ICANN WHOIS Email Verification — Verify Your Domain Within 15 Days

If you've recently registered, transferred, or updated the contact information for a .com, .net, .org, or other gTLD domain, you'll receive an email asking you to verify your registrant email address. This is part of the ICANN WHOIS Accuracy Program, and you must complete verification within 15 days to keep your domain active.

What Is the ICANN WHOIS Accuracy Program?

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) requires all domain registrars to verify that the registrant's email address on file is valid and reachable. This applies to all gTLD domains and is triggered when:

• A new domain is registered
• A domain is transferred to a new registrar
• The registrant's contact information (especially the email) is modified

What the Verification Email Looks Like

You'll receive an email from your registrar (for Cynet customers, this is usually WebNIC) with a subject line like:

[ACTION REQUIRED] yourdomain.com is suspended

Dear Registrant,
Greeting.
In accordance with the ICANN WHOIS Accuracy Program, verification
must be completed within 15 days from the date of registration,
registrar transfer, or any modification to the registrant's contact
information.
As the verification was not completed within the required timeframe,
the domain yourdomain.com has been suspended, resulting in unresolved
DNS records that currently point to NS1.NONVERIFIEDDOMAIN.COM and
NS2.NONVERIFIEDDOMAIN.COM.
Please click the link below to verify your email address and confirm
your registration details:
https://portal.webnic.cc/action/verify-domain?key=xxxxxxxxxx
If the above link does not work, kindly copy and paste it into your
web browser.

Important: This email is legitimate and is sent by your registrar (WebNIC) on behalf of ICANN. It is not a phishing attempt. The verification link will direct you to the official portal.webnic.cc domain.

How to Verify Your Domain

Step 1: Open the Verification Email

Find the email in your inbox. Check your spam/junk folder if you can't see it, as registrar emails are sometimes filtered.

Step 2: Click the Verification Link

Click the verification link in the email. It will look like:

https://portal.webnic.cc/action/verify-domain?key=xxxxxxxxxx

If the link doesn't open when clicked, copy and paste the full URL into your web browser's address bar.

Step 3: Confirm Verification

You'll be taken to the registrar's verification page, which will display a confirmation message that your email has been verified.

That's it — your domain verification is complete. The domain will be active (or, if it was already suspended, will be reactivated) within minutes.

What Happens If You Don't Verify

If you fail to verify within the 15-day window:

1. Your domain is suspended by the registrar
2. DNS records become unresolved — the nameservers are changed to:

1. Your website goes offline — visitors will see an error or a "domain not verified" page
2. Email service stops working — incoming and outgoing emails on the domain will fail

Reactivating a Suspended Domain

If your domain has already been suspended due to non-verification:

Step 1: Locate the Verification Email

Find the most recent verification email from your registrar. The verification link remains valid even after suspension.

Step 2: Click the Verification Link

Open the link from the email. The verification process is the same as before suspension.

Step 3: Wait for DNS Restoration

After verification, the registrar restores your original nameservers automatically. Allow 15 minutes to a few hours for DNS propagation before your website and email return to normal.

Can't Find the Verification Email?

If you've lost the verification email or it has expired:

1. Contact Cynet Support via live chat, support ticket, or email
2. Provide your domain name
3. We'll request the registrar to resend the verification email to your registrant address

Why You Might Have Missed the Email

• Spam/junk filtering — Verification emails from unfamiliar sender domains often land in spam
• Outdated registrant email — Your WHOIS email is no longer accessible (see How to Change WHOIS Contact Information)
• Email forwarding issues — Forwarders that drop or delay messages
• Mailbox full — The registrant inbox could not receive new mail

Tip: Always use a personal or company email you check regularly as your registrant email — not a generic alias like [email protected] that uses the same domain (if the domain is suspended, the email also stops working).

Best Practices

• Verify immediately when you receive the email — don't wait until day 14
• Add your registrar to your safe sender list so verification emails don't land in spam
• Keep your registrant email up to date — review it annually
• Use an email on a different domain as your registrant email (e.g., a Gmail or your company's primary email), so you can still receive verification emails even if the registered domain is suspended
• Don't ignore renewal-style emails — even if your domain isn't due for renewal, ICANN verification emails can be triggered by any contact change

Is the Email a Scam?

It's understandable to be cautious — phishing emails impersonating registrars are common. To verify the email is genuine:

• Check the sender domain — Legitimate emails come from your registrar (e.g., @webnic.cc)
• Check the verification link — It should point to the official registrar portal (e.g., portal.webnic.cc), not a suspicious domain
• Look for personalisation — The email should mention your specific domain name
• Cross-check with Cynet — Forward the email to [email protected] if you're unsure, and we'll confirm whether it's legitimate

Never enter your cPanel or client area password on a verification page. The ICANN WHOIS verification only requires you to click a link — it does not ask for any credentials.

Troubleshooting

Verification link expired or doesn't work

• Contact Cynet Support to request the registrar resend the verification email
• Once received, click the new link as soon as possible

Domain still shows as suspended after verification

• Allow up to a few hours for DNS to propagate after verification
• Clear your browser cache or test in an incognito window
• Check the domain status with whois yourdomain.com or whois.domaintools.com
• If it's still showing as suspended after 24 hours, contact Cynet Support

Didn't receive the verification email at all

• Check your spam/junk folder thoroughly
• Confirm your registrant email address is correct in WHOIS (see How to Change WHOIS Contact Information)
• Contact Cynet Support to update your registrant email and have a new verification email sent

Domain suspended even though I verified previously

Each contact-information change triggers a new verification requirement. If you recently updated your registrant name, email, or organisation, you'll need to verify again — even if you previously verified for the same domain.