Fast Hive offers over 500 domain extensions, from the familiar .com to country-code and specialist ones. Registration takes a couple of minutes, but a domain is a long-term commitment and a few decisions are hard to reverse. This guide covers searching, choosing an extension, what to check before you pay, and the verification step that catches people out afterwards.
- Register a New Domain - search one name at a time.
- Bulk Domain Search - check many names or many extensions at once.
Searching for a name
- Go to Register a New Domain.
- Type the name you want and search.
- The results show whether it is available, along with suggestions on other extensions.
- Use Browse extensions by category to filter the full list - there are several hundred, grouped to make them navigable.
- Click Register beside the one you want to add it to your cart.
Read the price table properly
Each extension lists three separate prices:
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| New Price | What you pay to register it now. |
| Transfer | What it costs to move an existing registration here. |
| Renewal | What you pay every year afterwards. |
Choosing an extension
| If you are | Consider |
|---|---|
| A business of any kind, anywhere | .com first. It is what people type and assume. |
| Trading mainly in one country | The country-code extension, often alongside the .com. |
| A charity or community project | .org. |
| Protecting a brand | Register the obvious variants and redirect them to your main domain. |
Picking a name that works
- Short and sayable. If you cannot read it down a phone without spelling it, it is too complicated.
- Avoid hyphens and numbers. They are lost every time someone says the name aloud.
- Watch for unintended readings. Run the letters together and check what they spell.
- Check it is not someone's trademark. Registering a domain does not give you rights to a name, and a dispute can take it away.
- Think ten years ahead. A name tied to one product or one city ages badly.
Completing the order
- Choose the registration period. Longer terms lock in a price and mean fewer renewal dates to miss.
- Consider ID Protection, which hides your personal details from the public WHOIS record. Recommended for anything registered to a home address.
- Set the nameservers. Use the Fast Hive defaults if you are hosting with us; leave them as they are if you will point the domain elsewhere.
- Enter the registrant contact details carefully - see the warning below.
- Review the cart, including the recurring amount, and check out.
After registering: the verification step
For most extensions, ICANN requires the registrant email address to be verified. You will receive a verification email shortly after ordering.
Click the link in it. If it goes unanswered, the domain can be suspended and stop resolving entirely - even though it is fully paid for. This is the most common "my brand new domain does not work" ticket, and it is entirely avoidable.
Check spam if it does not arrive, and confirm the registrant address is correct under Contact Information in My Domains.
Getting it working
- Confirm the domain appears in My Domains as Active.
- Complete the ICANN verification.
- Confirm Auto Renew and Registrar Lock are both on.
- Point the nameservers at your hosting, or set an A record if you are keeping DNS elsewhere.
- Add the domain in cPanel under Domains so the hosting account serves it.
- Wait for DNS to propagate, then check that your free SSL certificate has issued.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| New domain does not resolve | Either DNS has not propagated yet, or ICANN verification is outstanding. Check the verification first - it is the more likely of the two after 24 hours. |
| Search says available, order then fails | Someone registered it between your search and your checkout, which is common for desirable names. Search again and order promptly. |
| Registration is pending for a long time | Some extensions require additional documentation or eligibility checks. Open a ticket to see what the registry is waiting for. |
| Verification email never arrived | Check spam, then check the registrant address under Contact Information. Correct it if wrong and request a new verification. |
| Wrong details entered on the registration | Update them under Contact Information. Note that a change of registrant can trigger a 60-day transfer lock on some extensions. |
| Domain registered but the website shows nothing | Registration alone does not create a website. Point the nameservers at your hosting and add the domain in cPanel. |
| Renewal price is higher than expected | Registry pricing, shown in the Renewal column at search time. If the domain is not worth it at that price, plan to let it lapse deliberately rather than being surprised. |
Frequently asked questions
How many extensions can I choose from?
Several hundred - the full list is filterable by category in the search results, with registration, transfer and renewal prices for each.
Do I need hosting to register a domain?
No. You can register a domain and do nothing with it, or point it at hosting elsewhere.
Is a free domain included with hosting?
Shared hosting plans include a free domain on yearly plans. Check your plan's details when ordering.
How quickly does a domain become active?
Most register within minutes. DNS then takes a few hours to propagate, and some extensions with eligibility checks take longer.
Can I register a domain for more than one year?
Yes, for most extensions. It reduces the number of renewal dates you can miss, which is the main reason people lose domains.
What if the name I want is taken?
Try a different extension, or a slightly different name. Be cautious about buying from a domain broker - and never build a brand on a name whose owner may have trademark rights.
