Domain Management Overview
Your domain name is your unique address on the web: the words someone types into a browser to find your business, such as yourbusiness.nl. Just as a shop needs a clear street address, a website needs a domain that is easy to remember and reflects your brand.
SitePack takes care of nearly every technical detail for you. This page explains the ideas behind domain names at SitePack. The step-by-step instructions live in the Domain Management guide for the Admin Portal.
Your SitePack address
Every website starts with a free address from SitePack, in the form yourname.sitepack.app. It works from the first day, it is included in your package, and it cannot be cancelled. As long as you have not chosen a domain of your own, this is the address your website is served on.
Most businesses do want their own name in the address bar, which is where a registered domain comes in.
Ordering a domain name
Ordering happens in the Admin Portal under Settings → Domains, in the Add a domain name section:
- You search for a name, with or without an extension. A bare name is checked in the popular European extensions and .com (
.nl,.be,.de,.fr,.es,.euand.com), starting with the country extension that matches your website's language. A complete name is checked as typed, plus a few alternatives. - The results show availability and the yearly price, and mark the names covered by your free domain.
- You add the names you want to your shopping cart and pay the order.
- The domain is registered once the order is paid, and it appears in your domain list.
See Domain Management for the full walkthrough.
One free domain with every paid package
Every paid package (Website, Webshop Starter and Webshop Grow) includes one free domain name, as long as the extension costs € 15 or less per year. In practice that covers the common European extensions such as .nl, .be, .de, .fr, .es and .eu. A .com is more expensive and is therefore not included.
Only one domain per order is free. Any other names in the same order are charged at their normal yearly price, and so is the yearly renewal of the free domain from the second year onwards. The search results tell you exactly which name the offer is being applied to, and the page says so once your free domain has been used or is already waiting in your cart.
Suggestions that match your website
Under your domain list, the Also available for your website section shows names that fit your website: variations on your website's name and on the domains you already own, in the European extensions, that are still free to register. SitePack checks them once a day. You can add them to your cart one by one or as a selection, and Show more reveals the full list after the first eight. The same kind of suggestion appears in your shopping cart while a package is in it.
Bringing an existing domain to SitePack
Do you already own a domain at another provider? You do not have to give it up. Search for it under Settings → Domains and choose Transfer to SitePack. You enter the transfer code (also known as an auth code or EPP code) that your current provider gives you, add the transfer to your cart, and complete the order. Once the transfer is finished the domain is managed entirely from your Admin Portal, together with your other domains.
Primary domain and redirection
If you own more than one domain, one of them can be the primary domain: the address your website is actually shown on. All the other domains attached to your website redirect to it, so visitors always end up on the same, consistent address, no matter which one they type.
- A website has at most one primary domain.
- Without a primary domain, your website keeps using its SitePack address.
- Only a fully registered, active domain can be made primary.
- You can change your choice at any time with the star button on Settings → Domains.
Who the domain is registered to
Every domain is registered in the name of a domain holder: the person or company that legally owns it and is recorded as such with the domain registry.
- You choose the holder in your shopping cart, with the Registered to selector. You either pick an existing holder, or let SitePack create one from your invoice details.
- You remain the owner of your domain at all times. SitePack handles the technical administration on your behalf, but the name belongs to the holder, not to SitePack.
- You can change the holder of a domain, and edit a holder's details, at any time. See Domain Name Holders.
Renewal and cancellation
A domain registration runs for a year at a time and renews automatically, so your website and email keep working without you having to think about it. On Settings → Domains each domain shows when it was registered and when it renews next.
If you no longer need a domain, you can cancel it with the red cross in the domain list, or from the Renewal card on the domain details page. A cancelled domain stays active until the end of the period you already paid for and is not renewed afterwards. Until that date you can restore it with Turn renewal back on.
What SitePack sets up for you
The moment a domain is registered through SitePack, the following are arranged automatically, with no action needed from you:
- DNS records: the records that connect your domain to your website and mail servers are set up correctly from day one. The ones SitePack needs to show your website are locked so they cannot be broken by accident. See DNS Management.
- SSL certificates: SitePack issues and renews the certificate that keeps your website on
https://with the padlock in the browser. - Email security: records such as SPF and DKIM are created for you, protecting your domain's reputation and keeping your emails out of spam folders.
You do not need to edit any DNS records for these services yourself. SitePack handles them behind the scenes, from the moment your domain is registered.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get a free domain with SitePack?
Yes. Every paid package includes one free domain name, as long as the extension costs € 15 or less per year, which covers the common European extensions such as .nl, .be, .de, .fr, .es and .eu. A .com falls outside the offer. Only one domain per order is free.
Can I use a domain I already registered somewhere else?
Yes, by transferring it to SitePack. Search for the domain under Settings → Domains, click Transfer to SitePack and enter the transfer code from your current provider. Domains used with your SitePack website are managed at SitePack, which is what lets us configure your website, certificate and email automatically.
Do I actually own my domain, even though SitePack manages it?
Yes. The domain is registered in the name of the domain holder you choose, and that ownership never transfers to SitePack. We only take care of the technical administration.
What is my SitePack address for?
It is the free yourname.sitepack.app address that comes with your website. It is what your site is served on before you pick a primary domain, and it stays available afterwards as well. It cannot be cancelled.
What happens if I cancel a domain?
It stays active until the end of the period you paid for, and it is not renewed after that. Until that date you can still click Turn renewal back on to keep the domain.
Can I register more than one domain?
Yes, as many as you like, at their normal yearly price. Any extra domain automatically redirects to your primary domain, so all your names lead visitors to the same website.