Domain Name Glossary

First and foremost, what is a domain name? A domain name is the address or URL that is used to search for your website on the internet, for example ours here at Create is ‘create.net’.

This brief glossary aims to give an overview of some of the basic terms commonly used when managing your domain names.

301 Redirect

A 301 redirect is also known as a permanent URL redirect, whereby one URL is redirected to another. For example, if you have the domain name ‘www.myolddomain.co.uk’ and you have purchased a new one ‘www.mynewdomain.co.uk’, using a 301 redirect you can tell the old one to direct your visitors to the new one - even if they searched for the old domain they would get taken to the new one.

With Create you can perform a 301 redirect from within your account, which will tell one or more of your domain names to redirect to your chosen ‘primary’ domain name. To

DNS

DNS (Domain Name System) refers to the settings that a domain name has and where they can be set up. A domain name can have multiple settings configured, usually known as ‘records’. Depending on the service your Registrar provides you are usually able to edit these. Here at Create, we save you the hassle and offer to edit these settings for you - so all you need to do is ask!

Below I’ve provided a brief breakdown of some of the basic terminology you might see when referring to a domain name’s DNS settings:

A Record: or “Address record” most commonly uses a website’s IP address. We often ask for this when you wish to point your domain name.

MX Record: or “Mail Exchange record” is often used when you want to set up a particular type of email forwarding.

Email Forwarding

This is a service which allows you to create an email address using your domain and will forward incoming emails to a mailbox of your choice. If your domain is registered with Create this is a free service we offer where you can create up to 5 email addresses such as “hello@mydomain.co.uk”. You then choose for these newly created addresses to forward incoming emails to an existing email account - all set up within your Create account.

Expiry Date

The date for which your domain’s registration is due to expire. If you choose not to renew the domain it will become available for general purchase.

You can check your domain’s expiration date within your Create account in the “Manage Domain Names & Email” area, or by checking online via WHOIS [https://who.is/].

Point A Domain Name

This is a way using the settings on your domain name to direct your visitors to a website when they search using your domain. For example, if you purchased your domain name elsewhere, but would like to connect it with your Create website, the settings on the domain can be amended so that it ‘points’ to your site here. Pointing a domain name means that it remains registered with its current provider and also keeps any email settings you have with it intact. This is usually done using the website’s IP address.

If your domain is registered elsewhere, you can follow our steps on using your domain name with your Create website.

Primary Domain Name

With Create, your ‘primary domain name’ refers to the one which you wish to have as the ‘main’ address for when visitors search for your site. When redirecting any other domain names, you would tell them to direct to your primary domain. If you have multiple domain names in your Create account you can select which one is primary using our guide here.

Domain registration can also be known as ‘purchasing’ a domain name that you wish to own or have the rights to use. When you register a domain name with a Registrar you pay a fee to keep it for a period of time. To register a domain name with Create see our guide here.

Registrant

The Registrant is the person or entity who owns the rights to use a specific domain name - often referred to as the domain name owner. This is most likely to be yourself or your company and you would set the Registrant when you purchase a domain.

Registrar

This is the company or organisation who manage your domain name or offer a service to buy one. If you bought your domain from within your Create account, then we would be your Registrar. You can also often locate your domain name’s Registrar details by checking the public WHOIS (a domain database).

Renew A Domain Name

When you register a domain name for a period of time and it’s nearing its expiry date, you have the opportunity to renew it for longer. If your domain name is registered through Create you would be notified in advance of the expiry and pay the renewal fees through us. To renew your domain name through Create see our guide.

Transfer A Domain Name

If you are the owner of a domain name and you wish to move it from one Registrar to another, this is known as a transfer. Transferring a domain name follows a process which can depend on the domain name itself and can either be free or include a cost depending on the Registrar. Before transferring your domain name it’s also worth checking with your Registrar what effect this will have on any email settings you have with it.

Below are some common terms you will likely hear when requesting to transfer a domain name:

IPS tag: is the label used to transfer a domain name in the ‘.uk’ family. For example, if you were to transfer your domain name over to Create you would change your domain’s IPS tag to our own, which is “CREATE”. We would then receive notification of this change and ensure your domain name is set up to work with your Create website.

Authorisation code: is a unique combination of characters assigned to your domain name which is used to approve the transfer of a domain from one registrar to another. This is most commonly relevant for ‘.com’ domain names.

WHOIS

This is a public Lookup tool used for searching the domain register database. Searching for a domain name via WHOIS returns a message with information about that domain name. This can include who the domain is registered with or by, the registration and expiry date and some ownership information.

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