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Who has my domain

Find which company keeps your domain's records, so you know where to log in, and what to do when someone else holds the account.

Updated

Domain companies word their screens differently, so follow your company's own help where it differs from these pages. General information, not technical or legal advice.

You add a record where your domain’s records are kept. That is usually the company you bought your domain from, and sometimes a different one if someone else set it up. If you don’t remember which, your email and your card statement usually tell you in a few minutes, and ICANN’s free lookup tells you the rest.

How do I find the company I bought my domain from?

You only need the company’s name. The place to add records is usually where you bought your domain.

Do this

Try these in order. Stop when you have a company name.

  1. Search your email. Search for your domain name, then for “renewal” and “domain.” Receipts and renewal notices name the company.
  2. Check your card statement. Look for a yearly charge that mentions a domain.
  3. Look it up at ICANN. Go to lookup.icann.org, type your domain name in the Lookup box and press Lookup. The Registrar Information section of the results names the company you bought from. If the name means nothing to you, search your email for it.
  4. Ask the person who set up your website or your email. They may know, or they may hold the login.
  5. Log in there and look for DNS. It may be called DNS, DNS records or Manage DNS. Then go to Add a record to your domain.
If the company you bought from isn't the one that holds your list

What if the company I bought from doesn’t hold my list of records?

Sometimes the list of records is kept by a different company than the one that sold you the name. The two are often the same company, but not always. A web designer setting up your site is one way this happens.

The ICANN lookup shows it too. In the results, find the line called Nameservers. Each entry looks like ns1.example.com, and the name inside it tells you which company keeps your list. If the name isn’t a company you recognize, look up that part (example.com) the same way. If it is a different company from the one you bought from, log in there to add your record.

If a designer, a developer or a former employee set up your domain

What if someone else has the login?

A designer, a developer or someone who left your business may have set up the domain under their own account. Ask them first. They can add the record for you if you send them the three things the company gave you: type, name and value. Or they can give you your own access to the domain. Don’t trade passwords.

If you can’t reach them, contact the support team at the company the lookup named. Ask what they need to confirm the domain is yours.

What you get back

The name of the company to log in to, and a way into its DNS settings. If someone else holds the login, you know who to ask.

Next: Add a record to your domain

Sources

  1. ICANN Lookup, frequently asked questions
  2. Microsoft Learn, Find your domain registrar and DNS hosting provider
  3. Google Workspace Admin Help, Set up SPF

Common questions

How do I find out who I bought my domain from?

Search your email for your domain name or the word renewal, and look at your card statement for a yearly domain charge. If that finds nothing, look your domain up on ICANN's lookup page. Its Registrar Information section names the company.

Is the ICANN lookup free?

Yes. It is a free public service run by ICANN, the body that oversees domain names. It doesn't always show every detail, because not all registration data has to be shown in a lookup.

Is the company that sold me my domain also the one that keeps my DNS list?

Often, but not always. The ICANN lookup shows the company that keeps your list on its Nameservers line.

Someone else set up my domain and I don't have the login. What do I do?

Ask that person to add the record for you, or to give you your own access to the domain. Don't trade passwords. Give them the three things the company gave you. If you can't reach them, contact the domain company's support and ask what they need to confirm the domain is yours.