Do I need to pay for domain privacy (WHOIS privacy)?
The short answer
Often not. Many registrars include domain privacy free for .com and other generic domains, and hide personal details by default. Country domains have their own rules: .au domains don’t allow privacy services at all. If you’re paying for privacy or a “protection” bundle, check for a free option before it renews, or move to a registrar that includes it.
Domain privacy hides your name, address and phone number from the public registration record, which cuts spam and scam letters. Since 2018 many registries and registrars have hidden personal details by default, so a paid privacy add-on is often unnecessary.
.au domains are different: auDA’s rules don’t allow privacy or proxy services. The public .au record shows the holder’s legal name and business number and a contact name, and the contact email on auDA’s own lookup. It never shows a street address or phone number.
- Check your registrar’s domain settings for a free privacy option.
- Look at what a “protection” bundle includes. It may add extras you don’t need.
- If your registrar only offers paid privacy, compare the cost of moving to one that includes it free.
Words used here
- Domain (WHOIS) privacy
- Hides your name, address and phone number from the public records of who owns a domain. Many registrars include it free; some charge for it.
- Domain registrar
- The company you buy (rent) your website name from — e.g. Namecheap, Cloudflare, Porkbun or GoDaddy.
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