Find the right domain for your business with Yahoo! Web Hosting

Need to do a domain name search? You've come to the right place! All Yahoo! Web Hosting plans include a free domain name, to use as a web address for your business web site. Simply search for a domain, check its availability, and register! You can also use a domain name you already own with your web hosting plan.

When you're ready to search and register for a new domain name, Yahoo! Web Hosting provides the information you need to choose a domain name suitable for your business. We also make it easy to complete a domain name search, register your domain, and use it with a web site. Here's how our domain name search service works:

1. Use our domain name search tool to search for a domain and check its availability.
2. Register your domain name and sign up for any Yahoo! Web Hosting plan at the same time.

Getting Started with Yahoo! Domains

Welcome to Yahoo! Domains! This brief guide will help get you started setting up and managing the features of your new web address. If you have any questions along the way, see our Yahoo! Domains Help.

About Your Domain

When you signed up for your plan, you chose a web address, or domain, for your business. Your customers will use this domain, such as learn2yoga.com, to find your business online.

If you recently signed up for Yahoo! Domains, your domain may still be pending. Pending means that your domain is not yet active across the Internet; don't worry, this is normal for all domain registrations and changes, and can take up to 72 hours. The effects of a pending domain:

• Web address: If you are registering a new domain, visitors who visit your web address will get a Page Not Found error. If you are using a domain you registered elsewhere, visitors will see the page or web site that is currently active, depending on the settings you have made at your registrar.
• Email: Any email messages sent to your domain name may not be delivered while your domain is pending. If you are using a domain you ordered through another provider, your email may be delivered to your registrar until your domain becomes active.

We'll notify you as soon as your domain becomes active. In the meantime, you can begin familiarizing yourself with your Yahoo! plan features!

Using a Domain You Already Own

To use your existing domain name with your Yahoo! plan, you'll need to contact the company where you originally registered your domain, such as Network Solutions, and request a name server change to redirect your existing domain name to Yahoo!

You don't need to understand name servers to make the switch. Just provide your registrar with this information about your new service (be sure to replace learn2yoga.com with your own domain name):

I would like to request a name server change for my domain learn2yoga.com. Please change my name servers to:

Primary name server: yns1.yahoo.com
Primary IP address: 98.136.43.32
Secondary name server: yns2.yahoo.com
Secondary IP address: 66.196.84.168

After you've done this, the change may take up to 72 hours (during this time, your domain will appear as pending).

Note: This process is not a registrar transfer. Your current provider will continue to renew your domain, and you'll pay any associated fees to that provider. Yahoo! will not renew your domain. Learn more.

Your Domain Control Panel

To begin exploring your new domain features, sign in to your account:

1. Visit your Business Control Panel. (If you haven't entered your Yahoo! ID and password, you'll be prompted to do so here. If you forget your password, click the "Forgot your password?" link and follow the prompts to retrieve it.)
2. Click "Domain Control Panel."
3. From here, you'll see a list of tasks, where you can manage all of your Yahoo! Domains services:
   
   Starter Web Page: Create or edit a basic web page for your web address.
   Forward Your Domain: Send visitors from your domain to another web site.
   Set Up Email Address: Set up your domain name email address.
   View/Edit Your Domain Registration: Review and update your WHOIS contact information.
   Manage Advanced DNS Settings: Set up CNAME, A Records, and MX records (for advanced users only).

Starter Web Page

When you purchase a Domains, Custom Mailbox, or Business Mail plan, we automatically create a placeholder "Under Construction" web page for you at your web address. To customize this page, you can use our starter web page feature, which allows you to add your name, contact information, and details about your business, as well as change the page design. A starter web page is a great way to establish a presence at your domain until you're ready to build a more comprehensive web site. Learn more.

Note: Do you already have a web site? You can forward traffic from your new domain name to your existing site. Learn how.

