ID protection hides your name, email, phone number and address from public WHOIS lookups of your domain. Where it's available for your domain, switch it on from the domain's page under Domains in the client area; if you don't see the option, ask us on WhatsApp whether your extension supports it.
- Sign in to the client area and open Domains.
- Click the domain.
- Look for ID Protection on the domain's page (it may be listed with the domain's add-ons) and switch it on.
- If it carries a charge, an invoice is created: pay it under Billing → My Invoices.
- Check it has worked: a WHOIS lookup of your domain should show a privacy service or "redacted" instead of your details. The public record can take a few hours to update.
What it does and doesn't do
- It hides your contact details from the public, which cuts spam, sales calls and fake "renewal notices" sent to addresses taken from WHOIS.
- It doesn't change who owns the domain. You stay the registrant, and the registrar and registry still hold your real details.
- Not every extension supports it. Country-code registries, such as ZISPA for .co.zw, set their own rules on what is published, and many registries already hide personal details.
Tip: Keep the email address on your domain real and current even with ID protection on. Renewal reminders and transfer approvals still have to reach you.
- A company I don't know says my domain is about to expire.
- It's probably a scam using WHOIS details. Compare it with your invoices under Billing → My Invoices before paying anything, and see how to spot a fake invoice.
- Does ID protection affect my website or email?
- No. It only changes what the public WHOIS record shows. Your nameservers, DNS records, website and email work exactly as before.
Can't find the option? Ask us on WhatsApp and we'll tell you whether ID protection is available for your domain.
Updated 6 November 2026. Something here out of date? Tell us.