is needed to action anything on your domain name. This code is only given to the registrant and needs to be kept confidential as it allows changes to be made to your domain name. For example, someone could use this to take over your domain name without your knowledge!
Tip: Check out this page on our website for information on how to request a UDAI. On this page is also the UDAI check tool to test any UDAI you have received as they do expire.
The redemption period – Whoops, did you miss your registration payment?
If you miss a payment, your domain name will enter the redemption period. This period gives you 90 days to pay for the registration before being released to the general public to register on a first-come-first-served basis. To pay for your domain name, you’ll need to reach out to your registrar/reseller.
What is a conflicted domain name?
In 2014 the .nz domain name space released registrations directly at the second level, meaning more choice in .nz domain names. For example, you could get ‘anyname.nz’ and didn’t need to first have, say, a ‘co’ or ‘org’ as in anyname.co.nz or anyname.org.nz.
If there was more than one existing .nz domain name registered (such as anyname.co.nz and anyname.net.nz), it wasn’t clear who should have the new anyname.nz. The released names that more than one party might want were called ‘conflicted’ names. The Domain Name Commission ran a process to have the right to the new domain properly allocated. This is nearly completed.
Ask us or Dot
If you are unsure about any jargon thrown your way, please ask us or ask Dot (in bottom right hand corner of this website), our online employee on our website.