FAQ Overview

Domain privacy is supported for .nz domain names that are not in significant trade (business).
We do not offer privacy for gTLDs at this stage (.com, .net etc)

The Individual Registrant Privacy Option (IRPO) is for individual registrants that are not using the domain name for significant trade (not in business).

Enabling IRPO will hide physical address, phone number and registrants email address information from being displayed in the public whois. Registrant name and country will still be visible.

Individual registrants of .nz domain names who opt to use to the IRPO still need to provide true and correct registration details, including email, phone, and address contact information. All .nz policies still apply to registrants who have requested IRPO.

Find out more about the IRPO at the Domain Name Commission website: Domain Name privacy

How to enable domain privacy or IRPO for .nz domain names.

1. Login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Select the domain name you wish to manage from the list
3. Click on 'Enable Domain Privacy'
4. Agree and accept to the terms in the pop-up
5. Your address, email address and phone number will now be hidden from the public whois. The registrant name and country will still be visible.

1st Domain's pricing for new registrations and renewals can be found on our pricing page here.

Our Domain name pricing is based on the number of active domains you have registered with 1st Domains in one account. The more active domains you have with us, the discounted price is reduced for the renewal and registration of domains. Renewing or registering domains for multiple years, will lock in that discounted price, saving you more money.

Our prices are some of the lowest in the market, and by checking our comparison page you could save $200 a year simply by using 1st Domains over our competitors.

We also never charge hidden fees such as 'Domain Hosting' fees, 'Set-up', DNS management or Account fees as some ISP's and Registrars do.

After your .nz domain name is registered, it will become active during the next .nz zone build, which occurs daily on the hour, every hour.

All global gTLD domain names (.com, .net, .org, .info, .biz) are scheduled for inclusion and activation within 12 hours.

However, you can begin setting up services for your domain name on our website before the next .nz zone build. This can be done as soon as you receive our email confirming your Account Number and Password.

Using our search tool on the home page or the registration page, you can check the availability of the domain names you wish to register.

Enter the domain name you want to search for, or simply enter a name and then click on the desired extensions.

For example: 'mydomain.co.nz' or 'mydomain', selecting the extensions you require.

A domain name can only use letters, numbers, or a dash ("-") and can be up to 63 characters long.

After clicking "Search," our website will return the available domain names, highlighted with a green background, and the unavailable ones. Tick the domain names you wish to register and proceed to the next page. If a domain name is marked as unavailable, you can check the current registrant details by clicking on the 'WHOIS' link.

If you need to register or search for multiple domain names at once, try our bulk registration and search feature: Bulk Registration and Search.

Registrations and renewals must be made through our website and paid for by credit card.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept payment by cheque, bank deposit, or cash.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

Our automated procedures help keep our overheads low, allowing us to offer New Zealand's best-priced domain names.

Here are a few reasons to register your domain name with 1st Domains:

New Zealand's Best-Priced Domain Name Registration

We offer New Zealand's best-priced domain names, combined with free parking services to put your domain name to good use. See our Pricing & Services page for more information.

Free Domain Name Services* 

All domain name registrations and transfers to 1st Domains include:

• Domain parking
• Email forwarding
• URL redirection
• DNS zone record management

Account Management Interface

Managing your domain names is easy with our Account Manager. You can renew your domain, update contact details, and set up free services—all from one central place.

Excellent Customer Service

Our service is backed by helpful, responsive, and knowledgeable support from a team of experienced domain name professionals, available via email or phone.

*Note: Your domain must be using our Name Servers to access these services.

Below are just some of the reasons you would want to get a domain name with 1st Domains

Establishing an Online Presence: Most people register a domain name to establish a presence on the Internet. In a business context, this is often a key branding strategy. Registrants typically use their company name as part of their email or website address, providing a professional and recognizable identity.

Portability on the Internet: A domain name offers a portable identity on the Internet. If you change your Internet Service Provider (ISP), you can keep the same email address identifier. This means you won't need to update company stationery or inform contacts about a new address; email redirection remains seamless.

Benefits for Businesses: For businesses, having an online presence is essential. It not only adds credibility but also serves as a powerful marketing tool. The Internet allows businesses to reach a wide audience, promote products or services, and maintain a professional image.

Connecting with Others: For interest groups, a domain name provides an opportunity to share information, make new contacts, and exchange ideas. It facilitates communication and collaboration within communities of common interest.

Harnessing the Power of a Domain: The true power of owning a domain name is realized when it is used in conjunction with other Internet services, such as email or a website. Even if you don't currently need to link your name to an Internet application, securing a domain name for future use is still a valuable investment.

Additional Resources: For further information on .nz domain registration, you can visit the Domain Name Commission (DNC) website. The DNC website provides comprehensive information about the registration process and related topics.

As you can see these are all great reasons to get a domain name. You can search for the availability of a domain name here. 

Do you think you should be the registrant of a domain name that someone else has already registered? Or, has someone complained that your domain name is an unfair registration and they should be able to have it?

The Domain Name Commission has published a brochure for people thinking of complaining about an existing domain name registration, and for those who have had a complaint made against them. It provides basic information about their process for resolving disputes, and shows where to look for more.

View information here.

The Domain Name Commission has also setup a Dispute Resolution Service. Anyone who wishes to make a complaint about the registration of a .nz domain name that they view as being unfair may use this system. View more information at the DNC web site here: http://www.dnc.org.nz/drs/

If you have multiple domain names to register with 1st Domains, you can save time by using our Bulk Registration service.

On the Bulk Registration page, list all the domain names you wish to register, with one domain name, including its extension, per line.

A maximum of 25 domain names can be registered at one time using this service.

Use the bulk registration page here.

In accordance with Australian Domain Name Policy, there are special requirements to be eligible to register .au .com.au .net.au and .org.au domain names.

Who can register .au domain names?

Companies or organizations that are registered to do business in Australia can register .com.au, .net.au, and .org.au domain names on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registrants will be required to provide a valid Australian government-provided ID number or supporting documentation, and the domains must either be an exact match, abbreviation or acronym of the registrant's name or closely and substantially connected to the registrant.

A .com.au and .net.au registrant must be one of the following with a valid published ABN/ACN or AU Trademark:

• An Australian registered company.
• Trading under a registered business name in any Australian State or Territory.
• An Australian partnership or sole trader.
• A foreign company licensed to trade in Australia.
• An owner of an Australian Registered Trade Mark.
• An applicant for an Australian Registered Trade Mark.
• An association incorporated in any Australian State or Territory.

A .org.au registrant must be one of the following with a valid published ABN/ACN:

• An association incorporated in any Australian State or Territory.
• A sporting or special interest club operating in Australia.
• A charity operating in Australia, as defined in the registrant's constitution or other documents of incorporation.
• A non-profit organization operating in Australia, as defined in the registrant's constitution or other documents of incorporation.

During the registration process you will be asked to provide evidence that you satisfy the eligibility requirements to register an Australian domain name (such as an Australian Business Number ABN/ACN or AU Trademark) . Your registration will be pending for upto 48 hours while these details are verified by the Australian Registry.

What if I don't have an ABN/ACN?

In order to register a .com.au, .net.au or .org.au domain, you are required to have a valid ABN/ACN. If you do not have one, you will not be able to register a domain.

You can apply for an ABN on the ABR Website

If you don't fall into any of these categories, there are other .au extension options that you may be eligible to register aside from a .com.au domain, such as .id.au. To be eligible to acquire an .id.au name, you just need to be an Australian citizen or an Australian resident; but note these web addresses cannot be used for commercial activities.

Yes. 1st Domains supports DNSSEC DS records, which enables DNSSEC to be used with third-party DNS providers like Cloudflare that support DNSSEC.

DNSSEC is not supported when domain names are parked with 1st Domains, using the 1st Domains DNS servers.

See How do I update or disable DNSSEC?

By default, the auto-renew toggle is enabled for all new domain name registrations, transfers, and manual renewals. The auto-renew toggle will be ON/GREEN during checkout on the payment page.

You can change the default status of the auto-renew toggle by following the directions below:

Enable/Disable Auto-Renew for Future Purchases

You can enable or disable the auto-renew setting by default for all new registrations, transfers, and manual renewals.

