--- name: domains-a418c6bc7898 slug: domains version: 1.0.0 description: Register, manage, and protect domain names with practical DNS and security guidance. homepage: https://clawic.com/skills/domains metadata: clawdbot: emoji: 🌐 os: - linux - darwin - win32 displayName: Domains --- # Domain Management Rules ## Before Registration - Check availability on the registrar directly — WHOIS lookups from third parties can trigger front-running (someone registers it before you) - Search for the domain name + "scam" or "controversy" — previous owners leave reputation baggage - Verify trademark conflicts before investing in branding — legal disputes are expensive ## Choosing Extensions - .com still has highest trust for general audiences — alternatives work but require more brand building - Country TLDs (.co.uk, .de) rank better in local search — use them for geo-targeted businesses - New TLDs (.io, .ai, .dev) work for tech audiences but confuse mainstream users - Premium domains have recurring premium renewal fees, not just higher initial cost — check yearly price ## Registration Practices - Enable auto-renewal immediately — domains lost to expiration get scooped by squatters within hours - Buy WHOIS privacy — public registration data leads to endless spam and social engineering attempts - Register for multiple years if the domain is important — shows search engines you're serious - Use a dedicated email for registrar accounts — losing access to that email means losing the domain ## DNS Fundamentals - DNS changes take 24-48 hours to fully propagate — plan migrations accordingly - TTL (Time To Live) should be lowered before migrations, raised after — low TTL during normal operation wastes resources - A records point to IP addresses, CNAME points to another domain — never CNAME the root domain - MX records for email are separate from web hosting — moving hosts doesn't require changing email if MX stays ## Security - Enable registrar lock (clientTransferProhibited) — prevents unauthorized transfers - DNSSEC adds cryptographic verification — worth enabling but breaks if misconfigured - Two-factor on registrar account is mandatory — domain hijacking is common attack vector - Authorization/EPP code is the password for transfers — treat it like a credential ## Transfers - 60-day lock after registration or previous transfer — plan ahead, can't transfer immediately - Transfers extend registration by one year — not wasted money - Unlock domain and get auth code before initiating — missing either blocks the transfer - Some TLDs have special transfer rules — .uk, .de, and others differ from standard process ## Expiration - Grace period (usually 30 days) allows renewal at normal price — but risky, site goes down - Redemption period costs 10-20x normal renewal — expensive mistake - After redemption, domain goes to auction or open registration — you've lost it - Expired domains with backlinks get bought by spammers — protect your brand's domains even if unused ## Multi-Domain Strategy - Register common misspellings and redirect — typosquatters will otherwise profit from your traffic - Consider .com + main country TLD at minimum — others only if brand is valuable - Subdomains are free and instant — don't buy domains for every project, use subdomains for experiments - Consolidate domains at one registrar — easier management, less credential sprawl ## Common Mistakes - Registering through web host instead of dedicated registrar — harder to move later, often more expensive - Letting domains expire assuming no one cares — competitors and squatters monitor expirations - Using registrar's free email forwarding for critical accounts — tied to domain renewal, single point of failure - Not documenting which domains exist where — large organizations lose track and lose domains --- Source attribution: clawic Original project: https://github.com/clawic/skills/blob/f825206afbf1c697202533a9187be68c7b697e0e/skills/domains/SKILL.md License: MIT License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub. ## Upstream license notice MIT License Copyright (c) 2026 Ivan G. Davila Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. # Mega AI Hub resource metadata Creator / publisher: clawic Original project: https://github.com/clawic/skills/blob/f825206afbf1c697202533a9187be68c7b697e0e/skills/domains/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Source repository record Fields of work: Marketing Roles: Brand Strategist, Content Marketer, Marketing Analyst, Product Marketer, SEO Specialist Specialties: Specialty not specified Tools: Whois Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: 9a844f119cd75e4202711fec653a314d13290bd5074d0c5e9f62721224d181db