If you’re thinking of starting a website in 2022, finding and registering a domain name is always step one.
Recently, our team covered the best domain registrars in 2022. This guide will further elaborate and provide step by step instructions on how to register a domain name for your website.
There will also be tips and instructions on how to get a free domain name.
Let’s get started, covering some basics first.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is what people type into their browser search bar to visit your website. Infoceptor’s domain name is “infoceptor.com,” Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) domain name is “google.com”
All domain names are tied to a particular domain name extension or TLD, which are the letters you see after the . on a domain name.
Infoceptor has a .com domain name, so does Google. The most popular and globally recognized TLD is .com. However, there are many types of domain name extensions, around 1,498 and growing.
Domain names can be industry specific. You’ll see .net and .io for technology companies, .org for non-profits, .co for business, and .media for media companies. A lot of people are even starting to use .me domain names for their personal portfolios.
Domain name extensions are also country specific, if you live in France, you’ll see .fr, .uk in the UK, .es in Spain, .ar in Argentina, .de in Germany, and the list goes on. Every single country has their own domain name extension and often sets the rules for registering and owning their country specific TLD.
A domain name makes it easy for you to navigate the internet. Behind every domain name, there is an IP Address, which is a long string of letters, numbers, and symbols.
It’s hard to memorize long numbers. Remember when you had to dial someone’s number to call or text them? Then came along contact lists and simply pressing your contact’s name to connect.
The same goes for domain names, type or click on a domain name, and the internet will connect you. Think of the internet as your phone and domain names as a contact list.
Domain names can be branded and unique to your brand, you can even register your own name (if available). You’ll have to act quickly though because domain names are registered daily. This takes us right into our next section.
When should you register a domain name?

According to VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN), there were 363.5 million domain names registered in the first quarter of 2022.
That means approximately 994,520 domain names are registered on a daily basis.
On that same report, it’s indicated that approximately 154.6 million of 363.5 million domain names registered in the first quarter of 2022 were .com domain names.
That means about 421,917 .com domain names were registered the first quarter of 2022.
What does that mean for you? First, it means a lot of domain names are being registered. Second, it means a lot of good .com domain names are registered on a daily basis.
In fact, just about anyone with an internet connection and credit card can register a domain name. Given there are approximately 4.66 billion active internet users as of January 2022, domain names are getting registered quickly.
Ultimately, if your plan is to build a website and you’ve been putting it off, you should register your domain name soon. Whether you’re a business owner, independent blogger, or just want an online portfolio, you should think about registering your domain name sometime soon.
Now, you might be thinking, “Even if I register a domain name, I don’t know what type of website to build.” The good thing is, by default, all domain names registrations are one year long at a minimum.
This means you’ll have a full year to figure out your website once your domain name is registered. Our recommendation is to register your domain name right away to protect your brand, name, or future projects.
Picking the right domain name
Picking the right domain name is an important decision. If you own a business, you’d register a domain name that is your business name (if available) or closely reflects your industry.
If you want to start a personal blog, you could register your name, a variation, or a pseudonym as your domain name. If you have a common name and last name, you might find your name’s domain name was registered years ago (even before you were born!), in those situations, get creative with your branding.
You should also pick out your domain name extension. Our team always recommends you register a .com domain name for ease and global recognition, or a country specific TLD, or both.
Although choosing a domain name may seem difficult, there’s one thing to keep in mind: don’t overthink it. Overthinking a domain name can keep you in website building limbo for a long time. Guess what people are doing while you think for days? Registering new domain names.
Register the right domain name for you. To make your life easier, follow our team’s general guidelines for effective domain name registrations.
When you register a domain name, DO the following:
- Easy to remember
- Two syllable words work best
- Go for .com
When you register a domain name, DO NOT DO the following:
- No spelling mistakes
- No dashes
- No language mixing
Most importantly, make sure your domain name is logical and makes sense for the website it’s associated to. You don’t want to lose traffic or business because your domain name doesn’t make sense or is prone to spelling errors.
A domain name is the first step in building your online identity, make sure it’s easy for people to find you.
With those basics covered, let’s get to our step by step instructions on how to register a domain name. First, we’ll cover how to get a free domain name registration.
How to register a domain name for free
Typically, you should expect to pay anywhere between $12 to $20 for a one year .com domain name registration.
After you register a domain name, your next step is to build a website. There is a good amount of competition in the website hosting industry, which means you can get solid deals on both website hosting and domain names.
If your plan is to build a website or blog with your domain name, you can get free domain names on your website hosting subscription. You can also get other freebies like free SSL certificates and free email bundled in.
Keep reading to see step by step instructions on how to get a free domain name.
How to register a free domain name with HostGator
HostGator is a popular website hosting company that offers beginner and budget friendly shared hosting, WordPress hosting, and a website builder.
HostGator’s web hosting and WordPress hosting plans start at $2.75 per month, and they offer a free domain name, free SSL certificate, and free email bundled into their plans.
This means you pay only $2.75 per month to start your website, and get your domain name for free.
HostGator
Get Your Free Domain Name!
Once you’re on the HostGator website, click on the Get started button.

