Domain Name Monitoring: What It Is and Why You Need It

Published: 15 Jun, 2023

Your domain name is a crucial part of your online identity and reputation. But do you know how to monitor your domain name for any changes or threats that could affect your website and email? In this article, we will show you how to monitor your domain name and why it matters for your online presence and security.

 

What Is Domain Name Monitoring?

 

Domain name monitoring is the process of tracking changes to certain domain settings and getting alerts when they happen. These changes could include:

 

 

• Domain expiration: When your domain name is about to expire or has expired, you could lose it to someone else who registers it before you renew it.
• Domain registrar: When your domain name is transferred to another registrar, it could indicate a domain hijacking or a legitimate change of ownership.
• Domain status: When your domain name is locked or unlocked, it could affect your ability to transfer or update it.
• Name servers: When your domain name's name servers are changed, it could affect your website's availability and performance.
• IP addresses: When your domain name's IP addresses are changed, it could affect your website's security and SEO.

 

 

By monitoring these changes, you can stay informed and take action if needed. For example, you can renew your domain name before it expires, verify the legitimacy of a domain transfer, or investigate a suspicious change of IP address.

 

There are many domain name monitoring tools available online, such as DomainTools, GoDaddy, and Nameshield. These tools allow you to monitor multiple domains at once, customize your alert settings, and access detailed reports on your monitored domains.

 

Domain name monitoring is different from other related services, such as DNS monitoring, domain backorders and domain auctioning. When a registered domain becomes open for registration again, domain backorders allow you to attempt to get it. Domain auctioning are a method to buy or sell a registered domain through an online marketplace. Domain name monitoring does not guarantee that you will acquire or keep a domain name, but it helps you track its status and availability.

 

One of the common misconceptions about domain backorders guarantee domain name registration. However, this is not the case. Domain backorders only give you a chance to register a domain when it becomes available, but they do not ensure that you will get it. There may be other factors that affect the availability of the domain, such as the current owner renewing it, the registrar holding it, or the domain being listed for auction. Therefore, you should not rely on domain backorders as the only way to acquire a domain name, but rather as a possible option.

 

Domain name monitoring is not the only service that can help you acquire a domain name. There are other services, such as domain backorders and domain auctioning, that can also give you a chance to register a domain when it becomes available. However, none of these services can guarantee you will acquire a domain name, as there may be other factors that affect the availability of the domain, such as the current owner renewing it, the registrar holding it, or other bidders competing for it. Therefore, you should always do your research and be prepared to act quickly if you want to acquire a domain name.

 

Why Do You Need Domain Name Monitoring?

 

Domain name monitoring is important for your online presence and security for several reasons:

 

 

• Protecting your brand: Your domain name is part of your brand identity and reputation. If you lose it or someone else uses it for malicious purposes, you could damage your credibility and trust with your customers and partners.
• Detecting phishing attacks: Phishing is a type of cyberattack that uses fake emails or websites to trick users into revealing their personal or financial information. Phishers often use spoofed domain names that look similar to legitimate ones, such as using typos or different extensions. By monitoring your domain name and its variations, you can spot and report any phishing attempts.
• Finding new opportunities: By monitoring other domain names related to your industry or niche, you can discover new trends, competitors, or opportunities. For example, you can find out when a popular domain name expires or becomes available for sale, and decide whether to acquire it or not.

 

 

Another benefit of domain name monitoring is that it can help you detect phishing attacks. Phishing is a type of cyberattack that uses fake emails or websites to trick users into revealing their personal or financial information. Phishers often use spoofed domain names that look similar to legitimate ones, such as using typos or different extensions. By monitoring your domain name and its variations, you can spot and report any phishing attempts. You can also use an anti phishing domain name search engine, such as PhishTank, to check if a domain name is associated with any known phishing sites.

 

However, not monitoring your domains could expose you to various risks, such as:

 

 

• Losing them to competitors, hackers, or cybersquatters: If you forget to renew your domain name or someone else transfers it without your consent, you could lose access to your website and email accounts. Alternatively, someone else could register a similar domain name and use it to compete with you, hack into your systems, or extort money from you.
• Missing out on valuable insights: If you don't monitor other domain names related to your industry or niche, you could miss out on valuable insights that could help you improve your marketing strategy, SEO ranking, or customer satisfaction.

