The registrant named for a .au domain licence should be the eligible person or organisation that is meant to control the name long term. A web developer can help register or configure it, but the registry details determine who holds the licence. Give written permission when someone applies on your behalf, and make sure the registrant details and renewal contact belong to the intended holder.
That decision is separate from choosing a website package. First settle the domain and holder; then compare hosting for the Australian website without treating the developer's account as proof that the business holds its domain.
The registrant record is more important than who built the site
A .au domain is held under a licence. A company may let an employee, agency or developer work on the site while the company remains the registrant. The provider account login, the website administrator and the domain licence holder are different roles; a login alone does not show who the registry recognises as the holder.
For a .com.au name, the holder also needs to satisfy the commercial-entity and name-allocation rules. For .au direct, the holder needs Australian presence and must comply with that namespace's rules. Choose the entity first, then use its accurate details on the application.
If a developer registers the name for you
auDA says another person can register a .au domain on your behalf with your explicit written permission. They should use the intended holder's contact information and, where relevant, the business's ABN rather than putting their own details in as registrant. The holder is responsible for the information supplied.
Before handing the work over, agree who will pay renewals, receive registry messages, keep account access and approve changes to the domain. Ask the provider for a way to give the developer the technical access needed without changing the registrant to the developer. Do not send account passwords in ordinary email or publish them in a work brief.
Verify control while the site is being built
- After registration, use the .au WHOIS tool to confirm the registrant and registrar of record.
- Check that the registrant contact email belongs to a monitored address that the holder can keep.
- Save the registration, renewal date and provider details in the business's records.
- Keep the developer's work access separate from the holder's recovery and billing access where the provider supports it.
- Before the relationship ends, confirm the holder can contact the registrar and retrieve the domain's transfer authorisation code if needed.
A business sale does not automatically move the domain
A business sale does not change the .au licence record by itself. If the sale agreement includes a transfer of the domain licence to another holder, auDA says it should be completed within 28 days of the agreement unless that agreement specifies otherwise. Both the current and proposed registrant must meet the applicable requirements at transfer.
The receiving registrant enters into a new licence agreement and the provider may charge for a change of registrant. For a transfer between domain providers, the steps and timing are different; check auDA's transfer instructions and obtain the authorisation code through the registrar. Keep the domain active while resolving the transfer.
After a transfer, check WHOIS again and confirm that the new registrant and contact details are recorded as intended. Do not rely only on the website still loading or on an agency handing over its control-panel login.
A safe handover brief for a small business
Hypothetical example: a landscaping company hires a studio to build its first WordPress website. The company is the intended eligible registrant; the studio gets permission to submit the registration, uses the company's details and records the provider and renewal date in the handover. The studio can build and configure the website while the company keeps the billing and registrant recovery contacts.
If the company later changes developers or sells the business, it can contact the recorded .au provider, verify who is listed as registrant, and follow the formal transfer process. This does not promise that a hosting change or registrant change is instant; allow time to complete the provider's checks.
Keep the domain decision and website package clear
If you still need to choose a namespace, start with the Australian domain comparison. Once the intended holder and name are settled, compare hosting plans for the website and keep the registrant details under the business's control.
Sources and photo credit
Registry and transfer guidance checked on 29 October 2026.
- auDA — Transfer your .au domain name
- auDA — Update your .au domain name information
- auDA — .com.au domain names
- auDA — Which rules apply to my .au domain name?
Cover photo: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels. Illustrative contract scene; it does not show a domain transfer or legal agreement.