Why Does My Domain Show a Different Registrar in WHOIS?

You may find some of your domains show a registrar other than Porkbun when you review the WHOIS domain details — like those using domain extensions like .CA and .NL (also known as Top Level Domains or TLDs). This is because Porkbun partners with another ICANN accredited registrar and domain reseller, CentralNic Reseller, to provide domains that we can’t support directly due to extra requirements placed by the registry.

The Issue

This generally applies to ccTLDs (country code Top Level Domains), which are TLDs that are owned by their respective countries. These ccTLDs usually require the domain registrar to have a physical presence in the representative country. As Porkbun is a smaller domain registrar, these requirements would otherwise be a major roadblock to us offering these TLDs.

The Solution

By working with CentralNic Reseller, we’re able to offer these ccTLD domains to our customers, not only providing more options, but also providing a single registrar solution for your entire domain portfolio.

While the WHOIS domain registrar information shows your domain is technically not registered directly by Porkbun, you will still be able to manage your domain as if it were. This includes access to all the things people love about having their domain at Porkbun, such as free SSL certificates, free email forwarding, and our 5-star customer support team — all giving you a better value than other domain name registrars. (Psst…learn more about the free domain features at Porkbun after this!)

And don’t worry! On the backend, your domain is in good hands with CentralNic Reseller, a member of Team Internet Group formerly known as CentralNic. Team Internet Group has been around for over 20 years and we’ve worked with them since the beginnings of Porkbun. In fact, Team Internet Group operates as a registry backend for many popular domains, including .XYZ. You’re in good hooves!