1. Log in to the Account Manager.
2. Under the "Pricing & Payment Information" section, click 'Manage Auto-Renew.'
3. Tick the checkbox to enable or disable auto-renew for new registrations, renewals, and transfers.

This will automatically set the default status of the auto-renew toggle on the checkout pages to enabled or disabled for new registrations, renewals, and transfers.

Note: This option enables or disables auto-renew for future purchases. It does not change the auto-renew status of your existing domains and services. To enable or disable auto-renew for individual domain names, follow the steps provided here: How to Enable/Disable Auto-Renew.

How auto-renew works

If you enable auto-renew for your domain name and services, your services will automatically renew for another year, 30 days prior to the expiry date. You will need to have a credit card stored on your account for the charges. Click here to learn how to add a credit card to your account.

Our system will notify you by email at least 15 days before any domain names and services auto-renew. Assuming that you have a valid credit card stored on your account, the services should be renewed 30 days before the expiration. If there are problems charging your credit card you will be notified by email, and we will attempt to charge the credit card several more times over the next 30 days.

How to enable / disable auto-renew

There are several ways to enable and disable auto-renew for your domain names and services.

Enable / disable auto-renew individually by domain name

You can individually toggle the auto-renew setting on/off for existing domain names and services on a per domain name basis from the Domain Name Manager or the Domain Name Renew section.

1. Login to the Account Manager
2. Click 'Manage Domains & Services' or 'Renew Services'
3. Click on the auto-renew toggle slider to enable/disable auto-renew. Green indicates ON, Grey OFF.

Enable / disable auto-renew for multiple domain names

You can bulk enable or disable the auto-renew setting for multiple domain names and services at once by selecting domain names from a list on the Domain Name Manager section.

1. Login to the Account Manager
2. Click 'Manage Domains & Services'
3. Click the select box next to each domain name you wish to enable/disable auto-renew
4. Click 'Choose An Action' and select 'Enable Auto-Renew' or 'Disable Auto-Renew'
5. The action will be applied to your selected domain names.

Enable / disable auto-renew for future purchases

By default the auto-renew toggle is enabled for all NEW domain name registrations, transfers and manual renewals. The auto-renew toggle will be ON / GREEN during checkout on the payment page.

You can change the default setting of the auto-renew toggle setting by following these steps.

1. Login to the Account Manager
2. Under Pricing & Payment information section click 'Manage Auto-Renew'
3. Tick the checkbox to Enable / Disable auto-renew for NEW registrations, renewals and transfers.

This will automatically set the default status of the auto renew toggle in the checkout pages to enabled/disabled for new registrations, renewals and transfers.

NOTE: This option is to enable/disable auto-renew for future purchases. It does not change the auto-renew status of your existing domains and services. Change auto-renew toggle for your existing services by following the instructions in the first two options above.

To change the Organisation Name (Legal Holder) sometimes referred to as the registrant of a domain name, a Change of Registrant form will need to be completed.

This requires the current Registrant and the prospective Registrant to complete and sign the form and return it to us by scanning (or a High Resolution photo) and email to: service@1stdomains.nz

You can download the form as a PDF here: Change of Registrant 1st Domains.pdf

NOTE: You do not need this form to change the contact details for the Registrant, Admin, Technical or Billing contacts for a domain name. These changes can be made from the client interface.

NOTE: If the currently listed Registrant is not a properly constituted organization, if it is trading name, or it has not been listed under the full legal organization name or identifiable individual over 18 years of age, a "Statutory Declaration Form” will also need to be completed.

The Statutory Declaration Form can be downloaded here: Statutory Declaration 1st Domains.pdf

Transferring your domain name to 1st Domains is free and includes all our great features.

You can initiate the transfer using the transfer page here: https://1stdomains.nz/transfer/

The Auth Code is required for each domain name to confirm and authorise the transfer.
Your current Registrar would have emailed the Auth Code to the Registrant contact. Your current Registrar must provide this to the Registrant contact upon request, normally sent by email.

.nz Auth Code is usually referred to as the UDAI or Unique Domain Authentication ID.
.com .biz .net .org .info or gTLD domains Auth Code can be referred to as an EPP code.

The transfer of your .nz domain should be instant. gTLD domains can take between 5 - 10 days to complete. It is important to remember that the services will remain active while the transfer is in progress. You may want to check with the losing registrar if services on their platform will continue when the domain has been successfully transferred away.

Restrictions for transfers of .nz domain names

Domain name must be over 5 days old (Not in 5 day grace period) and not in the 45 day auto renew period. If a domain has been auto renewed at the losing registrar the domain name can not be transferred for 45 days. This can been seen in the domain name status as AutoRenewPeriod in a whois search.

If a domain name is due for renewal within 75 days, you will be required to renew your domain name with 1st Domains at the time of transfer.

Restrictions for transfers of non .nz domain names e.g .com

Domain name must be over 60 days old (Not in 60 day grace period)

A minimum of 1 year renewal is required for all transfers of gTLDs such as .com, .org, .info etc. This year is added onto your existing term. Example: You currently have 6 months remaining on your registration. Transferring to 1st Domains will result in a 1 year renewal leaving 18 months remaining on your registration term.

gTLD transfer process can take upto 5 - 10 days to complete

You can initiate the transfer using the transfer page here:https://1stdomains.nz/transfer/

The redemption period only applies to gTLDs like .com, .net, .org, .shop etc. When a gTLD domain name expires, it is deactivated by the registry. While the domain is deactivated, you can still renew it via our website by paying the standard renewal fee. After 30 days, if you have not renewed the domain, the registry places it into the redemption period which can last an additional 30 days. This period gives you another opportunity to redeem your domain name but additional fees apply. The Registry can charge up to USD$140 to redeem a domain name, depending on the extension in addition to the standard renewal fee charged by 1st Domains. Contact 1st Domains support to check the redemption cost for your domain. 1st Domains passes the redemption fee onto the customer at cost.

We agree it's a high-cost and urge customers to renew their domain name as soon as possible to avoid this additional charge.

To renew your domain name, please follow these simple steps:

1. Gather Your Details: Ensure you have your 1st Domains Account ID and Password ready. If you need to retrieve them, visit Lost Password Request Page enter your domain name, and click “Retrieve”. An email with the account login details will be sent to the account holder's email address.

2. Renew Your Domain: Go to https://www.1stdomains.co.nz/renew/

3. Login: Enter your Account ID and Password to log in.

4. Select Domains: Tick the checkboxes next to the domain names you wish to renew and click ‘Renew’.

5. Review Billing Details: Check your billing details and make any necessary modifications. Then, click ‘Continue’ at the bottom right.

6. Payment: On the payment page, review the services to be renewed. Ensure you tick the box to agree with our Terms & Conditions.

7. Process Order: Click ‘Process Order’ at the bottom of the page. In the Payment checkout window, enter your credit card details and click ‘Submit’.

8. Confirmation: Once the payment is processed, you will receive a confirmation email and a GST Receipt.

You can renew your domain name at any time for a minimum period of 1 year to a maximum period of 10 years.

You do not need to have received a renewal notice from us to renew your domain name. The exception to this rule is for .uk and .au domain names which can only be renewed when the domain name is within six months of the expiry date for .uk and within 90 days of expiry for a .au domain.

You can renew your domain name by logging into our web site.

If you have a number of domain names you wish to renew at once, you can save time by selecting multiple domains at once from the 'Account Manager' under 'Manage Domains & Services'.

When on the 'Manage Domains & Services' page, click on the 'Show All' link at the top right hand corner of the domain list to display all of the domain names under your account. Then select the expiry date column to order your list by expiry date. It's then easy to select all of the domain names coming up for renewal, by checking the check box to the right of the domain name and complete your bulk renewal order by clicking the 'Choose An Action' drop down menu and selecting 'Renew Services'

The .nz Registry reactivates domain names on the hour, every hour. If you have just renewed your domain name the .nz registry will reactivate it on the next hour and all services will resume. It also depends on how long the domain has been expired. If the domain has been expired for over a couple of days, then yes it will take a little longer for services to resume. If it has just expired, then the services will come back on line quicker.

