Naturally, you’ll want to know this well in advance so you can quickly decide what to do: register the domain name, contact the owner of your desired domain to negotiate purchase or rental, or choose a different domain name?
What does it mean when a domain name is still ‘available’?
There are 3 different types of “available.” This may sound strange, but it’s true:
- A domain name is available if it is not registered by anyone and can be freely claimed.
- A domain name may also be available (for sale or rent) if it is registered but has no website attached to it.
- A domain name has a website, but it is clearly inactive or hasn’t been updated for a long time.
For all of the above options, you can contact Domeinenbank.nl, but you can also take the following steps yourself:
1. Claiming an unregistered domain name
When a domain name is not registered by anyone, it is truly available. If you search for this domain name in the register of SIDN, it will show that there is no registered owner attached to the domain.
SIDN stands for Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland (Foundation for Internet Domain Registration in the Netherlands). This foundation manages the .nl domain names. They work in consultation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and are responsible for the continuity of the .nl extension.
When you type the domain name you are looking for in the search field within the orange section of the SIDN website, under “find your ideal .nl,” and then click on “check,” you will immediately see if the domain name is already registered.
If the domain name is available, you can register it directly by clicking on “register now.” You will then be directed to a section of the site where you can choose from different hosting providers to actually register your domain name.
2. Buying or renting a taken domain name
Sometimes, when you type in a domain name, you may end up on a blank page, a page from a hosting provider, or an error page. These are domain names that are registered but are not in use at the moment. This often means you can still take over the domain name. To do this, you first need to contact the owner of the domain name, which is not always easy.
Often, such ‘blank’ pages do not display contact details to check if the current owner is willing to sell the domain name. To check if the domain name owner is not hidden behind a privacy code, you can follow the steps mentioned earlier. When you type in the domain name in the search bar, you will see the message “yourdomainname.nl is already registered.” Below that, you can click on “show me the details,” agree to the terms in the pop-up, and you will then see a page with the domain owner’s details. If the owner’s name is publicly available, there will be an email address next to the “administrative contact person” line. You can use this email address to contact the domain’s contact person. However, there is no guarantee that this email will be read. Often, inactive websites also have unmonitored mailboxes. Nevertheless, it is always worth trying.
3. Taking over a domain with an inactive website
Sometimes, you may come across a domain name with a website that clearly hasn’t been updated for years. You can often find the last update year at the bottom of the page.
If this is the case, the website might still list contact details, but they are not always relevant or up-to-date for reaching the owner. Since the page is outdated, the information is often outdated as well. Still, it is the first point of contact you have to try to reach the owner.
If the information on the website is no longer correct, you can also type the domain name into the Google search bar. Often, an address will come up if the domain name is linked to a company or if the owner has registered their business with Google.
If this also doesn’t work, you can always follow the steps outlined in point 2 above.
Didn’t work? Contact Domeinenbank
At Domeinenbank.nl, we can always assist you with the steps mentioned above. While we cannot guarantee success, we have often been part of great success stories. Additionally, we can always think along with you or advise you on a suitable alternative domain name. Feel free to contact us via email, phone, or WhatsApp!
