About Registration & Domain Name Maintenance

1. How do I buy my .coop domain?
2. How much does it cost to register a name under .coop?
3. How can I determine if the domain name I want is available?
4. What if I don't want my information to be in .coop WHOIS?
5. How do I make changes in the information in .coop WHOIS?
6. Can my organization use both .coop and .com or .org?
7. What should I do if I cannot locate my .coop User Id or Password?
8. Can I use my .coop address for e-mail even if I don't have a web site?
9. Can I change my domain name after my registration is complete?
10. How do I activate my .coop domain?
11. How do I update my Sponsor information once my registration is accepted?
12. What are the "registry or Community Names" noted in WHOIS that are not available?
13. What are the "Brandsafe names" noted in WHOIS that are not available?
14. What are the "ICANN names" noted in WHOIS that are not available?
15. Are there any restrictions on names I can register in .coop?
16. What is the Grace Period for .coop domains?
17. Can we buy a name if our co-op is not fully organized?
    
    

1. How do I buy my .coop domain?

Registrars are able to offer you registration through their registration sites. DotCoop has accredited these registrars to register .coop names.

If you have previously purchased a domain name, you can check your registrar's site on the procedure to purchase more names. You can also purchase names from any other .coop registrar.
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2. How much does it cost to register a name under .coop?

Registration fees for .coop domain names are set by each Registrar and can vary based on options that are included with the domain name as well as the length of registration. Each registrar determines the prices and contractual terms it offers, as allowed by ICANN. When you register a domain name, you enter into a legal agreement between you and the registrar. Each registrar should post a copy of its registration agreement on its site. Registration under .coop will be more costly than unrestricted domains like .com, because dotCoop must verify the eligibility of applicants for .coop domain names.
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Use the .coop whois search capability to see if the name you want is available for registration. .coop whois contains information on all registered and reserved .coop domain names.
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ICANN requires that each registry provide full WHOIS information for each domain name that is registered.
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All changes to information about your .coop domain name will be submitted to your registrar. The registrar will provide the updates to the registry which will then update the information on the .coop whois and throughout the Internet. DotCoop is not allowed to make changes on the registry data directly. If you have questions about this process, please contact your registrar.
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Yes. Many businesses use multiple web addresses to point to their website. So your organization can use both .coop and .com (or .org, etc.) at the same time to point to the same website.
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7. What should I do if I cannot locate my .coop User Id or Password?

Please contact your registrar directly for this information using the procedures provided on their web site. Some registars do not have online access to your information and you can send instructions on the needed changes to your account following their instructions and they will perform any needed updates.
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If you want to use only your .coop name for e-mails within your organization, you can have your ISP switch your e-mail to new mailboxes with your new .coop domain name at the end. They should overlap this with your old mailbox names for at least a week to avoid losing messages. It is a good idea to send out a message to everyone in your Address Book and let them know about your new e-mail address.

If you want to continue having your old mailbox active as well as your new .coop address, check with your ISP about setting up a mailbox redirect so that messages to your old email address are automatically redirected to your new .coop address. Your ISP may charge for this service.

You can also use your .coop name for e-mail even if you do not have a web site. Your ISP can talk to you about the services that they offer or you can check on the Internet for a service that makes sense for your organization at a very low cost.
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The dotCoop registry does not allow changes to domain names after they are accepted by the registry. Check with your registrar for any different procedures.
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To confirm what steps you need to take to activate your domains, review the information on your registrar's web site and apply the changes on the registrar's web site. Changes cannot be made by the registry.
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Sponsor information is only used at the time of registration to verify your eligibility. It does not need to be maintained. If the dotCoop registry needs to contact your Sponsors after registration, it will contact you for any updated information.
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These are domain names that have been set aside for the Community Names program or because of special consideration of that name by the registry. The registry may set aside names that have been registered in bad faith as defined in the UDRP or as directed in a Dispute settlement by WIPO.
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Brandsafe names are held in reserve by non-eligible organizations because they are not actually able to register a name. The business or organization requesting a reserve using Brandsafe must hold a trademark on the name in question. The Brandsafe program prevents co-operatives from accidentally registering names that may result in a trademark suit.
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These are names that ICANN requires be restricted from registration according to the contract that dotCoop has as Sponsor of the .coop TLD. These names are reserved to prevent confusion and problems in processing on the Internet.
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Domain names in the .coop TLD should include only letters, numbers and dashes (-). Spaces and other special characters are not allowed.

Two-character names are initially reserved. Permission from the appropriate government and country code manager or the ISO 3166 maintenance agency is required for registration of these names in .coop. DotCoop will work with potential registrants to determine the availability of two-character names of interest.

Names that contain hyphens in positions 3 and 4 are also reserved for future support of IDN (International Domain Names.)

DotCoop also has certain names reserved based on requirements in our Charter from ICANN and to support the .coop Community Names program. Details on why a name is unavailable can be obtained from .coop whois or by e-mail to support@communicate.coop.
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The .coop registry allows for a 5-day grace period on adds, renewals and transfers. During that 5-day period, a refund will be given. After that time, no refunds are provided by the registry. Registrars may have different policies that may take precedence based on your registration agreement with the registrar. Please check directly with your registrar on their policies and procedures for grace periods.
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Yes, you can purchase a name for your co-op as it is being formed. DotCoop recognizes the need to create your Internet identity as an integral part of the start-up of any company in today's world. However, dotCoop reserves the right to review your eligibility after an appropriate time and revoke your .coop domains with no refund if the organization that is created is not eligible as defined by our Charter. Generally, dotCoop reviews such registrations within six months of registration.
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