Knowledge Base :: Domain Name Registration :: Domain Dictionary - Domain Registration

What is a Registrant, Registrar, Registry, and ICANN?

Understanding Registrants, Registrars, Registries, and ICANN

When you register a domain name on the Internet, there are four key groups involved in this process: the Registrant, the Registrar, the Registry, and ICANN.

Registrant - Who You Are
A domain name registrant is you or your organization—the one who registers the domain name. To do this, you usually apply online through a domain registrar or one of their resellers. As a registrant, you agree to the terms and conditions set by your registrar. This may include following specific rules of conduct or indemnifying the registrar and registry in case of legal issues related to your domain name. Registrants have responsibilities like paying registration fees and keeping accurate data up to date.

Registrars - The Middlemen
Registrars are organizations accredited by ICANN and certified by registries to sell domain names. They operate under the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) with ICANN and their agreements with registries. Registrars handle various tasks, including maintaining WHOIS data, submitting data to registries, assisting with public WHOIS queries, securing registrants' details, and complying with RAA conditions related to domain name registration periods.

Registry - The Keepers of TLDs
While registrars handle the day-to-day business of selling domain registrations, registries are responsible for managing the registry for each Top-Level Domain (TLD). Their responsibilities include accepting registration requests, maintaining a database of domain registration data, and providing name servers to disseminate zone file data (information about a domain's location) across the Internet.

ICANN - The Internet Overseer
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit organization that oversees the allocation of IP addresses and domain names. It manages root server and TLD name system management and has contractual agreements with both registries and registrars, forming the foundation for the WHOIS system.

Additional Resources
For a visual representation of the domain registration process, check out this diagram on ICANN's website: https://whois.icann.org/en/domain-name-registration-process

If you'd like more information on the domain registration process and the groups involved, ICANN offers informative videos in their Registrant Educational Materials. https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/educational-2012-02-25-en

You can also explore our Terms of Service for further domain registration details, and don't forget to review ICANN's Registrants' Benefits and Responsibilities for valuable information on your rights and obligations as a domain registrant.