A domain name is the real identity of your business in a world of more than one billion websites having different domain names.
That’s why everyone wants to use the same domain name forever. But can you buy a domain name forever?
The most straightforward answer to this question is “No” because (officially) there is no way to do it.
Wait! Don’t go anywhere, as this is just the beginning of the answer to your question.
So, keep reading this comprehensive article.
Why Can’t You Buy a Domain Name Forever? — Explained Completely
Beginners take buying domain names differently. You might also be one of them. That’s why before purchasing the domain name, you should have enough information about the whole scenario.
Actually, buying isn’t even a thing here, as we purchase plans of domain names instead of buying domain names (themselves).
This is pretty much like renting a house. Just like renting a home, when you purchase a specific plan for your domain name registration, you will have to pay a particular amount after every decided interval.
For example, if you have bought a yearly plan, it means that you will have to pay a certain amount every year to keep using that domain.
While renting a domain, there is no such plan for buying domain names where you can pay rent for lifetime registration.
Typically, there is a limit that every domain registrar specifies depending on TLDs (top-level domains) like .com or .org.
Nevertheless, most registrars have a limit of 10 years which implies that you can’t lease or rent a domain name registration of more than ten years.
Why Do Domain Name Registrations Have Limits?
Before knowing about the reasons behind all these limits, you must first know about an organization called “The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).” Everything related to domain regulation is in the hands of ICANN.
Now, let’s get back to the topic:
There are several reasons behind this decision to limit the interval of registration. One of the most valid and major reasons is the “parallelization of names.”
What does that mean?
We all know that one domain name (along with TLD) can only be taken by only one person at a time. Right?
This is the reason why ICANN came up with limits.
What will happen to a domain if the owner of the domain dies?
If there is no limit, the domain can’t be used again after losing its worth for the previous user.
Did that make sense now?
How to Buy Domain Name Permanently or for as long as possible?
Buying (actually leasing) a domain forever is technically impossible. But how do gigantic companies like Google and Facebook use only one domain name forever?
Limits could have been a big problem for them because if their registration expires, anyone from the world can buy their domain name. This can bankrupt them in next to no time.
That’s where these companies use some techniques and features (given by registrars) to get the domain permanently.
You can also do the same by following these techniques:
- Buy a 10-Years Plan
The first thing you need to do is buy the biggest domain name plan possible, and, in most cases, the biggest plan will be a 10-year plan.
Moreover, more extensive plans are the cheaper ones. So, go for it without thinking much if you want to use a domain name permanently.
By doing this, you can use your domain name stress-free for ten years straight, and after ten years, you can renew your contract (plan) with the same domain name registrar.
- Use Auto-Renewal Feature
This is the main feature that helps big names like Google and Facebook use their domain name permanently.
Auto-renewal means that your domain name plan will be renewed before the expiration date. That’s how your domain name registration will never get expired.
This feature is just the best thing a domain name registrar can provide you with (especially if you want a permanent plan).
By using it, your plan will be renewed with or without asking you (according to your preference). It means that even if you don’t have an internet connection at the moment of expiration or you are in hospital (or injured), your domain name registrar will renew the plan.
Now for that, always keep a certain amount of money in your bank so that your domain name registrar can proceed.
- Grace Period
Not every domain name registrar offers this fantastic service. Still, if you want this service, you can opt for the registrar that provides this feature.
Using this feature, you will get an extra 90 to 180 days to renew your plan. In the previous feature, you have to give permission to your domain name registrar.
So, if you don’t want to do it, you can use this feature and renew the plan yourself.
Moreover, even if you use both features (grace period and auto-renewal) and have no money in the bank at the time of expiration of registration, the grace period will let you fill your bank with cash.
The final interpretation is that buying a domain name forever is impossible.
But every problem has a solution. So, simply follow our guidelines and use the same domain name forever, just like Forbes, Google, and Twitter.
How To Find Out The Owner Of a Domain Name
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You know that you never bought the domain name, so you will lose authority on that domain name once registration expires.
But there is a thing called the ‘grace period.’ Due to this, you will get a short period to renew your registration.
Nevertheless, if you don’t want to lose authority on your domain name, the auto-renewal option is the best feature for you.
You simply can’t do it. There are more than two thousand domain name registrars on the internet world.
But none of them is ready to sell a domain name. When there is no one to sell, how would you buy it? To get the answer to this question completely, read the first heading of this article again!