Hover Registrant Verification Guide

Registrant Verification is the process Hover uses to confirm that the contact information on a domain's Owner record is accurate and belongs to a real, reachable person or organization. This article explains why verification is required, what triggers it, and how to complete it if your domain is affected.

Why Registrant Verification Is Required

ICANN, the organization that oversees generic top-level domains (gTLDs), requires every accredited registrar to verify the combination of a domain Owner's first name, last name, and email address. As the registrant, you'll need to confirm the contact details used to register a gTLD. This requirement applies at every ICANN-accredited registrar, not just Hover — we follow the procedure to maintain our accreditation, which is what allows us to sell domain names.

Note: Once you've verified a first name, last name, and email combination with Hover, you won't need to verify it again for additional domains registered with the same details.

Before you begin

• Have access to the email address on the domain's Owner contact. Hover sends the verification link there, and you'll need to open it to complete the process.
• Know you have 15 days to respond. Missing the deadline suspends the domain and any services connected to it (website, email, forwarding).
• Expect the message more than once if you don't act right away. Hover resends the verification email several times, but you only need to respond once.

What Triggers Registrant Verification

• Purchasing a gTLD domain, if you haven't already verified your name-and-email combination with Hover.
• Changing any of the Owner's first name, last name, or email address.
• A bounced renewal reminder or WHOIS Data Reminder Policy email. A bounce indicates the email on file is no longer valid and needs to be updated.

Completing the Verification Email

Shortly after you register a domain or complete a transfer into Hover, you'll receive an email containing a unique verification link.

1. Open the email and select the verification link.
2. On the verification page, check that your name and email address are correct.
3. Select Verify Information.

Checking Your Verification Status

You can check the Domains page in your Hover control panel to see whether a domain's status is Active or Verifying. A status of Active means verification was successful; Verifying means it's still pending.

If You Don't Receive the Verification Email

• The Owner's email address has a typo. Sign in to your Hover account and correct the spelling.
• An old or backup email address is on file. Make sure you're checking the inbox for the address actually listed as the Owner contact.
• The email landed in spam. Check your spam or junk folder for a message from help@hover.com.
• The email was lost or deleted. Sign in to your Hover account and select the resend email link in the Owner section of the Domain Details tab.

Updating Your Email Address When You've Lost Access

If you can no longer access the email address on the Owner contact, you'll need to change it to one you can access before verification can be completed.

1. Sign in to your Hover control panel using your chosen method of 2FA.
2. If you have more than one domain, choose the domain to be verified from Your Domains.
3. On the domain's Overview page, scroll down to Registration Records > Owner > Edit.
4. Update the email address to one you can access. You can also opt out of the 60-day ICANN lock here, which otherwise prevents the domain from transferring for 60 days.
5. Select Save Changes.

Note: Changing the email address triggers a new verification email to that address. Making additional changes afterward (for example, fixing the spelling of your name a few days later) does not reset the 15-day clock — you only need to verify once for the most recent set of contact information.

What Happens If You Don't Verify Within 15 Days

If the registrant's contact information isn't verified within 15 days, the domain and its DNS are suspended. The domain's website, email, forwarding, and any other connected services go offline at the end of day 15. You will not lose the domain. Completing verification — either by using the original link or by updating the Owner record to trigger a new one — brings the domain back online almost immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Hover Support verify a registrant on my behalf? No. Only the registrant can complete verification, by selecting the link in the email. Support can help update the registration information, but cannot complete the verification step for you.

What if I can't access my Hover account and need to change the email on file? Contact us at help@hover.com or 1-866-731-6556. We can help you regain account access and update the Owner's contact email so a new verification link can be sent.

Next steps

• Keep your Owner contact information current to avoid unnecessary re-verification — see Editing Domain Registration Records.
• Changing who owns a domain, not just fixing a typo? Review Updating Registration Records with the ICANN Trade Policy — that's a related but different process.

Questions? Contact Hover Support.