General FAQ
- What is .mobi?
- Do I have to have a Web site associated with my .mobi registration to be compliant?
- What is a zone file?
- What is a Top Level Doman (TLD)?
- What is an Internet Domain Name?
- What is ICANN?
- What is a Registry?
- What is a Registrar?
- What is a Registrant?
- How do I register a .mobi domain name?
- How much does a domain name cost?
- What are the valid characters for a .mobi domain name?
- What about non-English language characters?
- How long can a .mobi domain name be?
- How do I find out what domain names have been registered?
- What happens if there is a dispute about a .mobi domain name?
- When can I start using my domain name?
- What is meant by the term "resolve" in relation to a domain name?
- What is the Domain Name System (DNS)?
- What is a Domain Name Server (DNS)?
- What is an URL?
- What is an IP address?
- How do I make updates to my domain record or add nameservers?
- What is an authorization code (auth code) and where can I get mine?
- When can I transfer my domain name?
- How do I transfer my domain name?
- Why does my domain have a "hold" status?
- What kinds of marketing tools does dotMobi provide for Registrars?
A: .mobi is a top-level domain (TLD) approved by ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. .mobi is unique – it is the first top level domain dedicated to delivering the internet to the mobile phone. .mobi is sponsored by a consortium of companies which includes the most prominent mobile and Internet players in the world. See All about dotMobi for more information.
Q: Do I have to have a web site associated with my .mobi registration to be compliant?A: No, but once you have a site, it must be compliant. If you wish to put up content at once, dotMobi has a "parked page" template as well as a template for a simple web site that you can use. You can access these tools in our developer community, mobiForge.com.
A: A Zone File contains the information necessary to resolve a domain name to an IP address and contains information related to each domain.
Q: What is a Top Level Domain (TLD)?
A: A Top Level Domain (TLD) is the last part of an internet domain name; that is, the letters which follow the final "dot" of any URL. For example, in the domain name dotMobi.mobi, the top-level domain is mobi.
Q: What is an Internet Domain Name?
A: An Internet Domain Name is the text name corresponding to the numeric IP address of a computer on the internet. Internet users access your Web site using your domain name. A domain name must be unique.
A: ICANN is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and is a not for profit organization responsible for managing the internet’s domain name system, including IP address space allocation. See icann.org for more information.
A: An Internet Domain Name Registry keeps the authoritative database for a particular Top Level Domain. It receives Domain Name System (DNS) information from Domain Name Registrars, inserts that information into a centralized database and propagates the information in Zone Files on the internet.
A: A Registrar processes domain name registrations for end users and then sends the necessary information to a registry for entry into the centralized registry database.
A: A Registrant is the person or company that registers a domain name.
Back to topQ: How do I register a dotMobi domain name?
A: Contact any dotMobi accredited registrar who will register the domain name on your behalf. Follow this link to find a dotMobi accredited Registrar.
Q: How much does a domain name cost?
A: The cost of registering a domain though a registrar is determined by market competition. Each registrar determines its own prices and policies for domain name registrations. Registrars may offer additional services, such as Web site hosting, that may be of interest to you.
Q: What are the valid characters for a .mobi domain name?
A: .mobi domain names can contain the English-language letters A through Z, and the digits 0 through 9. You can also use hyphens, but hyphens cannot begin or end your domain name. Spaces and special characters (such as !, $, &, ë, and so on) are never permitted.
Q: What about non-English language characters?
A: Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) are domain names that are represented by native language, non-ASCII characters. The native language domain name is followed by the Top Level Domain (TLD), such as .mobi. An example of an IDN is: müller.mobi. dotMobi supports Chinese Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs).
Q: How long can a .mobi domain name be?
A: The minimum length of .mobi domain name is three characters, and the maximum length is 63 characters (excluding the "http://www" and ".mobi" portions).
Q: How do I find out what domain names have been registered?
A: A central database known as WHOIS tracks all domain name registrations. Each domain name registrar typically maintains its own version of a WHOIS database, including dotMobi.
Q: What happens if there is a dispute about a .mobi domain name?
