What is a domain name?

Put simply a domain name is the address that people use to find you or your company online; it's what you type in the browser's address bar to go to a specific website.

For example, our domain name is: http://www.123-reg.co.uk (in today's browsers, it's not necessary to type the symbols http:// ).

 

How do I buy a domain name?

Think of a name

Try and choose a name that is easy to remember, short, and if possible one that describes your website. For instance, an online dating service may use a domain name like www.loveconnection.com

Check availability

You can do this using our domain checker tool. Simply type the name you want into the search box and away you go!

Many of the popular domains will already be registered, so be prepared to use your imagination and consider alternative domain endings (like: .eu, .biz, .uk.com).

Register

Your search results will be displayed on the page and you can choose which name or names you would like to buy. It's worth noting that your new domain name may take up to 48 hours to be available.

 

What can I do with a domain name?

Besides setting up your website, there are lots of things that you can do with your domain name, such as email or blogging:

• Send mail - use your email address as a webmail account or forward email to another address.
• Start blogging - publish your photos, ideas and inspirations on your own personalized blog.
  
•  Read more or try our free 30 day trial.
• Publish a web page instantly - create your free homepage or get a unique website effortlessly in minutes using our fantastic easy to use InstantSite builder tool.
• Park it - maybe you haven't decided what to do with your new domain name. Don’t worry there's no rush, you can leave it parked with us for the length of your registration.
• Tell the world - announce your new online identity to everyone you know.

More about web mail

Web mail is a great way to access your mail when you're away from your personal computer. It's very similar to your regular email program, all you need is internet access and a web browser.

 

How to setup your 123-reg web mail

• Log into your 123 account
  
• (select member login from the navigation bar on the left).
• Go to the web mail link & click on edit preferences.
• Then follow the on-screen prompts.

 

Register your domain in 3 easy steps