Once you click the Get started button, you’ll be redirected to the website hosting pricing page. If you’re starting out, the Hatchling and Baby plans are a good fit. Choose a plan by clicking the Buy now button.

Once you’ve picked your plan, you’ll be redirected to the checkout page. On the sign up page, you’ll see a section called “Choose a Domain” with an Enter Your Domain search bar right at the top.
By default, the .com extension is selected. However, you can click the dropdown to select a different domain name extension. Once you’ve typed in your domain name, HostGator will indicate if it’s available and display a FREE label next to it.

Once you’ve selected your free domain name, you can finish filling out the checkout form by adding your name, address, phone number, and billing information. You can also add additional services like website security, data backups, or advanced email.

HostGator automatically applies a 60% off coupon code to your website hosting plan along with your free domain name registration. Once you’ve completed the sign up page, you can review your order and checkout.
Once you’re signed up, HostGator will register your free domain name, set up your website hosting account, and send you an email with instructions on how to access your HostGator client account to start building your website.
HostGator makes it very easy to start your website by giving you a free domain name. Since you need a domain name to build a website, it makes sense to get them together and take advantage of the free domain name.
Read our full HostGator review to learn more about HostGator.
How to register a free domain name with Bluehost
Bluehost is an established and well-known web host. Approximately 2 million websites are hosted at Bluehost, which means you’ll be in good hands.
They provide beginner-friendly shared and WordPress hosting service. Their web hosting plans start at $2.75 per month and they include a free domain name, free SSL certificate, and free email.
Bluehost
Get Your Free Domain Name!
To get a free domain name registration with Bluehost, go to the Bluehost website. Once you’re on the website, click on the Get Started button.

You’ll be taken to the website hosting pricing page, where you can choose a web hosting plan. If you’re starting a new website, the Basic or Choice Plus plans work well. Click on Select once you picked a plan.

You’ll then be redirected to the first step of the sign up process, which is the domain name registration step. By default, the .com domain extension is selected, however you can select the dropdown to switch to a different TLD.
Type in your domain name in the Create a new domain search bar.

Once you’ve typed in your domain name, click the Next button. If the domain name you entered is available, you’ll be taken to the checkout page.
On the checkout page, you’d fill out your name, email, and phone number. Under the package extras section, you will notice a free domain name registration is indicated, along with a free SSL certificate.
You can also select additional addons like security, backups, and SEO tools. Just keep in mind these are paid extras.

After you’ve reviewed your selection, you can put in your payment information and purchase your website hosting plan. The domain name selected will be automatically registered for free.
Bluehost applies a 70% discount on web hosting accounts, that means you will pay only $2.75 per month on their starter web hosting plan and get a free domain name as well.
Once you’re signed up with Bluehost, they will send you a welcome email containing your web hosting login information. From there, you can begin building a new website on your free domain name.
Bluehost makes it very easy to start your website by giving you a free domain name. Since you need a domain name to build a website, it makes sense to get them together and take advantage of the free domain name offer.
Read our full Bluehost review to learn more about Bluehost.
How to register a domain name with Skystra
Skystra consistently ranks as our best WordPress hosting company, they provide solid speed, service, and truly exceptional customer service.
Although Skystra doesn’t offer a free domain name, their domain registration pricing is fair and transparent. For a .com domain name, they charge $13.29 per year. At other domain registrars, we often see prices as high as $20.99 per year.
Skystra
Get Your Domain Name!
Their WordPress hosting plans start at $7 per month, provide excellent performance, and come with free SSL, free email, and free CDN (content delivery network) integration.
Skystra also provides a free website migration, so if you have existing websites, they will migrate them for free.
Go to the Skystra website and click on the Try for free button next to the desired plan.

On the next page, you’ll be on the Choose a domain step. This is where you can select a domain name. The .com domain extension is set as default, however you can change it to a different one with the dropdown.
Under the Register a new domain tab, there is a domain search bar, you can type your domain name in there.

Once you’ve typed your domain name into the search bar, click the Check button. If your domain name is available, you’ll see a green confirmation message, you can add it to your cart, then press Continue to go to the next step.
On the next page, you can choose your billing cycle, and select if you’d like to have security and daily backups enabled on your account. Under Additional Services, you can select Premium Caching and a free website migration.

On the following page, you’ll be able to add ID protection to your domain name. ID protection masks your contact details on public domain name records. It’s completely optional, however for $4.89 per year, we think it’s worth it.

