Verify your domain contact information

All domains must have valid contact information. In this guide, you’ll learn how to verify your domain name contact information for ICANN, update your contact details, and manage domain name contact privacy settings.

ICANN is the organization that governs domain name registration policies. ICANN requires all domain name owners to provide current and valid contact information.

The registrant contact information identifies the owner of the domain name and is used to settle ownership disputes. Be sure to update your contact information if domain name ownership changes.

ICANN requires verification of your contact email address when:

• You register a new domain name with an email address you haven’t previously verified.
• You update your domain name contact information to a new email address.

You’ll receive an email at your domain name contact email address with instructions to complete verification. You must complete the verification process within 14 days. Otherwise, your domain name will be suspended and your site will be offline until you verify your contact information.

Follow these steps to verify your domain name contact information:

1. Visit your site’s dashboard.
2. Navigate to Upgrades → Domains (or Hosting → Domains if using WP Admin).
3. Select your domain name to access your domain name’s settings.
4. Click the “Contact information” section.
5. View the email address you provided with your domain name, which may be different from your WordPress.com account email if you provided a different email address.

6. Check the inbox for that email address for a message from domains-help@wordpress.com at the time you registered the domain name or changed your domain contact information.
7. Click the “Verify Now” button in the email to verify your domain contact information.

It may take up to thirty minutes for the domain name to be shown as verified once you click the “Verify Now” button in the email.

If your domain name was suspended for unverified contact information, complete the verification steps above to restore it. Once verified, your domain name will come back online within 30 minutes.

You may also see the following error message in your dashboard:

You must respond to the ICANN email to verify your domain email address or your domain will stop working. Please check your inbox and respond to the email.

If you no longer want the domain name, you can cancel the domain name or let it expire.

If you haven’t received the verification email, try the following:

• Confirm you’re checking the email address listed in your domain’s contact information, not your WordPress.com account email.
• Check for typos in the contact email address.
• Search your inbox and spam folder for the domain name, “verification,” or emails from domains-help@wordpress.com.
• Wait up to 30 minutes for the email to arrive.
• If the email address is incorrect, update your domain contact information and a new verification email will be sent.

Follow these steps to update your domain contact information:

1. Visit your site’s dashboard.
2. Navigate to Upgrades → Domains (or Hosting → Domains if using WP Admin).
3. Click your domain name to open the domain name management page.
4. Click the “Contact information” section.

5. Click the “Edit” button.

6. Enter your updated details and click the “Save contact info” button.

If you’re updating your name, organization, or email address, see the sections below for important information about verification requirements.

Under ICANN policy, changes to the following fields count as a change in domain name ownership:

• First name
• Last name
• Organization name
• Email address

These changes require email confirmation before taking effect. The confirmation process depends on when you registered your domain name:

Most domain names: We handle verification on your behalf. When you save your changes, you’ll see a notice authorizing us as your Designated Agent and a checkbox to opt out of the 60-day transfer lock. You’ll receive an email confirming the change. If you also receive an email from domains-help@wordpress.com asking you to verify your domain name, complete that verification as well.

Older domain names: You must confirm the change via emails sent to both the old and new email addresses. These emails come from sales@secureserver.net and contain a confirmation link. The option to opt out of the 60-day transfer lock appears only in the email sent to the old address. If you no longer have access to the old email address or the confirmation emails don’t arrive, contact us for help.

Warning: If you don’t complete verification within 14 days, ICANN will suspend your domain name. Check your inbox and spam folder for verification emails.

Once the contact information is verified, a suspended domain name will come back online within 30 minutes.

Under ICANN’s Inter-Registrant Transfer Policy, changes to your first name, last name, organization, or email address are treated as ownership changes—even if you’re not transferring the domain name to someone else.

By authorizing your registrar (either Automattic or Tucows Domains Inc.) as your Designated Agent, you can update your domain contact information or transfer your domain name immediately without multiple confirmation emails. This is the default process for most domain names registered on WordPress.com.

If your domain name is eligible, you’ll see this notice when saving your contact details:

This authorization only applies to updating your contact information—we won’t use it to take any other action on your domain name. If you prefer not to authorize a Designated Agent, you can transfer your domain name to another registrar.

Ownership-related contact changes also apply a 60-day transfer lock to your domain name. During this time, you cannot transfer your domain name to another registrar, but the domain name will continue to work normally.

If you plan to transfer your domain name within the next 60 days, you can avoid the lock by checking the “Opt-out of the 60-day transfer lock” box before saving your changes:

For older domains, the opt-out option appears in the confirmation email sent to your old email address.

Private domain name registration is enabled by default on WordPress.com, keeping your contact information hidden from public WHOIS lookups at no extra cost.

Learn more about privacy protection for your domain.