Domains and services that renew manually

If a domain or service is not set to auto-renew, we send renewal notices at 60 days, 30 days, 14 days, 7 days, and 24 hours before the domain name expires. We also send another notice 3 days after the domain name has expired. We notify you of domain name renewals only via email to the billing contact for the domain name, so it’s important to ensure that your domain name contacts are kept up to date to receive these notices. You will need to log in to 1st Domains to renew domain names not set to auto-renew.

Domains and services set to auto-renew

When auto-renew is enabled, your domain names and services will automatically renew for another year. Auto-renew occurs 30 days prior to the expiry date.

Our system will notify the 1st Domains Account holder by email at least 15 days before any domain names and services auto-renew. Assuming that you have a valid credit card stored on your account, the services should be renewed 30 days before the expiration. If there are problems charging your credit card you will be notified by email, and we will attempt to charge the credit card several more times over the next 30 days.

When auto-renew is enabled, your domain names and services will automatically renew for another year. Auto-renew occurs 30 days prior to the expiry date. You will need to have a credit card stored on your account for the charges.

Our system will notify the 1st Domains Account Holder by email at least 15 days before any domain names and services auto-renew. Assuming that you have a valid credit card stored on your account, the services should be renewed 30 days before the expiration. If there are problems charging your credit card you will be notified by email, and we will attempt to charge the credit card several more times over the next 30 days.

Click here to learn how to add a credit card to your account.

Click here to learn more about auto-renew

A stored credit card enables faster check-out and if enabled, the auto-renew feature so that domain names and services can be auto-renewed before expiry.

How to add, update or remove a stored credit card

1. Login to the Account Manager. Under the Pricing & Payment Information section select 'Managed Stored Credit Cards'
2. Choose Add, Update or Remove to modify the stored credit card.If selected Add or update you will be taken the payment gateway to enter the new details. 
3. Enter your new card details. Once added successfully you should see the card in the Stored Credit  Card list.
4. Note: if you add or update a credit card a $1 authorisation will be made to your credit card. This is not a charge, and the authorisation will be removed from your card within 7 days.

Login to your 1st domains account, and you should be on the Account Manager page, select 'Manage Domains & Services'

Next select the domain name you wish to manage.

You can enable URL redirection under the 'Configure URL Redirection' link of the Domain Manager.

URL Redirection will forward your URL to an existing web site address. This is ideal for redirecting domain names to free personal ISP web hosting accounts.

Redirection Options

There are two URL redirection options to choose from:

URL Redirection

This is a standard 301 Redirect to another web site address. After a person types in your domain name, they are redirected to your target address and the target address is shown in the users browser address bar.

URL Redirect with Cloaking. (Not Recommend)

URL Redirection with Cloaking (also known as masking) allows you to redirect your URL whilst keeping your domain name active and visible in the users browser address bar. This is particularly useful if you host with a free provider and do not want your visitors to see the actual URL of your site. 

As an example, if cloaking were enabled, a user would see this in the address bar:

http://www.mydomain.co.nz

Instead of this:

http://www.freehost.com/users/freehosting/index.html

Configuring URL Redirection

Enter an existing web site address into the 'Forwarding Address' box and click update. Your domain name will now redirect to this web site.

Configuring URL Redirection with Cloaking

Enter an existing web site address into the 'Forwarding Address' box.

Optionally enter a Site Title for your web site. This will show in the visitor's title bar of their web browser when they visit your domain name.

Optionally enter a Meta Description Tag and Keywords Tag. A Meta Description should be a keyword dense description of your web site. Keywords should describe your web site. These fields are sometimes used by search engines to index and rank your web site, however these have limited effect for redirected domain names.

Click update and your domain name will now redirect to your target web site, whilst keeping your domain name in the address bar.

Can't See the 'Configure URL Redirection' Link?

If you wish to use our services you will need to park your domain name with 1st Domains.

NOTE: Parking your domain name will transfer the DNS for your domain name to 1st Domains and may effect services you had set-up with your previous host.

Parking your domain name

1. Login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Select the domain name you wish to manage from the list
3. Click on 'Park Domain Name'
4. Turn the parking status slider to 'On' and approve the confirmation message.
5. You can now return to the domain manager, and configure your URL Redirection under the 'Configure URL Redirection' link.

NOTE: Please note that many browsers and search engines now require that redirects are made via HTTPS. Our free URL redirection service doesn't support this as we have no way currently to request an SSL certificate for your domain on our redirection server.

You may wish to consider an alternative like:

1. Check with the destination host to see if they can give you some DNS records to connect the domain.
2. You can purchase hosting through 1st Domains, which comes with a free SSL certificate and then you can implement a 301 redirect from there.

The Auth Code (Authentication ID) for your domain name is typically used to transfer the domain between registrars. 1st Domains also uses this code to verify ownership for other actions, such as changes in ownership. The Auth Code is sent to the registrant's contact email for the domain name. Auto Codes expire within 30 days, so if you have exceed that amount you will have to request a new Auth code.

However, as these expire after 30 days, if you need to request a new Auth Code for your domain name, please follow the steps below:

1. Login to your 1st Domains account at https://www.1stdomains.co.nz/client/login.php.
2. Once logged in, click 'Manage Domains & Services'.
3. Click on the domain name you would like to request the Auth Code for.
4. Next, click the 'Request Key' link under Authorisation Key (UDAI/EPP), and the Auth Code will be emailed to the registrant contact.

Yes. Our URL redirection service allows both a cloaking option and a standard 301 redirect.

Cloaking (also known as masking) allows you to redirect your URL whilst keeping your domain name active and visible in the users browser address bar. This is particularly useful if you host with a free provider and do not want your visitors to see the actual URL of your site.

As an example, if cloaking were enabled, a user would see this in the address bar:

http://www.mydomain.co.nz

Instead of this:

http://www.freehost.com/users/freehosting/index.html

NOTE :
Using cloaking or masking with iframes for URL redirection can have drawbacks:

SEO Issues: Search engines may penalize deceptive practices.
Poor User Experience: It can confuse users, eroding trust.
Security Risks: Potential for phishing and browser restrictions.
Analytics Challenges: Tracking and analytics may be compromised.
Ad Platform Policies: Violations can lead to account consequences. check with your ad platform to be sure.
Legal and Ethical Concerns: Deceptive practices may have legal implications.
Mobile Responsiveness: Issues may arise on certain devices.

1st Domains will show a parking page for your domain name if there is no active web site or URL redirection in place. The parking page can be disabled with the following steps:

1. Firstly, login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Next select the domain name you wish to manage.
3. Click on 'Manage DNS Zone Records'
4. Delete the DNS records that are taged with [Parking] next to them.

The parking page will now be disabled within 1 hour. If you are still seeing the parking page, it you may have a cached result on your browser. Clearing the cache on that browser should resolve the issue.

If you wish to use our services, such as email forwarding, URL redirection, or web hosting, with your domain name, you will need to park your domain with 1st Domains.

NOTE: Parking your domain will change the name servers to 1st Domains and may affect any services you had set up with your previous host. If you're unsure, reach out to your previous host; you might be able to simply copy the records over to the 1st Domains name servers.

Parking your domain name.

1. Login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Select the domain name you wish to manage from the list
3. Under the 'Domain Name Services' section, click 'Park Domain Name'
4. On the next page, click the Parking Status to turn on parking and accept the pop-up warning message to continue.
5. You can now return to the domain manager, and take advantage of parking services such as URL Redirection and Email Forwarding under the 'Domain Name Services' section.

The default maximum execution time for a PHP script is 30 seconds, however if this is not long enough, you can contact us and we can extend the execution time to a maximum of 120 seconds.

To transfer a .UK domain name to 1st Domains, firstly initiate the transfer from our web site. You can do that here.

Once you have initiated the transfer, a 7 day window will be opened for your domain name. You will then need to contact your current Registrar within 7 days and ask them to change the UK Registry TAG for your domain name to ENOM. This is the UK Registry TAG for our provider.

Once you have done this, we will email you to confirm when the transfer has completed, usually within 72 hours.

