Choosing a .SG Domain Name

REGISTERING A .SG NAME

Know your registrars and related agents

Why are domain names registered with an accredited Registrar?

Difference between a Registrar and related agents

Price and registration plan

Other related services (such as hosting, web designing, mobile app)

Roles of vendors in web-design, hosting, mobile app and domain name registration

Documentation required

 

Registering and managing your domain name

Registration
  1. Look at the list of domain name extension or suffix available and decide which applies to you or your business best. Do consider more than one suffix. Country code extensions such as .com.sg and .sg are good consideration for an identity if your business is based in Singapore, giving it credibility and authenticity. You may also consider as a secondary choice other suffixes to give your business the identity of the service or product it represents, for e.g., edu.sg for an education institute.
  2. Consider the domain name that you want. A company's name is one of the fundamental names to consider. Product names and business related names can also be potential domain names.
  3. Check your proposed name for availability in SGNIC's WHOIS then apply for the chosen domain name by submitting an application to any of the SGNIC accredited registrar for the desired names. Remember, domain names are registered on a first come-first-served basis.
  4. Registrants will be bound by an agreement (Domain Name Registration Agreement) with the registry (SGNIC) upon approval of the domain name. They will also be bound by a commercial/purchase agreement with the registrar.
Domain Expiry
If a domain is not renewed on or before the expiry date, SGNIC will allow for a 'Post Expiry Grace Period' of 30 days where the domain name is suspended and ceases to resolve to a website or email address. It can be re-activated if SGNIC receives an instruction for renewal and upon payment of the requisite fee by the registrant via his registrar. The new expiry date will be 1 year from the original date of expiry.

Immediately after the 'Post Expiry Grace Period', the 'Deletion Escrow Period' follows for a duration of 30 days. During this period, the domain name will be suspended and cease to resolve. The registrant can apply for a renewal upon payment of the Reinstatement Fee in addition to the Renewal Fee. The new expiry date will be 1 year from the payment of renewal and reinstatement fees.

Non-renewal of the domain name will result in deletion from the Registry System. The domain name will then be available for new registration from the public.

Importance of ownership and administration rights management


Domain ownership can be checked in the **WHOIS database. The WHOIS can be found on SGNIC's website at the top right corner. The person holding the domain name is listed as the "Registrant" in the WHOIS database of SGNIC's Registry System.

The owner of a company is not necessarily the holder of the domain. If you are the owner of the company, it is important that your domain be registered under your name or company's name and not a hosting company or an employee of your company. You would want to be listed as the registrant of the domain name and directly receive important administrative communication about the name such as expiry and renewal-related matters, instead of through someone else who may leave your company or whose service you may not continue to engage in the future. This is to avoid a situation where your company's domain name is held by someone else who refuses to cooperate with you to perform updates to the name (such as when you have a new server or when you want to change domain name registration contact detail). This could adversely affect your website and business operations.

**What is "WHOIS" database? A detailed explanation can be found in the section of "Trust and Security of Domain Name".