A .CO domain name is a valuable digital asset that can help you build and brand your online presence. Please take the necessary steps to protect and maintain your .CO domains.

.CO domain names may be registered for a period of 1 to 5 years by an individual, business or organization. The person or entity that registers a .CO domain name is called the “user” or “registrant. ” For purposes of this description, let’s assume the user or registrant is you!

You can only register a .CO domain name through an accredited domain registrar or a reseller of an accredited partner. The .CO Registry cannot help you to register domain names directly.

Here’s how it works:

.CO Domain Lifecycle

Anyone interested in purchasing a domain name will need to learn about the Domain Name Lifecycle. All domain names start off in the same way – they are all available for registration. First, you contact your favorite domain name registrar or reseller to see if your preferred .CO domain name is available. If you do not have an existing preferred provider, you may view our accredited registrar partners to find one, or use our .CO domain search tool. When you type the name you want into the registrar’s domain search box, the registrar will confirm whether the name is available by checking the .CO Registry’s WHOIS database.

If the domain name is available, the registrar can register it at your request and on your behalf and the domain name will be added to the authoritative .CO Registry database. If the domain name you want is not available, you can continue to search for other options until you find the perfect domain name to suit your needs.

At the end of the registration period, you will have 3 options regarding your domain name. You can:

1. renew it,
2. transfer and renew it, or
3. let it expire.

By understanding the lifecycle of a domain name it is possible to regain a domain name that may have accidentally expired, or grab a domain name that has recently been deleted or "dropped".