Email Features

If you have a Domains plan, you'll also get one free email address! You can specify an email address at your domain, such as linda@learn2yoga.com, and retrieve these messages from your free Yahoo! Mail account (for example, youryahooID@yahoo.com).

You can also take advantage of our "catch-all" feature, which allows any email sent to misaddressed, misspelled, or nonexistent addresses at your domain to be redirected to your Yahoo! Mail account. You can activate this feature in the "Set Up Email Address" task from the Domains Control Panel.Learn more.

Other Settings

From your Domain Control Panel, you can edit both your domain registration information and your advanced DNS settings:

• Domain Registration Information: At any time, you can visit this task to edit your registrant and administrator contact information. We recommend keeping this information up-to-date in the event that your domain name registrar or another third party needs to contact you regarding any technical or legal issue with your domain name. Learn more.
• Advanced DNS Settings: If you're an advanced user, you can customize your domain name to work with other services. You can add A or CNAME records, or change MX records or your name servers. However, we recommend changing DNS records only if you're an advanced users, as making such changes can prevent your services from functioning properly. If you've made changes and would like to revert to the old settings, you can reset the advanced DNS settings to their default values.

Next Steps

What's next? We'll email you as soon as your domain becomes active. To test this domain, visit your web address at http://www.yourdomain.com (be sure to replace "yourdomain.com" with your own domain name). You should see an "Under Construction" page, or, if you set up a starter web page, your business and contact information in the template you selected. (If you forwarded your domain, you should be redirected to the web address you specified.)

If you need more help setting up or managing the features of your new web address, explore ourDomains Help or our Glossary.

What is domain locking?

Domain locking is a free security enhancement offered by Yahoo! to prevent unauthorized transfers of your domain to another registrar or web host by "locking" your domain name servers. When your domain is locked, you'll be substantially protected from unauthorized third parties who might try to misdirect your name servers or transfer your domain without your permission. You will also be unable to inadvertently make changes to your name servers that could prevent Yahoo! from hosting your domain services properly. Learn more about changing name servers.

To make changes to your domain name servers, you will need to sign in to the Domain Control Paneland turn off domain locking. (We recommend turning locking off only in the event that you need to make such changes.) Learn more.

Please note that domain locking is available only for domains registered through Yahoo! after January 22, 2001 (or, for Merchant Solutions customers, after March 23, 2001). If you'd like to activate locking for a domain you have purchased elsewhere and redelegated for use with your Yahoo! plan, please contact your domain registrar and ask about the availability of this feature.

omain Name Basics: What, Why, And How

What's in a domain name? A lot more than you might think. Your domain name can be your first impression, your face to the outside world, and your new marketing plan. Learn more about what domain names are, why you should take the time to choose a good one for yourself, and how to go about it.

What is a domain name?

A domain name is an address for the Internet. It helps people find your web site. Just as homes and businesses have street addresses, all web sites have domain names. The Yahoo! domain name is yahoo.com.

A domain name is made up of two parts, typically preceded by www. Let's use yahoo.com as an example:

• The first part, yahoo, is a unique name that represents the web site.
• The second part, com, is the extension, and stands for "commercial." There are many extensions available, though .com, .net, .biz, .info, and .us are the most popular extensions in the United States.

Why is a good domain name important?

A good domain name helps you in numerous ways.

For Businesses

Add your domain name to your business card, email signature, and other advertisements.

• Build credibility: Show your customers that you have an established business.
• Improve your marketing: Provide customers an easy way to remember and contact you.
• Protect your brand: Secure the domain name that best represents your business name — and keep it out of the hands of your competitors.

For Consumers

Describe your site as best you can with your domain name. For example, a pair of amateur magicians might use their stage names, some combination of words including magic, or the name of their most famous trick.

How do I choose a domain name?

Keep these tips in mind as you select your domain name.

