This KB article will try to answer questions around how FASTDOT and OpenSRS will handle Registrant Validation.
Q: Who is the Registrant?
A: The Registrant is the Organization Contact Record (RWI) or Owner Contact Record (UCP).
Q: What exactly is the validation process?
A: The validation process is a 15 day window during which a Registrant must provide an affirmative response to an email that OpenSRS will send to them. The email contains a link that the Registrant is asked to click. When they click this link, they are taken to a page that displays the email address, first and last name that they used to register the domain. The validation email message also includes a link to the domain registration terms and conditions and a checkbox that they must click to indicate that they agree to those terms and conditions. Failure to respond to this email will result in the domain being suspended. The validation page looks something like this:
Q: What does “suspended” mean?
A: Suspended means that we interrupt the DNS and prevent the domain from resolving. The domain will be placed on ClientHold and our internal WHOIS Lock.
Q: What do the other statuses mean?
A: When you view domains in the Control Panel or through the API, in addition to Suspended, you could see the following verification statuses:
- Unverified–The validation process has not been initiated.
- Pending–The validation process has been initiated, and the validation email will be sent.
- Verifying–The validation process has been initiated and is waiting for registrant response.
- Verified–The registrant has been validated.
- Manual Review–The registrant data has been submitted and is being validated manyally but the Tucows Compliance team.
Q: What information does the registrant need to validate?
A: OpenSRS will be validating three pieces of registrant contact data: First name, Last name and Email address. When a registrant purchases, transfers, or updates a domain’s registrant contact information, OpenSRS first checks to see if a previously validated record exists for that combination of First name, Last name, and Email Address. If an exact match exists, the domain will be considered validated and no further action is required. If an exact match does not exist, the registrant will be sent an email asking them to validate their First name, Last name, and Email Address. For example, John Doe john@doe.com is different from Johnathan Doe john@doe.com, and both will require separate validation.
Q: Which TLDs does this process apply to?
A: The validation process applies to all gTLDs. This also includes the new gTLDs.
Q: What action will trigger the validation process?
A: Any new registration, transfer in, or contact update will trigger the validation process. The cron job that generates the validation messages runs once a day.
Q: What change will trigger the validation process for an existing domain?
A: Any change to the First name, Last name, or Email address will trigger the validation process, unless it was previously validated.
Q: What else will trigger the validation process for an existing domain?
A: If the WDRP or ERRP (Day 30 and Day 5 Renewal Notices) bounce, the domain will enter the validation process.
Q: Will previously registered domain names require validating as of Jan. 1/2014?
A: No, we do not have to retroactively validate domain names.
Q: How many emails will a Registrant receive once the validation process has started?
A: A Registrant will receive an email to validate their contact information on day 1, day 5, day 10 and day 13. On day 16, if they haven’t validated their information, they will receive an email informing them that their domain name has been suspended.
Here is a diagram showing the timelines:
Q: It’s day 80, and the Registrant wants to validate their name. What do they do?
A: Instruct them to contact their reseller, who can then resend the validation email. If you are the reseller, you can resend the email via the API or the Control Panel. In the Control Panel, display the domain details, and then, from the Action drop-down menu, choose Resend Registrant Verification Email. If you are using the OpenSRS API, the command is called send_registrant_verification_email. The domain will remain suspended until the Registrant visits the link included in that email.
Q: How long will it take for my domain to come back online after I validate my information?
A: Your domain should come back online instantly.
Q: My domain is suspended due to a bounced WDRP or ERRP notice so I can’t receive the validation email. What do I do?
A: Registrant or reseller should login to their applicable interface (RWI, MWI, UCP, custom billing system, etc) and update the email address. This will trigger the validation process if necessary.
Q. If a domain is suspended, will it still auto-renew?
A: Yes it will.
Q: One of my domains WDRP or ERRP notice has bounced. Does that mean all my domains with the same contact information will enter the validation process?
A: No, the validation process only applies to that specific domain name where the WDRP and ERRP notice bounces. However, we would recommend that the registrant check their email address on all other domains to prevent any future WDRP or ERRP bounces.
Q: If the Registrant updates their address via the MWI or other interface, does the validation email only go to the new address? Is the previous address notified or required to do anything?
A: Registrants will be required to validate the new email address only and only the new address will receive the validation emails.
Q: When are the validation emails sent out?
A: We send all the emails at midnight (EST) time. If a reseller manually resend the email through the control panel, it gets sent out immediately.
