What is the WHOIS Accuracy Program?

The WHOIS Accuracy Program is a requirement from ICANN (the organization that oversees domain names) under its 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement. As of January 1, 2014, all domain registrars must follow this policy.

The goal of the program is to make sure that the contact information associated with domain names is accurate and up to date. Registrars must validate and verify the information provided by registrants and account holders.

According to ICANN’s rules, a domain may be suspended or deleted if any of the following occur:

• The registrant knowingly provides inaccurate or unreliable contact information.

• The registrant does not update their information within 7 days of a change.

• The registrant does not respond to a verification request within 15 days.

You can read the full WHOIS Accuracy Program details on ICANN’s website here.

Who does this apply to?

The WHOIS Accuracy Program applies to all domain registrations under gTLDs (generic top-level domains) governed by ICANN. This includes domains such as .com, .net, .info, .biz, and .org. A complete list of gTLDs can be found here — any domain not listed as a country-code domain (like .ca or .uk) is governed by ICANN.

The policy affects:

• Anyone registering a new domain name.

• Anyone updating the contact information associated with an existing domain.

If you already have a domain and haven’t updated your contact details, you don’t need to verify anything until you make changes.

How is the Program Enforced?

Whenever you create or update contact information for a domain, you’ll receive an email with a verification link sent to the contact email address.

• Click the link in the email to complete the verification — that’s all you need to do.

• If you don’t click the link within 7 days, you’ll receive a reminder email.

• If the contact isn’t verified within 15 days, ICANN requires that the domain be suspended until verification is completed. You’ll receive an email notification if your domain is suspended.

What to do if you receive a suspension warning

If you see a warning about possible domain suspension, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Rebel account and go to the Domain Manager.

2. Look for the warning message indicating there’s a contact that needs attention.

3. Click on the contact to review the email address on file.

4. If it’s incorrect, update it and look for a new verification email.

If you don’t receive the verification email, you can email us directly by email. Use the subject line “Contact Verification” and include the domain name the contact is associated with. We’ll be happy to manually verify the contact on our end.