A: dotMobi has two dispute resolution processes. These are the Sunrise Dispute Resolution process and the ICANN Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) Process. The Sunrise Challenge process is available as part of the .mobi Sunrise trademark holders registration while UDRP is available to challenge any .mobi domain name at any time.
Q: When can I start using my domain name address?
A: Once the .mobi registry has been updated, the information in our database is shared with internet Zone Files worldwide. This sharing process is called "propagation," because the new information about your domain propagates (spreads) across the Web. dotMobi cannot control the rate at which the millions of name servers on the Internet are updated, but generally your domain should be available to internet users within a very short period.
Q: What is meant by the term “resolve” in relation to a domain name?
A: The term is used to describe the process by which domain names are matched with corresponding Internet Protocol (IP) numbers to direct a user to a Web site.
Q: What is the Domain Name System (DNS)?
A: The Domain Name System is the Internet naming scheme which consists of a hierarchical sequence of names, from the most specific to the most general (left to right), separated by dots, for example http//dotMobi.mobi.
Q: What is a Domain Name Server (DNS)?
A: This is a server that matches up the URL of a Web site, for example, http://dotMobi.mobi, with its proper numeric IP address. Whenever a Web page is requested, the Web browser must consult the domain name server to find out what is the numeric translation of the URL.
A: A Uniform Resource Locator is a unique identifying address used to locate a site on the World Wide Web, such as http://dotMobi.mobi, for example.
A: This is the unique, numeric address of each computer connected to the internet. It is also called an Internet address.
Q: How do I make updates to my domain record or add nameservers?
A: To make a change, you must send a request to your registrar, who will then put the request through to the .mobi registry. dotMobi is not allowed to change records directly for registrants. This procedure is true of all domain name registries.
Q: What is an authorization code (auth code), and where can I get mine?
A: The authorization code is a 6- to 16-character code assigned by the registrar at the time a domain name is created. The auth code acts as a password for the domain. Auth codes are an extra security measure, ensuring that only the owner of the domain can make transfers.
If you do not know your auth code, you can obtain it from your registrar. Registrars are contractually required to provide the auth code upon the request by their registrant.
- Sponsoring registrars can obtain the auth code for their sponsored domains by sending an EPP <DOMAIN_INFO> command to the registry. Registrars are only able to obtain auth codes for the domain names they sponsor.
- dotMobi does not give out authorization codes to registrants.
- dotMobi advises that you change your auth code after a transfer. You can do this through the registrar.
Q: When can I transfer my domain name?
A: Domains cannot be transferred from one registrar to another:
- during the 60 days after the domain was created.
- in the 60 days following a registrar-to-registrar transfer.
- If the domain is on ClientTransferProhibited status. The registrar can remove this status.
- If the domain is on ServerTransferProhibited status. The registrar cannot remove this status. The status is applied in certain domain operations and periods, such as the Redemption Hold period.
Q: How do I transfer my domain name?
A: For Registrant-to-Registrant Transfers:
The registrant should update the contact information through the sponsoring registrar. dotMobi cannot do this for you; you must do it through the registrar.
For Registrar-to-Registrar Transfers:
- Obtain the authorization code from the current sponsoring registrar of the domain. Please consult the WHOIS to find out who the sponsoring registrar is.
- After you receive your authorization code, supply it to the registrar.
- The registrar should then initiate the transfer. Once initiated, the transfer will be completed in five 24-hour periods.
- You should change your auth code after a transfer. You can do this through the registrar.
Q: Why does my domain have a "hold" status?
A: This status is placed upon any domain that does not have at least two nameservers associated with it. The hold status means that the domain will not propagate to the zone file, and will not be usable on the Internet. Once you add two nameservers through your registrar, the "hold" status will automatically be taken off and the domain will propagate correctly.
Hold status can also be deliberately applied to a domain by a registrar, to domains with two or more nameservers.
Q: What kinds of marketing tools and aids does dotMobi provide for Registrars?
A: A summary of tools for retail and resale registrars is available in the dotMobi.mobi Registrar section. Please log in to access that area.
