How do I enable or disable domain privacy protection?

Enabling or Disabling Domain Privacy Protection

Domain privacy protection (also known as WHOIS protection or ID protection) shields your personal information from being publicly visible in the WHOIS directory. This guide explains how to enable or disable privacy protection for domains registered through dotCanada.com.

What is Domain Privacy Protection?

When you register a domain, ICANN (the global domain governing body) requires certain contact information to be publicly available in the WHOIS database, including:

• Your full name
• Your postal address
• Your email address
• Your phone number

Privacy protection replaces this information with generic details from a proxy service, helping you to:

• Protect your personal information from public view
• Reduce spam, unsolicited calls, and marketing contacts
• Prevent identity theft and personal data harvesting
• Avoid unwanted domain solicitations

Enabling Domain Privacy Protection

If your domain doesn't currently have privacy protection:

1. Log in to the WHMCS Client Area at https://clients.dotcanada.com/login
2. Go to Domains > My Domains
3. Click on the domain name you want to add privacy to
4. Look for the ID Protection or Privacy Protection section
5. Click Enable or toggle the switch to ON
6. If privacy protection is a paid addon, you'll be directed to a payment page
7. Complete the payment process if required
8. Your privacy protection will be activated within 24 hours

Disabling Domain Privacy Protection

If you need to temporarily or permanently disable privacy protection:

1. Log in to the WHMCS Client Area
2. Go to Domains > My Domains
3. Click on the domain name
4. Look for the ID Protection or Privacy Protection section
5. Click Disable or toggle the switch to OFF
6. Confirm your decision when prompted
7. Privacy protection will be removed within 24 hours

Adding Privacy Protection During Domain Registration

The easiest time to add privacy protection is during the initial domain registration:

1. When registering a new domain, look for the "Add ID Protection" or "Enable Privacy" option in the domain configuration section
2. Check the box to enable privacy protection
3. Complete your domain registration as normal
4. The privacy protection will be automatically enabled when your domain is registered

Adding Privacy Protection During Domain Renewal

You can also add privacy protection when you renew your domain:

1. When renewing your domain, you'll see an option to "Add ID Protection"
2. Check this box to add privacy protection for the renewal period
3. Complete the renewal process as normal

Privacy Protection Pricing

The cost structure for domain privacy protection is as follows:

• Privacy protection is priced at $5.99/year per domain
• It needs to be renewed along with your domain
• Some promotional packages may include free privacy protection - check your domain details

When You Might Need to Disable Privacy Protection

There are a few situations where you may need to temporarily disable privacy protection:

• Domain transfers: When transferring a domain to another registrar
• Domain verification: Some services require verification via WHOIS information
• SSL certificates: Some types of SSL certificates require WHOIS verification
• Legal requirements: In rare cases, certain legal situations may require public WHOIS info

Privacy Protection for Different TLDs

Privacy protection availability varies by domain extension (TLD):

• Most commercial TLDs (.com, .net, .org, etc.): Privacy protection available
• Country-specific TLDs (.ca, .uk, etc.): Privacy policies vary - some have built-in privacy or different rules
• .ca domains: Have some built-in privacy by default, but full protection available
• .us domains: Privacy protection not available due to registry restrictions

If you have questions about domain privacy protection or need assistance enabling or disabling it, please contact our support team.