Register a .cloud domain: who can, rules, price and transfer

A .cloud domain is an international extension that suits cloud services, software, apps and technology, but anyone can register one. You do not need to run a cloud service, have a company registration or an address in a particular country. At LJPc hosting a .cloud domain costs €28.99 a year excluding VAT, with DNS management included, and you order or transfer it in the customer portal.

Below you can read who runs .cloud, when it is a good fit, which rules a .cloud name follows, what it costs and how to register or transfer a .cloud domain.

What is a .cloud domain?

.cloud is a generic extension, like .com, .xyz and .shop. It has existed since 2015 and came out of ICANN's new extensions programme. The registry is Aruba PEC, based in Italy; the technical side, such as the name servers and the registration database, is run by Tucows.

The word cloud tells visitors straight away what your name is about: online services, software that runs in the browser and storage on the internet. The registry aims at cloud providers, software companies, startups, developers and creative professionals, but the extension is open to any subject.

Because .cloud is a generic extension, the worldwide ICANN rules apply to transfers, changes of holder, expiry and disputes. ICANN is the organisation that sets the rules for generic extensions. How all these extensions came about is covered in the history of domain names.

Who can register a .cloud domain?

Anyone. .cloud is an open extension: individuals, clubs, foundations and businesses can register a .cloud domain, wherever they are based. You do not have to offer a cloud service or prove anything up front. Names go to whoever registers them first.

When you register, you do agree to the registry's rules:

• A real holder with accurate details. The domain is registered to a person or an existing organisation. The holder's name, address and email address are correct and you keep them up to date. The registry runs spot checks on registration details at least twice a year and can suspend or cancel a domain with inaccurate details.
• Fair use. Phishing, malware, spam, botnets and other abuse are prohibited. The registry may scan websites on .cloud domains for malware and illegal content, and can lock, suspend or cancel a domain that is used for abuse. Once a domain is suspended, the website and email on it stop working.
• Other people's rights. When you register, you declare that to the best of your knowledge your name does not infringe someone else's trademark or name. If a trademark holder comes forward, the registry can suspend or cancel the domain.
• Subdomains. You may not sell or lease subdomains under your .cloud domain to others, and running your own registration service for subdomains requires the registry's permission. You stay responsible for everything on your domain and the subdomains under it.

When should you choose .cloud?

A .cloud domain shows in a single word that you offer something online. That makes .cloud a good match for a cloud service, browser-based software, an app or an IT service provider.

You can redirect a .cloud domain to another website in the same way as any other domain; how that works is explained in redirect a domain to another website.

For Google, .cloud is a generic extension, like .com: the extension itself does not link your website to a country. Whether people in a particular country find you depends on your website itself, such as the language of your content, a local address and links from other websites in that country. This is described in Google's guidelines for multi-regional websites.

Do websites and email work on a .cloud domain?

Yes. Technically, a .cloud domain works exactly like a .com or .nl domain: your website, your email and your SSL certificate work on it in the same way. Your website does not have to run in the cloud either: you can connect a .cloud domain to any hosting plan.

For your email, three settings make sure recipients can see your mail really comes from your domain: SPF, DKIM and DMARC. If you have hosting with LJPc, we set them up for you by default, on a .cloud domain too.

Which rules does a .cloud name follow?

• Length. At LJPc you register a .cloud name of 3 to 63 characters, not counting the .cloud extension.
• Characters. The letters a to z, the digits 0 to 9 and the hyphen. A hyphen cannot be at the start or end of the name, and two hyphens in a row are not allowed.
• No accented letters. The registry does not offer .cloud names with accented letters or characters from other scripts. So a name such as café.cloud cannot be registered; choose cafe.cloud instead.
• Reserved and premium names. The registry holds back some names. Others it offers as premium names, at a higher price. For a premium name the renewal price can be higher as well.

If the order wizard shows Premium domain, contact us next to a name, you order that name through a support ticket; the button opens the ticket for you. How the wizard works is explained in ordering a domain and hosting in the customer portal.

How much does a .cloud domain cost at LJPc?

A .cloud domain costs €28.99 a year at LJPc hosting, excluding VAT. You pay the same amount when you transfer an existing .cloud domain to us: a transfer adds a year to the domain's term. The prices of all our extensions are on the domain names page, and the order wizard shows you the price before you order.

If you see a free or very cheap first year for a .cloud domain somewhere, also check the price for the years after that. Add hosting for your website and email, so you can also send mail from an address such as info@yourname.cloud. You can also take DNS management only, or redirect the domain to another website. Our plans are on the web hosting page.