It is important that you change the TAG with the current registrar(losing registrar) otherwise the transfer will fail.

On submitting a request to transfer to 1st Domains you will be required to verify the request to ensure it is legitimate and that you are the rightful owner. Once the transfer request has been verified (by email to current WHOIS Registrant contact), 1st Domains will submit the transfer request to Verisign Global Registry.

Once a transfer request has been submitted to Verisign, the current registrar for the name will receive notification of the request. The Global Registry will allow the current registrar up to 5 business days in which to approve or decline the transfer request. You may or may not receive verification material from the current registrar.

Each registrar has their own policies concerning transfers away to another registrar. It is a good idea to contact your current registrar in order to make yourself familiar with their policies in order to avoid potential delays. Also some registrar's require you to have your domain with them in order to use their services, so please check with them to make sure that any services you have with them will continue to work once the domain has been transferred to 1st Domains. If those services are to stop working when the domain name is transferred away you will need to look at moving those services to 1st domains.

Some registrars have names locked against transfers that must be removed before a request can be submitted and some may send a verification email to verify the transfer away.

.com .net .org .biz and .info domain names require an Auth code or sometimes call a EPP code for transfer. You can request this from your current Registrar.

gTLD transfer process can take upto 5 - 10 days to complete

You can initiate the transfer using the transfer page here: https://1stdomains.nz/transfer/

When you transfer your domain name to 1st Domains, your DNS servers are left delegated to your last host. This is so that any existing services you might have are not interrupted by the transfer. If you wish to use our services you will need to park your domain name with 1st Domains. 

NOTE: Parking your domain name will update the Name Servers to ours, it will NOT transfer the current DNS zone records for your domain name to 1st Domains Name Servers and may affect services you had set-up with your previous host. Please copy the existing DNS records of the services you want to continue from your previous host to our Name Servers.

Parking your domain name

1. Login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Select the domain name you wish to manage from the list
3. Click on 'Park Domain Name'
4. Turn the parking status slider to 'On' and approve the confirmation message.
5. You can now return to the domain manager, and configure your services under the links, 'Manage Email Forwarders' and 'Configure URL Redirection' and 'Manage DNS Zone Records'.

Here's a few reasons to transfer your domain name to 1st Domains:

Free Transfer

No transfer fees. We don't require you to renew your domain name with us at time of transfer unless it's 75 days away from expiry, or if you're domain name is a global domain e.g. .com. Other Registrars do!

New Zealand's Best Priced Domain Name Registration

We offer New Zealand's best priced domain names combined with free parking services to put your domain name to good use. See our Pricing and Services page for more information.

Free Domain Name Services

All domain name registrations and transfers to 1st Domains include:

• Domain parking
• Email Forwarding
• URL Redirection
• DNS Zone Management (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV Records)

Account Management Interface

Managing your domain names is easy with our Account Manager. Manage all aspects of your domain name from renewing, updating contact details to setting up free services all from one central place.

Excellent Customer Service

Our service is backed by helpful, responsive and knowledgeable support from a team of experienced domain name professionals via email or phone.

After your .nz domain name is transferred, it will become active within 24 hours after the next .nz zone build that occur daily on the hour, every hour.

You can however, begin setting up services for your domain name from our web site before the next .nz zone build. You can do this right after you receive our email confirming your Account Number and Password.

Non .nz domain name transfers such as .com .info .org can take up to 7 days for the transfer process to complete. Usually the transfer is completed earlier. It depends on the loosing registrar as well.

During registration you have the option of setting your domain name servers, or DNS.

You have two options, but you can only choose one:

Park Domain Name And Utilise Free Services

If you wish to use the free and paid services 1st Domains offers, then you should choose to 'Park' your domain name. This will allow us to control the servers for your domain name and offer you free services such as email forwarding, and URL redirection. If you choose to use our paid services, this will require our Name Servers.

Delegate Domain Name(s)

If you operate your own DNS servers, or you have been given the DNS servers by your ISP or web hosting company, specify them here. If you choose to delegate your domain names to a DNS host we cannot offer you our free or paid services such as email or web hosting, but you can switch back to us at a later stage should you wish.

The billing contact is the person or organization responsible for handling any payment issues related to your domain name. This includes renewal notices and account reminders. The billing contact could be you or someone from your accounts department. You can have a different billing contact for each domain in your account. This way you can have different people manage the payment for their domain. Or you can set the billing contact to be your own for each domain.

The billing contact will receive the tax receipt for transactions related to this domain name. However, the billing contact will not receive any correspondence containing your account number or password.

If you need to update your domain’s billing contact, please see: How do I update my Account and Domain Contacts Information?

The technical contact is the person responsible for handling any technical issues related to your domain name. This could be you, an IT manager, or your website developer.

The Technical contact will not be sent any correspondence containing your administrative Account Number or Password.

If you need to update your domain’s technical contact, please see: How do I update my Account and Domain Contacts Information?

The Registrant is an identifiable individual (over 18) or a properly constituted organisation who is listed as the legal holder of a domain name.

If the legal holder of the domain name is a company or organisation, list the name in the 'Organisation' field and enter the organisation contact in the First and Last name fields. The organisation name will become the Registrant.

If the holder of the domain name is an individual, you can leave the 'Organisation' field blank, and simply enter your First and Last Name. This person will become the registrant.

The Registrant will receive correspondence from us containing the Auth Code for the domain name. The Registrant will NOT receive the administrative Account Number and Password to manage the domain. This is sent exclusively to the Administrative Contact / Account Holder.

If you need to update your domain’s registrant, please see: How do I change the Owner, Organisation or Registrant of a domain name?

To transfer any domain name to another registrar you will need the Auth Code(Authorisation code). The Auth Code is sent to the current registrant's contact email for the domain name. Auto Codes expire within 30 days, so if you have exceed that amount you will have to request a new Auth code. You can request the Auth code from within your 1st domains account. 

To request a new Auth Code for your domain name, please follow the steps below:

1. Login to your 1st Domains account at https://www.1stdomains.co.nz/client/login.php.
2. Once logged in, click 'Manage Domains & Services'.
3. Click on the domain name you would like to request the Auth code for.
4. Next, click the 'Request Key' link under Authorisation Key (UDAI/EPP), and the Auth Code will be emailed to the registrant contact.

You will then need to provide the new auth key to your new registrar and follow their instructions for the transfer to take place.

Wanting to register a domain? You can register your domain name online with 1st Domains at https://www.1stdomains.nz/register 

On the 1st Domains website, you need to type the domain name you wish to register into the "Search for your new domain" field then press "Search". 
  
This will list domains with the extension you were wanting plus other options. You can then see whether the domain is available to be registered. If it is, tick it and click "Register the selected domain name(s)". 
  
The next screen takes you to the options of creating a new account or using an existing account, if you do not already have an account with 1st Domains then press "Create account". 
  
You will now be prompted to enter your contact details and billing information. 

After completing all the fields press on "Continue". 
  
On the next screen if you are unsure of what to use for your "Name Server 1" and "Name Server 2" then just make sure the box labeled "Park Domain" is ticked and press "Continue" 
  
Next is the option to add web or email hosting to your order. You can "add to cart" or "continue without hosting". If you are unsure, you can always come back once the domain has been registered and purchase those options.
  
You will now be prompted to enter your credit card details, after you have completed all the fields on this page press "Process Order". 
  
Your domain name will then be registered and a confirmation email will be sent to you. 

Name servers are a fundamental part of the Domain Name System (DNS), which is the system that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses that computers use to locate each other on the internet. Name servers are responsible for responding to DNS queries by providing the IP address associated with a domain name.

To change the Name Servers (DNS) for your domain name, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your 1st Domains account and click on ‘Manage Domains & Services’.
2. Select the domain name you wish to delegate from the list.
3. Click on ‘Configure Name Servers’.
4. Turn the Parking Status to ‘Off’ to enter the Name Server information you have been provided.

Please allow 24 - 48 hours for the DNS change to propagate.

Note: If you delegate your domain names to a DNS host, our free services will no longer be available. However, you can switch back to us at any time.

