Manage domain names-Domain Names(Domain)-阿里云帮助中心

Manage domain names in Alibaba Cloud: renew, update registrant information, configure DNS, transfer between registrars or accounts, and secure your domains.

Note

If you forget the Alibaba Cloud account that holds your domain name, you can retrieve the logon name for the account. Reasons and solutions for a missing domain name.

Core management tasks

Domain name lifecycle (renewal, redemption, and expiration)

A typical domain name lifecycle includes an active period, a renewal grace period, a redemption period, and a pending deletion period.

Stage	Duration	DNS status	Action and cost
Active period	Within the validity period	Resolves normally	Renew at the standard price.
Renewal grace period	Typically a 30-day period after expiration Note The grace period for `.hk` domain names is 28 days. After this period, they cannot be redeemed and will be deleted.	DNS resolution is suspended	Renew at the standard price.
Redemption period	Typically 31–60 days after expiration Note For CNNIC-managed domain names (such as `.cn`, `.中国`, `.公司`, and `.网络`), this period is typically 14 days (days 31-44 after expiration).	DNS resolution is suspended	Redemption requires a high fee, significantly more than the standard renewal price.
Pendingdeletion period	After the redemption period ends	Pending deletion	The domain name cannot be recovered by the original registrant. It will be deleted by the registry and released for public registration.

The exact status and deadlines for your domain name are displayed in the Alibaba Cloud Management Console.

How to renew:

Manual renewal: Go to the Alibaba Cloud Domain Names console. On the Domain Names page, find the domain name that you want to renew and click Renew in the Actions column.
Auto-renewal: On the Domain Names page, select the domain names for which you want to enable auto-renewal, and then click More > Set Auto-renewal at the bottom of the page.
Batch renewal: On the Domain Names page, select multiple domain names and click Renew at the bottom of the page.
Third-party renewal: If you cannot log on to the account that holds the domain name or you need another Alibaba Cloud account to pay for the renewal, you can use third-party renewal. This method only covers payment and does not transfer management permissions.

Registrant and contact information

Update registrant information when ownership changes (such as a sale or restructuring) or when contact details change.

Operation type	Description
Modify registrant information (transfer of ownership)	Change the domain name registrant, such as after a sale or when transferring from an individual to a company. Update only the registrant's contact information, such as email, phone number, or address.
Modify other contact information	Change the administrative, billing, or technical contact for the domain name. Does not affect ownership.

DNS resolution and DNS servers

DNS resolution maps a domain name to your server's IP address. Changing authoritative DNS servers is high-risk — proceed with caution.

Key concepts:

Modify DNS records: Update individual records (A, CNAME, MX) with your current DNS provider to point your domain name to different services.
Change DNS servers: Change the authoritative name servers to delegate all DNS resolution from one provider to another.

Important
Before you change DNS servers, you must configure all necessary DNS records (A, CNAME, MX) with the new provider and verify they resolve correctly. Failure to do so interrupts your website and other services.

Domain name transfer

Transfer domain name management between registrars or between Alibaba Cloud accounts.

Transfer type	Description
Transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud	Move a domain name from another registrar to Alibaba Cloud.
Transfer a domain name from Alibaba Cloud	Move a domain name from Alibaba Cloud to another registrar.
Transfer a domain name between Alibaba Cloud accounts	Move a domain name between Alibaba Cloud accounts, such as from a personal to a corporate account.

Security and access control

Access control (RAM)

Use Resource Access Management (RAM) to grant fine-grained permissions for domain name operations. For example, authorize a RAM user to manage specific domain names while restricting access to others. Authorize a RAM user to manage domain names.

Domain name security

Domain name security lock: In the Alibaba Cloud Domain Names console, you can enable an update lock and a transfer lock to prevent unauthorized modifications or transfers from a compromised account — a critical security measure for high-value domain names. For higher security, purchase and enable a registry lock.
DNSSEC: Enable DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) to add cryptographic verification to DNS responses, preventing spoofing and cache poisoning attacks.