How to register a .cloud domain at LJPc

1. Log in at portal.ljpc.nl and click Add a website on the dashboard, or open the order wizard directly. No account yet? Create one first.
2. Choose I am looking for one or want to register one and type the name with .cloud, for example yourname.cloud. You see straight away whether it is available and what it costs per year, with other extensions alongside.
3. Select the .cloud domain and then what it should do: a hosting plan, DNS management only, a redirect plan, or a server or hosting space you already have with us.
4. In the cart, check the Registration contact: the details under which the domain is registered in your name. For .cloud your regular contact details are enough: the cart does not ask for extra details.
5. Accept the terms and conditions and complete your order. We then take care of the registration with the registry.

All choices in the order wizard are explained in detail in register a domain and link it to your hosting. You will then find your .cloud domain in the portal under Services > Domain names.

What LJPc takes care of for your .cloud domain

• Automatic renewal every year. Automatic renewal is on by default, so your .cloud domain stays active as long as your subscription runs. If you want to stop, cancel a domain or hosting explains how.
• DNS and DNSSEC. Your domain gets our name servers ns1.ljpc.network, ns2.ljpc.network and ns3.ljpc.network, and we switch on DNSSEC automatically. How that protection works is explained in what is DNSSEC.
• Your transfer code always at hand. On your domain's page in the portal, the transfer code is in the Authorization code block.
• The transfer lock under your control. With the Transfer lock switch you turn the transfer lock of your .cloud domain on or off yourself.
• Your details under your control. You update your domain's contact details yourself in the portal, as described in manage your domain's WHOIS data. If the domain needs to be registered to someone else, read change the owner of a domain: for .cloud you first approve the change through an email in your portal inbox.

Transfer your .cloud domain to LJPc

You transfer a .cloud domain with a transfer code, also called an authorization code or EPP code. You get this code from your current provider.

1. Are your website and email moving too? Set them up with us first, because a domain transfer does not move your website and email by itself. How to approach that is explained in migrate your website to LJPc.
2. Request the transfer code from your current provider and have the domain's transfer lock switched off.
3. Open the order wizard, choose I already have one at another registrar, enter your .cloud domain and choose Transfer to LJPc. Enter the transfer code. The portal checks straight away whether the transfer can go ahead with that code.
4. Choose your hosting or DNS management only and complete your order. We start the transfer and you follow its status in the portal.

Under ICANN's transfer rules a .cloud domain moves within five days at most, as long as your current provider does not reject the transfer. That provider may block a transfer in the first 60 days after registration or after a previous transfer, and after a change of holder a 60-day transfer lock applies by default. How to follow the transfer, what to do with an approval email and what to do if it gets stuck is covered in transfer your domain to LJPc.

Transfer your .cloud domain from LJPc to another provider

If your .cloud domain is moving to another provider, you handle the transfer code and the transfer lock yourself in the portal:

1. Open your .cloud domain's page in the portal.
2. In the Authorization code block, click Show to see the transfer code, or Copy to copy it.
3. In the Domain overview block, find Transfer lock and click the switch so it shows Off.
4. Give the code to your new provider, who uses it to request the transfer.

What else is involved, such as ending your subscription with us, is covered in get your EPP code and transfer your domain.

Keep your .cloud domain at another registrar

If you want to keep your .cloud domain at your current registrar and only host your website or email with us, the domain does not need to move. You connect it with our name servers, as described in change your name servers, or with individual DNS records, as described in point a domain at another provider to LJPc hosting. Not sure where your domain is registered? Look it up with who manages my domain.

Expiry, quarantine and fake invoices

After its expiry date a .cloud domain follows the same ICANN rules as .com: first a period in which only the holder can get the domain back through their registrar, after which the name becomes available to everyone. How long each phase lasts and what the statuses in the portal mean is covered in expired domains and quarantine. If the portal shows Expired, Redemption period or Pending delete for a .cloud domain you want to keep, open a support ticket right away.

Received an invoice or renewal email for your .cloud domain from a company you do not know? Hold off on paying. Spotting a fake domain invoice explains what to look out for.

WHOIS and disputes

The public .cloud WHOIS shows which registrar a domain is with, its status and when it was registered and expires. The holder's name, address and email address are not shown: the registrar keeps those details. Anyone with a legitimate reason can request them through the registrar.

If someone claims rights to a .cloud name, for example because it is their trademark, this goes through ICANN's dispute policy (UDRP), the fast suspension procedure URS, or the courts. You can report abuse of a .cloud domain, such as phishing or spam, to the registry through the .cloud abuse page.

Not sure whether .cloud suits your plans, or is a transfer stuck? Open a support ticket and we will look into it with you.