FAQ Antigua

What Top Level Domains (TLDs) are available for registration in Antigua?

In Antigua there are available the following top and secondary level domains:

.ag
.com.ag
.org.ag
.net.ag
.edu.ag
.gov.ag

The following domains can be registered by anyone from anywhere in the world: .ag, .com.ag, .org.ag, .net.ag. The following domains are restricted to qualified Antiguan organizations: .edu.ag, .gov.ag.

Once I have a domain name secured, how long may I use it?

If there are no trademark disputes, your secured domain name will be yours for as long as you maintain the yearly registration fees.

What if my domain name is the same as a trademarked name?

Generally, if you’ve registered the name in good faith, if the domain is not a name belonging to an internationally known company, and you can show that you have a legitimate reason to use that name, then you are likely to be able to keep that name. If it can be shown that you purchased the name for the express purpose of re selling it to a company with a legitimate claim to the name, for exorbitant fees, you may not be able to keep the name.

How do I choose a good domain name?

It is best to choose a name that reflects the intent and purpose of your web site or business. Try to keep it short and snappy, and try to see how closely the name matches your business name, products or services or main focus. Keep in mind the image that the name portrays and remember that your domain name will be one of the ways people recognize or evaluate sites of interests when they are searching. Always remember that you should choose a name that is easy to remember and that is 16 or less characters.

What are the valid characters for a domain name and how long can it be?

The only valid characters for a domain name are letters, numbers and a hyphen ” “. Other special characters like the underscore “_” or an exclamation mark “!” are NOT permitted. A domain name cannot end with a ” “.

Example: yourcompany name.com (incorrect, No spaces allowed)
Example: yourcompany name.com (correct)

A domain name can be up to 32 characters long not including the characters used to identify the Top Level Domain (.AG, .NET.AG, .COM.AG, or .ORG.AG). Do not type the www. before your domain name when registering.

What does it mean to “park” a domain name?

To register a domain name you need a Domain Name System (DNS) server to host it. When you register a domain name with us, we provide the authoritative entry for the domain, and may also provide the actual hosting of your domain name on our DNS. In that latter case, we would hold or “park” the domain name for you. You have the option to move your domain name off of our servers to another Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Host provider at any time.

I have an e mail which says that my domain has been registered, but I can’t go to it with my web browser. Why?

Even after you have submitted the registration for your new domain, there are many more steps still to be done. Your domain will be entered into the domain database, and your registration must travel to all the ISPs in the world. Your web host must also insert the domain name into the primary DNS given on the application form, and set up a website for you. It may take up to 7 days after you submit your registration before you will be able to go to your domain with your web browser.

What do I need in order to register a domain name?

To register a domain name, you need to specify the contact information and billing information associated with your domain name. You do not need to specify a NIC handle, DNS server information or an IP Address; unless you wish the domain to be active and you have the information from your service provider. Marcaria.com will supply default DNS and IP Information for your domain name, which can be modified at any time after the registration is completed. You can change your DNS or contact information at any time after registration.

How long does the registration process take?

Registration process should only take a few minutes to complete. All .AG domain names may take from 24 72 hours, which is considered normal Internet propagation time, until they are accessible.

Is it possible for another person to register my domain name after I have registered it?

All .ag domain name availability is verified through a central database of available .ag domain names. This system prevents a domain name that is successfully registered, either with Marcaria.com or through another registrar or reseller, from being registered through another domain name registration site.

Domain names are registered on a first come first serve basis. However, in the event that the registry has not yet updated the sources used to verify .ag availability and an attempt was made to register a recently registered domain name, the attempted registration will be rejected by the registry.

Once a domain name is registered, who is the legal registrant of the domain name?

When a domain name is registered, the “registrant” contracts the use of the domain name. However, there is no permanent registrant for any domain name. The “registrant” of a domain name is the original contact listed under Organization Using Domain Name (Registrant) at the time of registration, regardless of whether the other contact information has been changed since that time.

Please note that the Administrative contact is not automatically the registrant. The registry recognizes the registrant as the final authority on a domain name, so please make sure that you have entered the correct registrant information at the time of registration. Changing a registrant associated with a domain name is a longer and more involved process and requires fax authorization.