Registries

Registries act as wholesalers for the registration of domains. Domains use domain name endings, also known as a Top-Level Domain or TLD. For example, the company Verisign manages the registration of .com and .net domains. 

Registries cannot offer domain name registration services for second-level domains, such as abc.com or xyz.net to the public. Domain name registration must be done through registrars, such as Google Domains.

Google Domains partners with registries to offer domain names with particular domain name endings. Learn the difference between registries, registrars, registrants, and registration.

Registries have authority to manage domain name endings through ICANN. Each registry manages the administrative data for the domains and subdomains under its authority. This data management includes zone files that contain the addresses of the name servers for each domain and domain owner (registrant) information.

Registries define requirements for domain name registrations that use their domain endings. For example, some domain name endings require a registrant to live in a specific country. As a result, when you register for a domain name, you must agree to terms of service for both Google Domains and the registry.

Occasionally, a registry enforces its terms of service for a domain that’s noncompliant with their requirements. It’s important that you read and understand the unique obligations associated with the domain name ending for which you register.

For more information on the registry associated with your domain name, review our list of domain name endings.