Delegating DNS away from 1st Domains will remove the ‘Manage Email Forwarders’, ‘Configure URL Redirection’, and ‘Manage DNS Zone Records’ links from the Domain Manager. To re-enable these services, you will need to park your domain name back with 1st Domains.

Firstly, login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'

Next select the domain name you wish to manage the DNS for.

You can enable custom DNS records under the 'Manage DNS Zone Records' link of the Domain Manager.

Custom DNS zone records allow you to point your domain name to a web server IP address for virtual web hosting and/or create a MX record to specify who is responsible for handling email for your domain name.

Here is a list of record types you can create and their general use:

• A: record to point your domain name to a specified IP address.
• AAAA: record to point a hostname to an IPv6 address.
• MX: MX record to specify what mail server handles email for your domain name.
• CNAME: A CNAME record is a type of DNS record that points or maps to an alias name. It points to the value of that Alias name.
• TXT: Associate some text information with your domain name.
• SRV: A record to configure services with your domain name. E.g SIP
• NS: Create NS records to delegate a sub domain to an alternative DNS host.
• *: Using the astericks you can create wildcard hostnames for A, MX, CNAME and TXT records.

Creating Custom DNS Zone Records

Changing DNS records is recommended only for advanced users. 1st Domains does not provide DNS how-to guides or troubleshooting hints for DNS records. The following is a guide on using our interface to create DNS records.

To create a new DNS record click Add Record and type in the hostname required. Select the record type (A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, TXT, SRV) and enter the value. The value will depend on the type of record you have chosen and will be either an IP address, a hostname or some text.

Note: There is by default, a 1 hour TTL on the DNS records. Please allow up to an hour or whatever your TTL is set to for changes made to your DNS Records to become visible.

Changing the Default TTL

The Time to Live (TTL) of a domain name tells other DNS servers how long to hold onto a DNS record after it has been queried. The default TTL is set to 1 hour. This means when someone looks up your website for example, they receive the IP address of where your website is hosted from our DNS servers. Our DNS servers then specify how long the requesting DNS server should cache that record (1 hour) before requesting the record again.

Under the Zone Management interface, you can modify the TTL for your domain name down to 5 minutes. So this will mean that any records requested will have a maximum cache time of 5 minutes.

Examples of Use

Lowering the TTL before making a record change will lower the update time for the new record. This is ideal for times that you are transferring web hosting providers, mail hosts, or changing your office static IP address and wish to minimise any downtime while the new record propagates. Lower the TTL first, then wait a few hours for the previous TTL cache to expire before changing your record. Once you're all switched over, reset the TTL back to a more reasonable time such as 1 hour.

You might choose to use the 5 minute TTL permanently if you have a backup web host or fail-over site available. So in the event that your usual host is unavailable, you can login and quickly update the DNS record to point to your backup host and the maximum time before this becomes live will be only 5 minutes.

Can't find the 'Manage DNS Zone Records' link?

If you wish to use our services you will need to park your domain name with 1st Domains.

Note: Parking your domain name will transfer the DNS for your domain name to 1st Domains and may affect services you had set-up with your previous host. This however does NOT transfer your existing DNS records from your previous DNS host. You will need to copy those across to our name servers if you park the domain with us.

Parking your domain name:

1. Login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Select the domain name you wish to manage from the list
3. Click on 'Park Domain Name'
4. Turn the parking status slider to 'On' and approve the confirmation message.
5. You can now return to the domain manager, and configure your DNS Zone Records under the 'Manage DNS Zone Records' link.

The Time to Live (TTL) of a domain name tells other DNS servers how long to keep a DNS record in their cache after it has been queried. The default TTL is set to 1 hour. This means that when someone looks up your website, they receive the IP address from our DNS servers. Our DNS servers then specify that the requesting DNS server should cache that record for 1 hour before querying it again.

Under the Zone Management interface, you can adjust the TTL for your domain name to as short as 5 minutes. This means that any records requested will have a maximum cache time of 5 minutes.

Examples of Use

Lowering the TTL before making a record change will reduce the update time for the new record. This is ideal when transferring web hosting providers, mail hosts, or changing your office's static IP address, as it helps minimize downtime while the new record propagates. First, lower the TTL, then wait a few hours for the previous TTL cache to expire before changing your record. Once the switch is complete, reset the TTL to a more reasonable duration, such as 1 or 3 hours.

You might choose to use a 5-minute TTL permanently if you have a backup web host or failover site available. In the event that your primary host is unavailable, you can log in and quickly update the DNS record to point to your backup host, with a maximum time of only 5 minutes before the changes take effect.

No, your domain name must be parked with 1st Domains and using our name servers to access our services. Delegating your domain to your own servers will remove the option to use our services. You can re-enable services by choosing to park your domain on the Name Server Delegation page.

When you transfer your domain name to 1st Domains, your DNS servers remain delegated to your previous host to avoid interrupting any existing services. If you wish to use our services, you will need to park your domain with 1st Domains.

NOTE: Parking your domain will update the name servers to ours. However, it will not transfer the current DNS zone records to 1st Domains' name servers and may affect services you had set up with your previous host. Please contact 1st domains if you are unsure about this process.

Parking your domain name

1. Login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Select the domain name you wish to manage from the list
3. Click on 'Park Domain Name'
4. Turn the parking status slider to 'On' and approve the confirmation message.
5. You can now return to the domain manager, and configure your services under the links, 'Manage Email Forwarders' and 'Configure URL Redirection' and 'Manage DNS Zone Records'.

You can restore the services with us, provided they haven't expired and been removed. Or if you just want to start using our services, you have to park the domain with 1st Domains. Here’s how:

1. Login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Select the domain name you wish to manage from the list
3. Click on 'Park Domain Name'
4. Turn the parking status slider to 'On' and approve the confirmation message.
5. You can now return to the domain manager, and configure your services under the links, 'Manage Email Forwarders' and 'Manage DNS Zone Records'.

Domain Name Security Extensions (DNSSEC) adds an extra layer of security to your domains by attaching digital signature (DS) records to their DNS information.

You can self-manage DNSSEC for domains registered with 1st Domains when they are using third-party (not 1st Domains) name servers that have DNSSEC enabled. An example third-party DNS provider that supports DNSSEC is Cloudflare.

Disabling DNSSEC

1. Firstly, login to the Account Manager and select Manage Domains & Services
2. Next click on the Domain Name you wish to manage to access the Domain Manager.
3. Under the Name Server Delegation section click the Manage DNSSEC button. (If you can't see the 'Managed DNSSEC' button, it means that DNSSEC is not currently enabled for your domain name.)
4. On the DNSSEC Configuration page, click Disable DNSSEC button to disable DNSSEC. Allow up to 48 hours for your changes to take full effect globally.

Updating DNSSEC DS Record

1. Firstly, login to the Account Manager and select Manage Domains & Services
2. Next click on the Domain Name you wish to manage to access the Domain Manager.
3. Under the Name Server Delegation section click the Manage DNSSEC button. (If you can't see the 'Managed DNSSEC' button, it means that DNSSEC is not currently enabled for your domain name.)
4. On the DNSSEC Configuration page, enter the updated DS Record you have been provided by your DNS provider into the input box provided.
5. Click Update DNSSEC button to update the DNSSEC DS record. Allow up to 48 hours for your changes to take full effect globally.
6. After 48 hours, you can validate DNSSEC is enabled by using a DNSSEC Analyser.

Its important to let the propagation take place before testing.

Domain Name Security Extensions (DNSSEC) adds an extra layer of security to your domains by attaching digital signature (DS) records to their DNS information.

You can self-manage DNSSEC for domains registered with 1st Domains when they are using third-party (not 1st Domains) name servers that have DNSSEC enabled. An example third-party DNS provider that supports DNSSEC is Cloudflare.

To enable DNSSEC, the zone must be digitally signed by your DNS server. During signing, you create a Delegation of Signing (DS) record. Each DS record contains information the registry uses to authenticate using DNSSEC. You use the DS Record and the information it contains to enable DNSSEC for your zone.

Enabling DNSSEC

Once you have the DS record information from your DNS provider, you'll be able to add a new DS record to your domain name using the steps below.

