How to buy a domain name in eight steps: pick a name, check it is free, compare renewal prices, register it in your own account, skip the upsells, lock it down, then connect it to your website. Prices checked September 28, 2026.
<p class="lead text-xl text-[#3a3a3a] mb-8"> To buy a domain name, choose a name, search for it at a domain registrar, compare the renewal price (not just the first-year price), register it in an account in your own name, turn on auto-renew, then point it at your website with DNS records. The whole purchase takes about ten minutes. The steps below cover what to check at each stage so the domain stays cheap and stays yours. </p>
<h2>Before you start: what you need</h2> <ul> <li>Two or three name ideas, in order of preference.</li> <li>A payment card and an email address you will keep for years (renewal and transfer emails go there).</li> <li>The legal owner's name: yours or your business's. This is who will own the domain.</li> </ul> <p>New to the terms? Our <a href="/guides/domain-vs-hosting">domain vs hosting</a> guide explains what a domain is and how it differs from hosting.</p>
<h2>Step 1: Pick a name people can say and spell</h2> <p>Short, easy to say, no hyphens or numbers, and close to your business name. Read it aloud: if you would have to spell it on the phone, customers will mistype it. Stuck? The <a href="/tools/domain-name-generator">domain name generator</a> suggests available options from a few keywords.</p>
<h2>Step 2: Choose the ending</h2> <p>Prefer <strong>.com</strong> if it is available at a normal price; it is what most people type by default. A local business can use its country ending (.co.uk, .ca, .com.au) instead. Newer endings such as .io or .ai cost much more per year, so check the renewal price before falling for one.</p>
<h2>Step 3: Check it is free and not someone's trademark</h2> <p>Search the name at any registrar. If it shows as available at the standard price, you can register it. If it is marked "premium", it is priced above standard and may renew high every year. If it is already registered, try adding a word (<em>yourbakeryleeds.com</em>) rather than paying an aftermarket price. Also search your country's trademark register for the name, since a clash can cost far more than the domain.</p>
<h2>Step 4: Compare the renewal price at a few registrars</h2> <p>The first-year price is often a promotion. What you keep paying is the renewal. Here is what five registrars showed for one .com on September 28, 2026:</p> <table> <thead><tr><th>Registrar</th><th>First year</th><th>Renewal</th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr><td><a href="https://www.cloudflare.com/products/registrar/" rel="nofollow noopener">Cloudflare Registrar</a> (at cost; figure from <a href="https://cfdomainpricing.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">cfdomainpricing.com</a>)</td><td>$10.46</td><td>$10.46</td></tr> <tr><td><a href="https://www.dynadot.com/domain/com" rel="nofollow noopener">Dynadot</a></td><td>$10.88</td><td>$10.88</td></tr> <tr><td><a href="https://porkbun.com/products/domains" rel="nofollow noopener">Porkbun</a></td><td>$11.08</td><td>$11.08</td></tr> <tr><td><a href="https://www.hostinger.com/domain-name-search" rel="nofollow noopener">Hostinger</a></td><td>$0.01</td><td>$19.99</td></tr> <tr><td><a href="https://www.ionos.com/domains/domain-names" rel="nofollow noopener">IONOS</a></td><td>$1</td><td>Not stated on the page ($20 shown as the regular price)</td></tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Worked example: keeping that .com for three years costs 3 x $11.08 = $33.24 at Porkbun, and $0.01 + 2 x $19.99 = $39.99 at Hostinger. The full list, with notes on each, is in our <a href="/best/best-domain-registrars">best domain registrars</a> comparison, and <a href="/blog/how-much-does-a-domain-cost">how much a domain costs</a> covers other endings.</p>
<h2>Step 5: Create the account in your own name</h2> <p>Sign up at the registrar yourself, with your own email, and list yourself or your business as the registrant. Do not let a designer, developer or host register it under their account. Whoever owns the account controls the domain; if someone builds your site, give them access to DNS settings later, not ownership.</p>
<h2>Step 6: Check out without the extras you do not need</h2> <p>At checkout you will usually see offers for hosting, email, SSL certificates, site builders and "domain protection". Before you tick anything:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Privacy:</strong> keep it if it is free; many registrars include it, and for many endings personal details are already hidden.</li> <li><strong>SSL:</strong> skip paid certificates. Website builders and most hosts issue a free one.</li> <li><strong>Hosting or a site builder:</strong> skip if you already know where your site will live.</li> <li><strong>Email:</strong> add only if you need a mailbox on the domain and have compared providers.</li> <li><strong>Years:</strong> registering for two or more years is sensible if the renewal price is fair.</li> </ul>
<h2>Step 7: Lock it down</h2> <ol> <li>Turn on <strong>auto-renew</strong> and keep a valid card on file.</li> <li>Turn on <strong>two-factor sign-in</strong> for the registrar account.</li> <li>Leave the <strong>transfer lock</strong> on unless you are moving registrars.</li> <li>Confirm the verification email the registry sends; unverified domains can be suspended.</li> </ol>
<h2>Step 8: Connect the domain to your website</h2> <p>A new domain shows a placeholder page until you point it at a website. That means adding a few DNS records at your registrar (or switching nameservers) so the domain points at your host or builder. Security certificates are then usually issued automatically.</p> <p>On We.Inc:</p> <ol> <li>Build your site. The free plan publishes up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, so you can build before you buy the domain.</li> <li>Upgrade to Starter ($20 a month), which adds custom domains and AI building. Pro is $50 and Max $99 a month (<a href="/pricing">pricing</a>).</li> <li>Open the domain settings for your site and enter the domain you bought.</li> <li>Add the DNS records it shows you at your registrar, then wait for them to take effect.</li> </ol> <p>The detailed walk-through is in <a href="/guides/how-to-add-custom-domain">how to add a custom domain</a>, and the help article <a href="/help/article/connecting-custom-domain">connecting a custom domain</a> covers troubleshooting. The free <a href="/tools/dns-lookup">DNS lookup</a> tool shows whether your records are live.</p> <img src="/images/app/domain-1200.webp" alt="The We.Inc domain settings screen where you enter a custom domain" loading="lazy" />
<h2>Mistakes that cost the most</h2> <ul> <li>Choosing on first-year price and paying double at every renewal.</li> <li>Letting someone else own the registrar account.</li> <li>Auto-renew off and an expired card: the domain lapses, and recovering it late can cost a redemption fee.</li> <li>Buying a trendy ending with a high yearly renewal for a local business that needed a .com or country ending.</li> </ul>
Search for the name at a registrar, check the renewal price, register it in an account in your own name, turn on auto-renew, then add DNS records to point it at your website.
A .com was about $10.46 to $11.08 a year at flat-priced registrars on September 28, 2026 (Cloudflare, Dynadot, Porkbun). Some hosts charge $0.01 to $1 for the first year and more at renewal, such as Hostinger at $19.99.
No. Domains are registered for one to ten years at a time and must be renewed. Turn on auto-renew so it does not lapse.
Any accredited registrar with a fair renewal price, free privacy and easy DNS settings. See our best domain registrars comparison for prices checked in September 2026.
You need somewhere to host the site, but on a website builder hosting is included in the plan, so you only buy the domain.
Yes. Custom domains are available from the Starter plan at $20 a month. You add the DNS records We.Inc shows you at your registrar.
We.Inc is an AI-powered website builder you can resell under your own brand. Launch a branded client dashboard, bill on Stripe Connect, and deliver AI-generated websites in minutes. White-label plans start at $99 a month for 25 client sites, with a 7-day free trial and no per-site fees.