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Frequently asked questions

  • I am looking for a domain name registrant. Where can I look it up?

    The Whois is an easy-to-use tool for checking the availability of a .nl domain name. If the domain name is already taken, you can see who has registered it.

    On the page looking up a domain name you will find more information about what a domain name is, how the Whois works and how the privacy of personal data is protected. Alternatively, you can go straight to look for a domain name via the Whois.

  • I would like to transfer my domain name to another registrar. What is the procedure?

    To get your domain name transferred, you need the token (unique ID number) for your domain name. Your existing registrar has the token and is obliged to give it to you within five days, if you ask for it. The procedure for changing your registrar is described on the page transferring your domain name.

  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date. How can I get them updated?

    To update the contact details associated with your domain name, you need to contact your registrar. Read more about updating contact details.

  • Why is my domain name in quarantine?

    When a domain name is cancelled, we aren't told the reason, so we can't tell you. You'll need to ask your registrar. The advantage of quarantine is that, if a name's cancelled by mistake, you can always get it back.

    One common reason is that the contract between you and your registrar says you've got to renew the registration every year. If you haven't set up automatic renewal and you don't renew manually, the registration will expire.

  • Ik heb een klacht over mijn provider/registrar. Kan ik daarvoor bij SIDN terecht?

    Wanneer je een klacht hebt over of een geschil met je registrar dan zijn er verschillende mogelijkheden om tot een oplossing te komen. Hierover lees je meer op pagina klacht over registrar. SIDN heeft geen formele klachtenprocedure voor het behandelen van een klacht over jouw registrar.

  • What conditions do I have to meet as a registrar?

    Would you like to be able to register domain names for customers or for your own organisation by dealing directly with SIDN? If so, you can become a .nl registrar. Read more about the conditions and how to apply for registrar status on the page becoming a registrar.

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5,000 reports about fake .nl webshops in 2025

Number of reports highlights urgency

Woman looking at a bag in an online store on a smartphone
  • Friday 6 March 2026

Fake webshops remain a stubborn problem on the internet. They mislead consumers, undermine confidence in online shopping and threaten the reputations of legitimate businesses. We believe it’s important that .nl remains a domain where it’s safe to do business and safe to shop. So we actively combat malicious webshops that use .nl domain names.

5,000 reports in 2025

In 2025, we handled a total of roughly 5,000 reports about domain names linked to possible fake webshops. We made use of 2 proven tools for dealing quickly with malicious sites.

Netcraft reports

We work closely with Netcraft, an internationally renowned phishing and online fraud detection service provider. Netcraft identifies suspect domain names, then alerts SIDN and the registrars and registrants of the names in question. In 2025, Netcraft’s reports led to 333 .nl domain names being taken offline after an average of 56 hours of activity. That lead time is longer than our overall average intervention time of 21 hours, because we don’t act before carefully checking whether incoming reports are ‘false positives’ (legitimate sites incorrectly flagged as malicious). |

Identity verification based on Articles 16 and 18

Our second intervention route is based on Articles 16 and 18 of the General Terms and Conditions for .nl Registrants. Those articles allow us to ask for confirmation of a registrant’s identity if we have cause to do so. In 2025, we used our powers under the terms and conditions to investigate about 4,500 reports. That led to 3,600 domain names being disabled after their registrants proved unwilling or unable to identify themselves.

Why this matters

With more than 6 million .nl domain names, trust and security are vital. As well as defrauding consumers, fake webshops undermine trust in legitimate Dutch businesses. By taking firm action against abuse, we keep .nl clear and trustworthy. The report data for 2025 shows that crooks remain active in the zone. It’s also clear not only that action to tackle abuse remains as important as ever, but also that it works.

More information

Want to know more about how we keep .nl secure and trustworthy? Visit https://www.sidn.nl/thema/cybersecurity for a comprehensive overview of our activities and services in this field. We also publish quarterly Transparency Reports detailing the number of times we intervened against cybercrime in the .nl domain.

SIDN and registrar Hosting2GO together at Webshop Trade Days 2026

Are you a webshop owner? Do you have questions about this topic? Visit our stand at the Webshop Trade Days at Utrecht’s Jaarbeurs exhibition centre on 25 and 26 March. Our specialists will be happy to answer your questions. You’ll find us on stand #219, together with our partner Hosting2GO. Tickets are available free of charge.

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