• Your domain name should reflect your business name or the topic your site will cover.
• It should be a unique and concise name that is easy to say, remember, and spell.
• You can use only letters, numbers, and hyphens in your domain name. Spaces or other symbols are not allowed.
• If your first choice isn't available, try rearranging the word order, adding hyphens, or using abbreviations or locations to come up with a unique alternative.

Once you have a domain name, you need a web site! Luckily, you came to the right place. It's easy to add Yahoo! services that help you build a full web site or open an online store.

Quick Domain How To's, Tips, & Advice

Buy Yahoo Web Hosting, get your Yahoo Domain Name for Free

Many people do not realize that you need to purchase web hosting services after you buy a domain name. We recommend that you purchase Yahoo! Web Hosting and get the domain for free, so you can start building your site immediately. We have provided below the lowest possible price on the internet for Yahoo! Web Hosting.

What is a Domain Name?

A domain name can be thought of as the “address” for your website. Most domains consist of the primary name, plus a top level domain name extension such as .com, .org, or .net . For example, for Yahoo.com the name is “Yahoo” plus the top level domain name extension of .com.

For more background on domains please visit this page.

Picking and Registering a Domain

The most difficult aspect in choosing a domain name is finding a name that you like that is not already in use. The basic rules are simple (maximum length of 63 letters, no special characters such as %, &, *) but most of the obvious and attractive names have already been taken. We recommend that you go to Yahoo Domains Home Page and use their domain availability tool.

For more advice on picking a domain name please visit this page.

Domains, Web Hosting, and E-commerce

Many people do not realize that buying a domain name is only the first step in getting your website up and running. All providers also require that you also purchase a web hosting package with your domain name or provide the hosting services yourself.

90% of all web sites are hosted by shared hosting providers such as Yahoo! Web Hosting, Godaddy, or Ipowerweb. We suggest Yahoo! Web Hosting if you are considering purchasing a web hosting service. Not only do you get a free domain name (from Yahoo! Domains) when you buy a Yahoo! Web Hosting plan, but you also get 24/7 toll free phone support from one of the most trusted companies on the internet. Click here for more information about Yahoo! Web Hosting.

Furthermore, if you want to sell your goods or services online, you will either need to buy online shopping cart software like Miva or Paypal our purchase an e-commerce hosting service like Yahoo’s Merchant Solutions. We recommend Yahoo Merchant Solution because it is a turn key e-commerce solution that includes a free domain, set up consulting, and 24/7 service from an established company like Yahoo. Click here to visit Yahoo Merchant Solutions for more info.

Yahoo! Small Business

Yahoo! Domains, Yahoo! Web Hosting, and Yahoo! Merchant Solutions are all a part of Yahoo! Small Business. Yahoo! Small Business provides a suite of online services that helps you get online, advertise online, and sell online.

Yahoo Domains is the cornerstone of the Yahoo Small Business suite of domain,hosting, and e-commerce related products. Yahoo Domains has partnered with Melbourne IT, who provides the backend technology for Yahoo’s domain name registrations service.

Reliability and Recommendations

The biggest strength of Yahoo Domains is that it is backed by the reputation and security of Yahoo, one of the largest internet companies in the world. You do not have to worry about Yahoo going out of business and losing your domain, like you might with other lesser known domain providers.

Also, Yahoo Domains, unlike many domain providers, offers phone/email service. Yahoo Domains has very few weaknesses especially if you can take advantage of the $1.99 domain name offer.

If you are looking for a cheap,reliable, and secure domain registration company then we highly recommend Yahoo! Domains. However, Yahoo! Domains is not recommended if you need to purchase multiple domain names or you require advanced hosting features like virtual or dedicated servers.

Yahoo Domains: Your A-Z Guide to Picking & Registering a Domain

Choosing the right domain name and domain name provider is the first step to creating your new website. Yahoo! Domains is one of the leading domain registrars in the world and has the backing of Yahoo!, a leading internet company. In fact, Yahoo! hosts its domains and websites on the very same servers as Yahoo.com, making it the most reliable domain and hosting provider in the industry.