1. Firstly, login to the Account Manager and select Manage Domains & Services
2. Next select the Domain Name you wish to manage to access the Domain Manager.
3. Under the Name Server Delegation section click the Enable DNSSEC button. (If you can't see the 'Enable DNSSEC' button, it means that you are using 1st Domains for your DNS Servers. To use DNSSEC for your domain name you will need to delegate your name servers to a third-party DNS provider that supports DNSSEC like Cloudflare.)
4. On the DNSSEC Configuration page, enter the DS Record you have been provided by your DNS provider into the input box provided.
5. Click Enable DNSSEC button to enable DNSSEC. Allow up to 48 hours for your changes to take full effect globally.
6. After 48 hours, you can validate DNSSEC is enabled by using a DNSSEC Analyser.

Important to wait for the propagation of the records before doing a test.

Email forwarding is a feature that allows incoming emails sent to one email address to be automatically redirected or "forwarded" to another email address. This can be useful for various purposes, such as consolidating emails from multiple addresses into one inbox, managing multiple accounts, or redirecting emails to another person or department. To create a forwarder, follow the instructions below.

Firstly, login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'

Next select the domain name you wish to manage.

You can enable as many email forwarders as you need (within reason) under the 'Manage Email Forwarders' link of the Domain Manager.

Email forwarding allows you to configure a specific address at your domain name to forward to an existing email account that you already check.

e.g. jon@mydomain.co.nz redirects to jon@myisp.co.nz

Setting E-Mail Forwarding

Click 'Add Forwarder' and then enter the email address you wish to forward into the Email Address box e.g. jon@domain.co.nz. Then enter the destination address into the 'Forwarding Address' and click update.

Deleting an Email Forwarder

To delete an email forwarder, click the check box next to the email forwarder you wish to remove and click 'Remove Selected'.

Can't Find The Manage Email Forwarders Link?

If you wish to use our services, you will need to park your domain name with 1st Domains. Note: Parking your domain name will transfer the DNS for your domain to 1st Domains and may affect services you had set up with your previous host. If you are unsure about this please contact our support team.

Parking your domain name

1. Login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Select the domain name you wish to manage from the list
3. Click on 'Park Domain Name'
4. Turn the parking status slider to 'On' and approve the confirmation message.
5. You can now return to the domain manager, and configure your email services under the 'Manage Email Forwarders' link.

1st domains offer its customers the ability to purchase and manage their email hosting with us. You can create email forwarders for free or if you would like a mailbox there are plans to cater to your requirements. Here are some instructions on how to set up a mailbox.

1. Browse to the 1stdomains website and login using your 1st Domains Account ID and Password.
2. On the 'Account Manager' page under 'Domain Names & Hosting Services' click "Manage Domains & Services".
3. On the 'Manage Domains & Services' page click on the domain name that you wish to add a mailbox for.
4. On the Domain Name Manager page under the 'Services' section click "Manage Email".
5. Within the 'Mail Management Control Panel' click "Add Mail User".
6. On the 'Add Mail User' make sure "Mailbox [Remaining:x]" is selected from the drop box situated to the right of 'Mail User Type'.
7. In the white box to the right of 'Primary Address' enter your new user email address.
8. Specify a strong password in the next two box's (one to specify and one to confirm). The password requirements are listed below:
   Your password needs to meet the following requirements to help prevent your email account from being compromised:
   • It must be at least 8 characters including at least one number and one uppercase letter.
   • It cannot contain a repeating pattern (for example 111);
   • It cannot not contain any recognisable part of your email address;
9. Finally, on the bottom left of the page, click "Add".

Your email mailbox has now been created. You can access your email via 1st domains webmail or using an email client, such as outlook to manage your email.

You can use the link below to find further instructions for setting up your new email account on email client: https://1stdomains.nz/help/email/

We regret to inform you that we do not offer a wildcard or catch-all email forwarding service. A catch-all forwards any email sent to a specific domain to a designated address.

These services are no longer practical for us to offer, as they result in a high volume of spam being forwarded to the destination address, often leading the destination server to rate-limit or refuse connections from other servers.

As an alternative to the catch-all, we offer unlimited email forwarders, allowing you to set up separate email addresses or aliases at your domain name.

Yes, you can configure as many individual email forwarders as needed (within reason) for your domain name. Each email address can forward to one separate destination address.

Wildcard forwarders are not supported; each forwarder must be configured as a separate address.

If you want to forward to more than one destination email address per forwarder, you will need to purchase an email hosting plan. This can be acheived from a mailbox and not a forwarder.

Yes, you can!

To upgrade:

1. Make sure you are logged into your 1st Domains account
2. Click on 'Manage Domains and Services'
3. Click on the Domain Name you wish to manage
4. Click on 'Upgrade Email Hosting'
5. Tick the box next to your domain name, select a plan to upgrade to from the drop down and click continue
6. Verify your Invoice billing infomation is correct, click continue
7. Check the requested services are correct, confirm the period and select your payment method and click on process order.

Note: The hosting services expiry date will be aligned with the expiry date of the domain name.

For downgrading, This can be done when you are renewing the services, we suggest doing this close to expiry.
You'll also need to make sure you have not got mailboxes using up more storage than you want to downgrade to.

When you are renewing a domain, on the checkout page you'll see a drop down to choose a different plan, select the plan you want and choose a payment method and click process order.

To connect your 1st Domains email to the Gmail email client, follow these steps:

1. Open Gmail and log in to your Gmail account.
2. Access Settings: Once logged in click on the gear icon in the top right corner and select “See all settings.”
3. Accounts and Import: Navigate to the "Accounts and Import" tab.
4. Add a Mail Account: In the "Check mail from other accounts" section, click on "Add a mail account."
5. Enter Email Address: Enter your 1st Domains email address (e.g., email@example.com) and click "Next."
6. Select Import Option: Choose "Import emails from my other account (POP3)" and click "Next."
7. Enter POP3 Settings:
   • Username: Your full email address (e.g., email@example.com)
   • Password: Your email password of your 1st domains mailbox
   • POP Server: mail.1stdomains.co.nz
   • Port: 110
   • Always select “Leave a copy of the retrieved message on the server” and “Label Incoming messages” select the email from the drop down.
   • Click "Add Account".
8. Your mail account has been added: You will be prompted to set up the ability to send mail as your 1st Domains email address. Select "Yes" and click "Next."
9. Update the Name to what you want the name of the email to look like to your recipients. And untick “Treat as an Alias” Click on "Next Step"
10. SMTP Server Settings:
    • SMTP Server: mail.1stdomains.co.nz
    • Port: 25
    • Username: Your full email address (e.g., email@example.com)
    • Password: Your email password of your 1st domains mailbox
    • Select "Secured connection using TLS."
    • Click "Add Account."
11. Success message: You should now see the success message.
12. Verification: You will also have received the verification email from Gmail. It will contain a link that you will need to click on to verify your account. This has to be clicked before you can send email from the Gmail account.

Once these steps are completed, your 1st Domains email should be successfully connected to your Gmail account, allowing you to send and receive emails through Gmail. In your Gmail account, under labels you should now see the new account.

DISCLAIMER: This guide provides instructions on how to add 1st Domains emails to the Gmail web-based client. Please be aware that Gmail may update its settings, appearance, and procedures over time. Consequently, the steps outlined in this guide may change or differ from the current Gmail interface in the future. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please refer to Gmail’s official help resources.

View our email support section for guides on how to create new email accounts and how to add your new email address to email applications like Outlook, Thunderbird and Android.

Email Set up Help

View our email support section for guides on how to create new email accounts and how to add your new email address to email applications like Outlook, Thunderbird and Android.

Email Set up Help

View our email support section for guides on how to create new email accounts and how to add your new email address to email applications like Outlook, Thunderbird and Android.

Email set up

Access Mail Manager Panel

1. Login to your 1st Domains account at https://www.1stdomains.co.nz/client/login.php.
2. On the 'Account Manager' page, click 'Manage Domains & Services'.
3. On the 'Manage Domains & Services' page, click the Domain Name (in red) for which you want to update the email password.
4. On the 'Domain Name Manager' page, click 'Manage Email'.
5. Click the desired email address that you wish to update the password for so the options expand out.
6. Scroll to the 'Password' section and enter the new password twice.
7. Click the green 'Update' button at the bottom left.