 

 

Therefore, domain name monitoring can help you prevent or mitigate these risks by alerting you to potential threats and opportunities. You can then take appropriate actions, such as renewing your domain name, verifying the authenticity of a domain transfer, or bidding on a domain auction.

 

How to Set Up Domain Name Monitoring?

 

Setting up domain name monitoring for your domains is easy and straightforward. Here are the steps involved:

 

 

1. Choose a domain name monitoring service that suits your needs and budget. You can compare different services based on their features, pricing, and reviews.
2. Register for an account with the service and verify your email address.
3. Add the domains that you want to monitor (one per line) and enter your email address where you want to receive the alerts.
4. Customize your alert settings according to your preferences. You can choose which changes to monitor (such as expiration dates, registrar, status, etc.), how often to receive the alerts (such as daily, weekly, or monthly), and how to format the alerts (such as text, HTML, or CSV).
5. Save your settings and start monitoring your domains.

 

 

Some tips on how to manage your monitored domains effectively are:

 

 

• Organize your monitored domains into portfolios based on their categories, such as personal, business, or niche. This will help you keep track of them and access them easily.
• Update your contact information regularly to ensure that you receive the alerts and notifications. You can also add a secondary email address as a backup.
• Renew your monitoring subscriptions on time to avoid losing your monitoring service. You can also set up automatic renewals or reminders to avoid missing the deadlines.

 

 

FAQs on Domain Name Monitoring

 

What is a domain backorder?

Domain backorder is a way to try to get a domain that is already registered but may become free later. It’s like booking a domain in advance — you join a waiting list and when the domain is up for grabs, you have a shot at getting it first.

 

Does a backorder guarantee domain registration?

No. The domain backorder service does not guarantee that you'll acquire a domain name. When you place a backorder, the service tries to acquire the domain name for you when it becomes available for registration. If it's listed for auction, you'll have to participate and bid for it. If you fail to acquire the domain name, you can reassign the backorder to another domain name.

 

Can more than one person backorder the same domain?

Yes. Depending on the service provider, more than one person can backorder the same domain. However, only one person can acquire the domain name when it becomes available for domain registrations or auction.

 

What is domain monitoring?

Domain monitoring is the process of tracking changes to certain domain settings and getting alerts when they happen. These changes could include expiration dates, registrar, status, name servers, IP addresses, etc. By monitoring these changes, you can stay informed and take action if needed.

 

What is a domain backorders service?

A domain backorder service is a service that helps you attempt to acquire a domain name when it becomes available for registration. You can think of it as a reservation for a domain name that is already registered but may expire or become free in the future. When you place a backorder, the service tries to register the domain name for you when it becomes available. If the domain name is listed for auction, the service provides you with instructions on how to participate and bid for it. If you fail to acquire the domain name, you can reassign the backorder to another domain name.

 

Why are certain domains unavailable for backorder?

Certain domains are unavailable for backorder because they are already registered by someone else and have not expired yet. Alternatively, they could be reserved by the registry or registrar for special purposes or policies.

 

What happens after I backorder a domain?

After you backorder a domain, you'll receive an email confirmation and instructions on how to monitor the status of the domain. When the domain expires or becomes available for registration or auction, you'll receive another email notification and instructions on how to acquire the domain.

 

Conclusion

 

Domain name monitoring is a valuable service that helps you track changes to your own or other domains of interest. It can help you protect your brand, detect phishing attacks, and find new opportunities. It can also help you prevent losing your domains to competitors, hackers, or cybersquatters.

 

To start monitoring your domains, you need to choose a domain name monitoring service that suits your needs and budget, register for an account, add the domains that you want to monitor, customize your alert settings, and save your settings. You also need to manage your monitored domains effectively by organizing them into portfolios, updating your contact information, and renewing your monitoring subscriptions.

 

If you want to try out a domain name monitoring service or learn more about it, you can visit ICANN's FAQs on Domain Name Holders, FTC's Guide on How to Avoid Domain Name Disputes, or Fudomains Whois Information Lookup Tool

Thank you for reading this article and we hope you found it useful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us anytime.