Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) such as .com, .net, and .org are managed by ICANN-accredited registrars. HOSTDOG is an accredited registrar and submits your contact details to the relevant registry when you register a domain. This article explains what information you must provide, what happens to it, and how to avoid registration errors.
Who can register a .com, .net, or .org domain
Anyone in the world can register a .com, .net, or .org domain. There are no residency, citizenship, or business restrictions. As long as the domain name is available and your contact details are valid, the registration will go through.
Required contact details
ICANN requires four sets of contact information to be submitted for every domain registration. In practice, most individual registrants use the same details for all four roles:
- Registrant — the legal owner of the domain
- Administrative contact — the person managing the domain
- Technical contact — responsible for DNS and technical configuration
- Billing contact — handles invoices and renewal notices
For each contact, the following fields are required:
- First name and last name — use your real legal name
- Organisation — your company name, or leave blank if registering as an individual
- Email address — a valid, active email address
- Phone number — in international format, e.g.,
+30 2310 123456 - Full postal address — street address, city, postcode, country
Athens and «Νίκος Παπαδόπουλος» → Nikos Papadopoulos.
Domain name character rules
The domain name itself (the part before the extension) must follow standard DNS character rules:
- Allowed: Latin letters A–Z (case-insensitive), digits 0–9, hyphens (
-) - Not allowed: spaces, underscores, dots within the name, accented characters, or special symbols
- Length: 1–63 characters
- Hyphens: not at the start or end; not in both the third and fourth position (reserved for internationalised domain name format)
Internationalised domain names (IDN) — for example, a .com domain using Greek or Arabic characters — are a separate registration type with different technical requirements. Contact HOSTDOG support if you need an IDN domain.
WHOIS privacy and GDPR
WHOIS is the public database that stores domain registrant information. Historically, all contact details were fully public. Under GDPR and ICANN's updated policies, personal data for individual (non-business) registrants is now partially redacted in the public WHOIS record.
Typically, the registrant's name and country remain visible, while email addresses, phone numbers, and postal addresses are masked. For business registrants, more information may be displayed.
HOSTDOG complies with GDPR in all registrations. Your full contact details are held securely by HOSTDOG and are shared with the relevant registry as required by ICANN accreditation.
Keeping your details up to date
ICANN requires registrants to keep their contact details accurate and current. If your details change after registration, update them in your HOSTDOG client area. To do this, log in, go to Account → Edit Account Details, update your information, and save. Changes apply to newly registered and renewed domains.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. There is no restriction on which address you provide, as long as it is a real, deliverable postal address. Many individuals use a business or professional address for their domains.
ICANN's registrar accreditation agreement requires registrars to verify that registrant details are accurate. If details are found to be false or invalid, the registry may suspend or delete the domain. Always use your real name and a valid address.
For individual registrants covered by GDPR, email addresses are typically masked in the public WHOIS record. The registry still holds your real email address. For business registrants, display rules may differ depending on the TLD registry's policy.