Your email password will be updated. Remember to update the password on all devices that are connecting to this email.

Password Requirements

Your password needs to meet the following requirements to help prevent your email account from being compromised:

• It must be between 8 and 30 characters long.
• It must contain both letters (a-z) and numbers (0-9).
• It must contain at least one uppercase letter (A-Z).
• It may contain only the following special characters: !@#*-+()[];:.
• It cannot contain a repeating pattern (for example 11111).
• It cannot contain any recognisable part of your email address.

Yes we do! We currently offer 4 plans to suit your business or personal needs. Starting from $4.75 per month excluding GST for 5 mailboxes with 5Gb of storage. With your email hosting plans you will get unlimited email forwarders and aliases. You will be able to set up auto-responders to automatically reply to incoming messages while you are on leave or out of the office. Our email services support IMAP, POP3 and SMTP.

Get access from anywhere using a web browser and our fully featured webmail. 

To view more about our email plans and features see here.

Our No Limits Web Hosting includes the ability to secure your website with a free SSL certificate, thanks to Let’s Encrypt. Let’s Encrypt is a free certificate authority, securing more than 300 million websites.

If you have a website, you’re likely familiar with the HTTP part of a URL, but you may not be familiar with HTTPS. The added ‘s’ stands for secure. HTTPS provides your website with added security and privacy. As more websites transition to HTTPS over time, more of your visitors will expect your site to use it too.

The benefits of using HTTPS:

• Trust in your website – The public recognizes that a website using HTTPS is more trustworthy than one without it, signaling to potential customers that you take their privacy seriously.
• Limit browser warnings – Many popular browsers, like Chrome, now show warnings to visitors if the website isn’t using HTTPS, indicating that the site is not secure.
• Improved security – A secure certificate and running your website over HTTPS encrypts any data sent between you and the visitor, preventing attackers from intercepting information traveling between your visitor and the web server.
• Better search ranking – Search engines include the use of HTTPS as a factor when ranking your website in search results. This means using a secure certificate can give you a boost in search results over similar sites that don’t.

When purchasing web hosting with 1st Domains, the SSL certificate is automatically installed for you.

Plesk is a popular web hosting control panel that provides a user-friendly interface for managing websites and databases, and other hosting-related tasks. It's widely used by hosting providers and website owners to simplify the process of managing servers and web hosting environments.

The Plesk Web Hosting Control Panel allows you to manage your web hosting settings such as changing your FTP password, setting up databases, password protecting directories, uploading files, and editing your files for your website.

You can access the Web Hosting Control panel within your 1st Domains account:

1. Login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Select the domain name you wish to manage from the list
3. Under the 'Domain Name Services' section select the 'Web Hosting Control Panel' link to login to the Control Panel.
4. This will open the Plesk control panel and give you access to complete any hosting related tasks.

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, a standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host to another and is commonly used for uploading and downloading files to and from a web server.

Change your FTP password by following these steps:

1. Login to your 1st Domains Account
2. Click on 'Manage Domains & Services'
3. Click on the domain name in the list
4. Click on 'Web Hosting Control Panel' to be logged into Plesk Control Panel
5. Under the 'Hosting & DNS' tab, click on 'Web Hosting Access' or 'Hosting'
6. If using the "Web Hosting Access" option. Under the System User enter or generate a new password. Click on Ok
7. If using "Hosting Settings" scroll down the page and look for Webspace settings. Under there you will have a system user's credentials. And it is here that you generate or add a new password. Click Save at the bottom.
8. Make sure you note that down as you will need that password to use with your FTP client.

Important: Make sure your FTP password is strong. So, use capital letters, numbers, and special characters throughout the password. Using the generator will generate a strong password for you.

Loading content to your site is done using File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Please use the FTP IP address if your domain name is not currently live on our system.

NOTE: We do not currently support SFTP.

Several pre-configured directories are available in your account. Below is a brief description of some important directories:

• httpdocs: This is the directory where all files intended to be available on the web should be published. The httpdocs directory is located in your site's document root.

• error_docs: This directory allows you to customize server-generated error pages, such as "page not found." Replace the existing files with your own customized versions and contact us to enable custom error documents for your hosting account.

• statistics: This directory contains log files used for web statistics reporting. These files cannot be accessed directly via FTP but can be accessed through the Plesk Administrator.

Access the Web Hosting Control panel within your 1st Domains account:

When you purchase hosting now, the SSL certificate should be automatically issued, but if for any reason you need to add this in again, see the steps below.

1. Login to the Account Manager and select 'Manage Domains & Services'
2. Select the domain name you wish to manage from the list
3. Under the 'Domain Name Services' section select the 'Web Hosting Control Panel' link to login to the Control Panel.

Installing the free SSL certificate:

1. Under the 'Websites & Domains' section in the 'hosting and DNS' tab select the 'Hosting' option.
2. Under 'Security' make sure that the SSL/TLS support tick box is ticked then click 'OK' and wait for processing to complete.
3. Under the 'Websites & Domains' section select 'SSL/TLS Certificates'
4. Scroll down and under 'More options' and 'Install a free basic certificate provided by Let's Encrypt' click on 'install'
5. Ensure your email is noted for 'Email address'
6. Select the 'Include a "www" subdomain for the domain tick box
7. Click 'Get it free' and wait for processing to complete.

The next optional, but recommended step is to setup a redirect from non secure (HTTP) to secure (HTTPS) so that when visitors browse to your domain under non secure HTTP they will automatically be redirected to the secure version of your website. You can use the following steps to enable this:

1. Under the 'Websites & Domains' section in the 'hosting and DNS' tab select the 'Hosting' option.
2. Select the 'Permanent SEO-safe 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS' tick box and click 'OK'

The SSL certificate should now be installed on the domain.

Please review the features matrix under on our web hosting page for up to date versions of PHP and MYSQL: https://1stdomains.nz/hosting/

The path below is the full path to the document root for your website, which may be required for the configuration of certain web applications.

/var/www/vhosts/<domainname.co.nz>/httpdocs/

IMPORTANT: Replace <domainname.co.nz> with your domain name.

The PHP memory size is set to 128MB by default. This is sufficient for the standard small websites. However this can be increased for instances where the site is running a larger application such as a online shop, e.g. woocommerce. Just get in contact with our support team if you need more memory.

Cronjobs can be scheduled from within the Plesk Control Panel. There is no limit to the number of times a job can be run, but consideration should be given to the load and the frequency the script is run to reduce overall load on our servers as they are shared.  And also the impact of running Cronjobs on you website could impact the loading time of the site.

Our servers are hosted in our privately owned data centre in Christchurch, New Zealand.

We operate our own privately owned, high-density data centre in Christchurch, which has been built to a tier III+ standard. The data centre is designed to host mission critical servers and computer systems, with fully redundant subsystems.

The web servers are hosted on fully redundant hardware, for maximum uptime.

Sorry, our web hosting plan does NOT support sub domains. The web site will be activated for one domain name only for both www and non-www hostname. e.g. www.domain.co.nz and domain.co.nz

Voyager have more advanced web hosting plans that support sudomains: https://voyager.nz/business/hosting/web-hosting

The 1st Domains web hosting plan does not support domain aliases. The web site will be activated for one domain name only for both www and non-www hostname. e.g. www.domain.co.nz and domain.co.nz

Try Voyager for more advanced web hosting plans that support unlimited domain aliases: https://voyager.nz/business/hosting/web-hosting

Only one web site and one domain name can be hosted on the Unlimited Web Hosting plan. The web site will be activated for one domain name only for both www and non-www hostname. e.g. www.domain.co.nz and domain.co.nz

Email accounts are not provided with the Unlimited Web Hosting plan, although you can use the free email forwarding provided with the domain name registration.

If you would like to add email hosting to your domain name, we offer separate email hosting plans which you can review here: https://1stdomains.nz/email/

Many applications come pre-packaged in a compressed ZIP or TAR file. Instead of unpacking these files on your local computer and then uploading the many files via FTP you can upload the compressed file and extract the files directly on the server to save you time.

