Before DNS can resolve your domain, before hosting can serve your website, there's domain registration - putting your online presence on the map.
While setting up DNS records and configuring web servers gets most of the attention, domain registration is where everything begins. It's the critical first step that many IT teams take for granted - until they're managing hundreds of domains across multiple registrars, dealing with expired domains, failed transfers, and inconsistent APIs. Understanding domain registration at a technical level isn't just useful; it's essential when you're responsible for an organization's entire domain portfolio.
Domain registration decoded
You don’t own a domain - you lease it. When you register example-domain.com, you're renting exclusive rights to use that domain name for a specific period, typically one to ten years.
The system involves three key players: you (the registrant), the company you purchase from (the registrar like Porkbun), and the organization managing the entire TLD namespace (the registry like Verisign for .com domains). This trinity keeps the entire domain system functioning.
Take dnsense.io’s lifecycle: it starts in the registry's databBeyond the purchasese as "available." When you register it through a registrar, it moves to "active" status with your details as registrant. Miss a renewal? It enters redemption period, then pending delete, and finally returns to available - ready for anyone else to grab.
Currently, there are over 350 million registered domains globally, with roughly 2,000 new registrations happening every hour across all TLDs.
The registration ecosystem
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) coordinates this entire system. They accredit registrars, manage root zone files, and ensure the domain name system remains stable and secure. Without ICANN's oversight, we'd have chaos instead of a functioning internet.
Registrars don't directly control domain databases. Instead, they connect to registries using EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol), a specialized XML-based protocol designed specifically for domain operations. When you register a .io domain through your registrar of choice, they send EPP commands to ICB’s registry systems.
Here's a simplified EPP flow for registering dnsense.io:
Verisign responds with status codes: 1000 for successful registration, 2302 if the domain already exists, or 2004 for syntax errors.
Every registration feeds into the WHOIS database - a public directory of domain ownership. While GDPR and privacy services now mask personal details, technical contacts and nameserver information remain visible. Running whois dnsense.io still returns valuable technical data for troubleshooting.
Beyond the purchase
Registration is just the beginning. You need to configure nameservers to point your domain somewhere useful. Most registrars offer default nameservers, but you'll typically update these to your hosting provider's or DNS management service's nameservers.
Glue records become critical when you're using nameservers within your own domain (ns1.example.com for example.com). Without glue records providing IP addresses at the registry level, you'd create an infinite lookup loop.
Domain locking prevents unauthorized transfers - enable it immediately after registration. When you do need to transfer, you'll request an authorization code (EPP code), unlock the domain, and ensure it's been registered for at least 60 days.
| Registrar | API Rate Limit | Bulk Operations | EPP Access | API Type | Min. TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namecheap | 50/min (global) | Yes (max 100) | Via ticket only | XML-RPC | 60 seconds |
| Porkbun | 30/min | Yes (unlimited) | Yes (free) | REST/JSON | 300 seconds |
| Cloudflare | 1200/5min | Limited | No | REST/JSON | Auto (proxy) |
Warning: Transfers with active email or web services require careful coordination. Update TTL values 48 hours before transfer, document all DNS records, and have your new nameservers configured before initiating transfer.
DNSSEC adds cryptographic signatures at the registry level, but it requires careful key management and registrar support. Not all registrars handle DNSSEC equally well.
Managing domains at scale
Manual domain management works until about 10 domains. Beyond that, you need automation. But registrar APIs vary wildly - Namecheaps REST API differs completely from Openprovider, and good luck finding consistent bulk operations.
Rate limiting becomes your enemy. Most registrars throttle API calls: 60 requests per minute at GoDaddy, 1200 per 5 minutes at Namecheap. When you're updating nameservers for 500 domains, these limits mean operations that should take minutes stretch into hours.
Imagine an organization with 500+ domains spread across GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Porkbun, and two legacy registrars. They need to update nameservers for a DNS provider migration. That's five different APIs, five authentication methods, and five different rate limits to navigate. Their options? Write custom scripts for each provider, maintain multiple API integrations, or consolidate everything to one registrar (expensive and time-consuming).
Taking control of your domain infrastructure
Managing domain registration is straightforward for a few domains. But when you're juggling hundreds across multiple registrars, each with different APIs and interfaces, complexity multiplies fast.
Questions about streamlining your domain and DNS management? Contact our team - we've built DNSense specifically for this challenge.