After, you can review your order and check out. Skystra automatically applies a 100% one-time discount on new web hosting accounts. Your domain name registration will also renew at the same price as the first year.
Once you’ve finished signing up, Skystra will send you a welcome email with instructions on how to build your WordPress website. If you have questions, their team is available and one of the best in the industry for support.
Read our full Skystra review to learn more about Skystra.
How to register a domain name with GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a popular domain registrar and web hosting company. In 2022 they manage just around 78 million domain names for 17 million customers. They’ve been in the domains business since 1997.
GoDaddy is a good option if you just want to register a domain name and not build a website. They always have great deals and promotions running, so you’ll definitely get a solid discount.
GoDaddy
Get Your Domain Name!
You can manage your domain name and DNS (domain name settings) from a simple to use domains dashboard. Whenever you’re ready to build your website, GoDaddy makes it easy to connect your domain name to web hosting or a website builder.
To register your domain name with GoDaddy, go to the GoDaddy website. At the top, you will see a domain name search bar. Type in the domain name you’d like to register, along with any domain extension you’d like.

Click on the Search Domain button. If the domain name you searched for is available, you will get a confirmation message on the next page. Click on Add to Cart. There are also heavily discounted web hosting plans available, however, you can skip those if you’re just planning to register a domain name.

Once you’ve added your domain name to your cart, you will see your domain name in your checkout basket. GoDaddy sets domain name registrations up for two years by default. You can keep that enabled, or select the dropdown to switch it to one year or up to ten years. If you’re just starting out, one to two years is recommended.
Once you’ve made your selection, click the Continue to Cart button.

On the next page, you’ll be able to select the level of ID protection (domain privacy) you’d like to have applied to your domain registration. GoDaddy now applies free basic domain name privacy to all domain names, although that doesn’t block any unauthorized transfers.
If you select “No Thanks,” you’ll get basic ID protection, if you’d like more robust security added to your domain name, you can select full or ultimate domain name privacy.
Underneath you’ll also see options to get website or email services, since we’re focusing on a domain name, you can uncheck those.
Once you’re done selecting, click Continue to Cart.

On the next page, you can review your domain name selection, adjust your registration period, and add new domain names. Once everything looks good, continue to checkout.
You’ll then create a GoDaddy account, put in your payment information, and check out.
Once you’ve checked out, your domain name will be registered. Whenever you’re ready to use it, you can point your domain name to a web hosting service using the DNS tools inside of your GoDaddy domain manager.
We hope these step by step instructions help you register a domain name.
Domain name FAQ
You might have a lot of questions when it comes to domain names. Our team receives many.
Here is a domain name FAQ to provide answers to some of the most common domain questions.
What is the best domain name registrar?
You can check out our guide on best domain name registrars in 2022. We rate domain registrars on domain extension availability, pricing, and registration periods, among other criteria.
Registrars like Skystra, GoDaddy, and Domain.com consistently rank high on our list.
If money is a concern, HostGator or Bluehost give you free domains on their web hosting plans.
How long does my domain name registration last?
Domain name registrations are automatically registered for one year by default. Some domain name registrars offer multi-year domain registrations.
For example, GoDaddy can register your domain name for up to ten years.
If you’re starting out, we recommend registering your domain name for one year and once you build out your website, you can either register your domain name for multiple years in advance or simply set it to auto-renew so you never lose it.
Can I reserve a domain name?
You cannot reserve a domain name. When you register a domain name, it means you have purchased and claimed ownership of it.
Since domain names don’t cost much or you can get a free domain name, reserving your domain name doesn’t serve a purpose.
How do I renew my domain name?
Every domain name registrar has auto-renewal enabled by default on your domain name registration, this means that your domain name will automatically renew on its own on its renewal date.
If you’d rather renew your domain name manually, you can disable auto-renewal at your domain registrar, take note of the renewal date, and go in and renew it manually. Just make sure you remember to do it ahead of time!
What happens to my domain name if it expires?
If your domain name expires, most reputable domain registrars give you a grace period. This means your domain name will fall into redemption and you can still claim it back, although you might incur a fee.
When picking a domain registrar, check out the domain expiration policies so you make sure you have some wiggle room.
Typically, grace periods for domain name redemptions are 30-days long.
If you don’t redeem your domain name back within the grace period, you will lose ownership of it and it will be available to the public to register.
How can I transfer my domain name?
To transfer your domain name from one registrar to another, there are normally three steps you have to perform:
- Unlock your domain name at your old registrar
- Request your domain transfer code (aka, EPP or Auth Code) at your old registrar
- Submit your domain name transfer at your new registrar
Domain name transfers typically take anywhere from 7 to 10 days to complete. Some registrars send you an email to confirm and authorize the transfer, in that case, in can go much faster.
There are also some domain names with instantaneous transfers. For example, UK TLD’s like .uk or .co.uk require an IPS tag submitted at your old domain registrar and instantly transfer to your new registrar once the transfer is initiated.
If you’re uncertain about how to transfer a domain name, it’s best to ask the domain registrar to help.
What is ID protection and domain privacy?
When you register a domain name, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), otherwise known as the domain authority, grants permission to your registrar to store your domain name records and contact information in a centralized domain name database registry called WHOIS.
The WHOIS registry is a centralized domain database listing that lists who owns a domain name and their contact information.
ID protection / domain privacy mask and redact your personal contact details for privacy on the WHOIS domain database listing.
Although it’s optional, our team strongly recommends enabling ID protection on your domain name registrations to avoid spam calls, emails, and to keep your data secure.
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