Update: Google Domains was a domain registrar service offered by Google. It launched in 2014, but on September 7, 2023, Squarespace acquired most of its assets.
This means that while Google Domains isn’t currently accepting new registrations, you can still manage your existing domains through Squarespace. If you were a Google Domains customer, you should have received emails from both Google and Squarespace with more information about the migration process and how to manage your domains with Squarespace.
Google Domains is a domain name registrar owned by Google. Actually, Google rolled out Google Domains beta in the year 2014. Google Domains (beta) launched in India in 2017 to provide Domain Registration or Transfer services with same DNS servers as Google. Private registration at no additional cost, Custom email with G Suite, Customizable sub-domains, Email forwarding and lots of great features available for Indians to go live to make their online identity.
With Google Domains, you can either purchase new domain or transfer your existing domain bought from other domain registrars into your Google Account with private WHOIS registry. It offers smooth search facility to help you find the perfect domain you have been looking for along with option of related domains with the same keywords.
Google Domains Registration Service – Go Live India
In recent tutorial, I have mentioned that you should purchase your domain from one domain registrar and buy hosting service from another hosting provider on the safe side. I strongly recommend Google Domains for purchasing domains. Here is Google Domains review for Indians.
1) Whois Privacy Protection:
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) requires that a person registering for any domain name from any registrar shall have to compulsorily his personal information including full name, phone number, email address and residential address.
All these personal info is then made visible to the public including marketers and spammers via a WHOIS lookup. Most of domain registrar charges to protect that WHOIS info.
However, Google Domain shall not charge any amount to protect your personal details like owner of domain name, mobile number, email address etc. in the public WHOIS database. Note that private registration is almost always an option while you purchase or transfer a domain name to Google Domains. This is because some domain name endings do not support this feature.
2) Secured Account:
You must have Google account for purchasing domain from Google Domains. That means, your account shall be protected by the most advanced online security including 2-Step Verification, voice or text message in addition to backup codes. Till date no one except Google Domains is providing 2-factor authentication.
3) Free Transfer Domain:
Google Domains will charge any fee for transferring your domain name from another registrar to Google Domains. But, you have to extend the registration period of your domain which requires buying one additional year of registration.
For Example: If your domain registry expiry date was October 1, 2019 before transfer, it will be registered until October 1, 2020 after transferring it.
4) Reasonable Domain Price:
You have to pay a reasonable price for purchasing a domain from Google Domains. Top-level domains (TLDs) viz. .com domain, .in domain, .info domain, .org domain, .net domain, .biz domain, .business domain, .us domain, .ca domain, .co.uk domain etc. is available at ₹860 only. You may click here to know complete price list Google Domains pricing.
Google Domains competes with various top domain registrar or domain name providers e.g. BigRock, Bluehost, BluehostIndia, GoDaddy, Hostgator, Namecheap, DomainIndia and other registrars.
5) Domain Management Sharing:
You may permit others to manage your domain. Under Domain Permissions, you can add the email address of the google account holder of that person to whom you want to share the domain with.
By using this facility, you may allow any person to renew your domain, delete the domain, manage settings for your websites, add, edit, and delete any resource records, synthetic records, or DNS server settings.
Note that sharing a domain does not mean that the owner of domain shall change. You still remain owner of your domain. In other words, domain management sharing does not change the ownership of the domain.
6) Domain Management Tool:
Google Domains provide simple domain management tool for adding name servers and other resource records i.e. A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT etc.
7) Forwarding Email and Domain:
You can create up to 100 email aliases with your domain name registered or transferred to Google Domains. That means you may create specific email IDs for different purpose viz. contact@domain.com, sales@domain.com, forum@domain.com, help@domain.com, and forward all that emails to your existing you@gmail.com account.
Similarly, you may also point your domain name to an existing domain. In other words, if you buy www.domain.in then you may forward that domain to existing www.domain.com to drive users to one location.
8) Custom Sub-domain:
Google Domains allow you to create up to 100 subdomains like forum.domain.com, support.domain.com, blog.domain.com etc. You may use each subdomain to create a new website, blog or forum.
9) Reliable Hosting:
Google Domains does not provide hosting services. However, you may integrate with web hosts to create a web presence for your domain name. After purchasing domain name, you can immediately choose a web hosting provider to start creating your website:
- Google web tools (Blogger, Google App Engine, Google Sites)
- Shopify
- Squarespace
- Weebly
- Wix
- WordPress by Bluehost
- Other third-party web hosting provider
- Web forwarding to an existing website
10) Google Domains Help:
If you have any query or issue related to your domain name, you can contact support team through email, chatting and request a call. The Google Domains Support Team is available every day. You may generate a Support PIN using the button.
Additionally, the domain be easily integrated with G Suite (Google Apps) for professional email, Google+ profile, online storage (Google Drive), shared calendars, video meetings (Google Hangouts) and more.
Let me know through your comments below, if you have any feedback or query related to domain from Google Domains.