1. Within the file manager on the Plesk web hosting control panel, select the .zip or .TAR file you wish to extract
2. Click on the 'Archive' drop-down along the top
3. Select 'Extract Files'
4. Choose whether or not you wish to replace existing files or not and click OK.

NOTE: Files will be extracted in the same directory that the .zip is located.

A simplified version of Plesk Control Panel is provided with the web hosting.

It provides the following functions:

• Change FTP Password
• Password Protect Directories
• Database Manager
• File Manager
• Log Manager
• Scheduled Tasks (cronjobs)
• Site Preview
• Web Statistics
• Wordpress toolkit - Shows you details about your WordPress website
• WordPress one-click-install

Yes, we do! Our web hosting includes unlimited storage and data, making our plans ideal for small to medium-sized businesses looking to establish an online presence.

We also provide a free SSL certificate that automatically renews for you. Our hosting servers are based in NZ at our dedicated data centers, and we offer malware protection along with one-click cleanup and repair solutions.

Our award-winning web hosting control panel from Plesk gives you full control over your website. The easy-to-use dashboard allows you to manage your website, databases, files, SSL certificates, and much more. You can also install popular applications like WordPress and Joomla from our Applications Catalog.

If you want to install WordPress, we offer a one-click install option as well as a WordPress toolkit to help you manage your website. Read more about our web hosting plans here.

To add web hosting to a domain you currently have with 1st Domains, you will need to log into your 1st Domains account.

Once on the account manager page, click on "Manage Domains and Services" and check the box next to the domain you want to add hosting to. Please note that you can only add web or email hosting to a domain you own with 1st Domains, and you must be using our name servers as well. If you have any questions regarding this part of the purchase, please contact our support team.

Click the "Choose An Action" button and select "Purchase Services."

Check the box for No Limits Web Hosting, then click Continue.

Verify that the invoice details are correct, then click Continue again. You will be taken to the checkout page. Complete the checkout process and submit your order. The renewal of the web hosting will align with the expiry date of the domain for which it is purchased.

Once the hosting is provisioned, you will find a link to the "Web Hosting Control Panel" under the Services subheading on your Domain Name Manager page for that domain.

If you have lost or can't remember the password and or your 1st domains account ID for your account, you can request this through your 1st Domains Account. The password request page can be found here: Lost Password request link

Enter your domain name or Account Number to have the details emailed to the Admin contact listed on WHOIS for domains in your account.

Transferring a domain name from one 1st Domains account to another is simple with the Domain Level Login and Import Domain feature. Just follow these steps:

1. Enable Domain Level Login:

   • Log in to your 1st Domains account.
   • Go to ‘Manage Domains & Services’ and select the domain name you want to transfer.
   • Under ‘Domain Level Management Settings’, click ‘Configure’.
   • Click ‘Enable Domain Level Login’ and set a password for the domain. Once done, log out of this account.

2. Import the Domain to the New Account:

   • Log in to the 1st Domains account you want to transfer the domain to.
   • In the Account Manager, under ‘Advanced Options’, click ‘Import a Domain’.
   • Enter the domain name and the password you set for the domain level login, then click ‘Import’.

The domain will now be transferred to the new account and removed from the previous one.

Need to Transfer to a New Account? If you need to push a domain name to a new account, please contact us with the domain name, UDAI/auth key, current Account Number, and password hint. We’ll take care of the rest for you.

Yes. 1st Domains supports 2FA / multi-factor authentication. We recommend you enable it to add another layer of security to your account and protect your domain names.

We support using Google Authenticator or Authy as your authentication device.

Why use two-factor authentication?

When you log in to your account, you mostly use an account login / domain and password combination to do so. Adding two-factor authentication (2FA) to your login process is a simple way of adding an extra layer of security to your account.

The problem with relying on a username and password style of login is that you can't always keep your password safe. Your password could be stolen through a scam, malware or a data breach. This is especially true if you use the same login details for multiple websites.

How does it work?

After you have enabled two-factor authentication, you will use a combination of your usual login and password, plus a one-time code generated by your phone to login. This combination of having a second authentication method (your phone) means that even if someone obtains your login details, they wouldn't be able to login without also having physical access to your phone which is very unlikely.

How to enable two-factor authentication

Once logged in, click Multi-Factor Authentication under the Account Holder & Password Information section of the Account Manager.

Follow the instructions on this page to enable multi-factor authentication for your account.

To update the Account contact details.

Your account email address is the email address that will be sent a password reset email if you have forgotten your account login details. This email address is not related to any of the domains within the account. They will have their own separate details and see below to edit contact details for individual domains and default settings. To edit the account details;

For all the actions below firstly log into your account

• On the Account Manager page, click on "Account Contact Details" under the Account Holder & Password Information section. Or you can click on the "Edit" next to the Account Contact in the left hand section of the "Account Manage" page.
• Update your details.
• Click on "Update". Your new details are now saved for the account holder.

To update the contact details for an individual domain name.

In this section is where you can edit the registrant, technical and importantly the billing contact for a single domain. The billing contact will be where all renewal notices will be sent to.

• From the Account Manager page click "Manage Domains & Services" and then select the relevant domain.
• Under the "Domain Name Contact Details" Click "Modify Registrant Contact" to update the Registrant details.
• Select "Modify Technical Contact" to update the Technical details.
• Select "Modify Billing Contact" to update the Billing details.
• After editing the details make sure to click on "Update" to save.

To update the default contact details.

The default contact details will be used when a new domain name is registered through your account. This section you can add the default details for the registrant, billing and technical contact that can be applied to any new domain when the Autofill status is enable for each contact.

• On the Account Manager page, under the "Advanced Options" section down the page you will see the default contact details.
• Click on either option, e.g "Default Registrant Contact" to add the registrants contact details. Continue this to update the billing and technical contacts.
• Enable the Autofill Status. This will ensure that when you register a new domain that the new details will be applied to the new domain.

If you do not have the Account ID and Password please use our lost password request form and your details will be emailed to the listed account contact email address.

If you no longer have access to the listed account contact email address, then please complete our account holder update form.

Our service is particularly popular with Internet professionals who manage domain names on behalf of clients.

Volume pricing is offered to all clients of 1st Domains, so you don't need to sign-up to a 'reseller plan' to have the benefits.

Here are a few reasons why we're popular with resellers:

New Zealand's Best Priced Domain Name Registration

We offer New Zealand's best priced domain names combined with free parking services to put your domain name to good use. See our Pricing & Services page for more information.

Free Domain Name Services

All domain name registrations and transfers to 1st Domains include:

• Domain parking
• Email Forwarding
• URL Redirection
• DNS Zone Management Interface

Account Management Interface

Managing your domain names is easy with our Account Manager. Manage all aspects of your domain name from renewing, updating contact details to setting up free services all from one central place

Excellent Customer Service

Our service is backed by helpful, responsive and knowledgeable support from a team of experienced domain name professionals via email or phone.

Additional Information for Resellers of .nz

The Domain Name Commission has published a helpful guide for resellers of .nz domain names.

Keeping the Customer Satisfied - a Guide for .nz Resellers

If you register domain names on behalf of your clients, this brochure is for you. It sets out the rules you must abide by, gives all the information you need to operate your domain name reseller business smoothly within the .nz space, and guides you to the policies that apply to your situation.

IMPORTANT: You need to have at least one domain with 1st domains to have an account with us. Generally when you purchase or transfer your first domain to us you will be asked to create the account. 

Account Holder Information:

The Account Holder is the organisation or individual who is responsible for the management of the 1st Domains account for which the domains are held in. The Account Holder has the ability to modify information and services for all domain names under the account.

Enter the contact details for this person or organisation. This is not necessarily the domain name Registrant, Billing, or Technical contact for the domain name. 

Entering a Password

This password will be used to administrate the domain names under this account. Your Account Number is automatically assigned to you by our system. Your password can be between 8 and 14 characters long and must contain at least one number and one letter.

Apply Account Holder Profile To Other Contacts

Ticking these boxes will automatically apply the contact details you have entered in this profile to the contacts you have chosen. This saves you from having to spend time re-entering the same profile details into other contacts if they are the same.