If your domain is suspended with a serverHold or clientHold Whois status
, this article explains what that means and how you can resolve it.
serverHold status
The
serverHold status effectively disables your domain’s DNS zone, including the website, email, and any related services. When this status is applied, it is displayed in the
Whois Lookup
(the format may differ for some TLDs):
This status is set by the domain registry (not Namecheap) to disable a domain's DNS zone for various reasons, such as pending verification, preventing fraud, or addressing security concerns.
If you’re confident you haven’t engaged in any fraudulent activity, there’s no need to worry. ServerHold doesn’t always indicate abuse, and sometimes it’s applied for other reasons.
There are several known reasons for the Server Hold status:
- .ECO domains are placed on serverHold if the .ECO profile is not activated in time.
How to fix: To remove the suspension, search your inbox for an email from the .ECO registry and follow the steps provided. The process is also explained in the article.
- .XXX domains are suspended due to an incorrect or missing token.
How to fix: You can double-check your token or add a missing token as described in the article.
- .SG domains are given the serverHold status if the administrative contact fails to verify their ID ownership within 21 days from the date of registration.
How to fix: Log into https:///verifiedid.sgnic.sg/ and verify your administrative contact there. You can also find an email with the instructions from the registry in your inbox.
- .CA domains are suspended if non-Canadian contact details are not validated according to the RIV process.
How to fix: contact the Cira registry to discuss the options. Important: if you don’t verify your contacts within 30 days of suspension, the registry will cancel your domain with no refund. Please check your email inbox to find notices from the registry on this matter.
- Failed .KYC verification needed for .IN and .CO.IN domains.
How to fix: The verification should be passed in your Nixi account. If you need help with this, please contact the .IN domain registry.
- .ORG, .NU, or
.AFRICA domains are assigned the serverHold status when in redemption.
How to fix: Contact our Support Team
to reactivate your domain.
- .AI and .CX domains are placed on serverHold when expired.
How to fix: Reactivate your .AI domain using the instructions. To reactivate the .CX domain, contact our Support Team.
- Failed .KYC verification needed for .MUSIC domains.
How to fix: Complete the verification at https://www.id.music/. You can also find a video guide for the process by the link.
If none of these cases apply to you, you will need to get in touch with your domain registry to check the reason of the suspension and see what can be done. If you want to double-check the situation with us, please contact our Support team via support@namecheap.com or a Live Chat.
clientHold status
Client Hold status is assigned by the domain registrar, mostly for reasons related to fraudulent/abusive activity and non-compliance with our Terms of Service. The process is described in
the article.
You can also find it in Whois Lookup (the format may differ for some TLDs):
If you want to check the situation with us, please email our team at legalandabuse@namecheap.com.
