Google Domains test: advantages and disadvantages (how to save a domain name)

If your domain name is not available, you may need to use another domain name or choose another extension.

You can now buy a domain name from Google

Launched in the USA in 2014, the Google Domains service is internationalizing. It is now possible to acquire a domain name from the web giant, which offers 225. But some very important first levels are lacking in the call.

It is to wonder what pan of the web still escapes Google ! The company, which originally was content to offer a simple search engine, certainly very refined and devilishly effective, has considerably diversified its activities over the years, so that establishing the exhaustive list of services and products that It offers today would be a very tedious job.

Consider: The Mountain View firm even sells domain names. Admittedly, this is not strictly speaking a novelty, since the group embarked on this business in 2014. However, this activity has so far been circumscribed to the American territory. Four years later, Google Domains, if it is still indicated “in beta”, is now accessible in France.

The company announced on Wednesday, February 28, the extension of this program to 14 new countries, located in Europe, in the Americas, Asia and Oceania. Its domain name recording office (the list of supported extensions is given in the service assistance) can therefore be used to buy addresses ending with ” .com “,” .net or ” .org “.

Please note, prices vary strongly depending on what you choose. Count 12 euros per year for a very generic first level area, such as those mentioned above. If you want something more original, prices can quickly climb: the most expensive price we have seen concerns ” .Movie “. Count 302 euros per year. And the cheapest ? “” .PW “: it costs 9 euros per year.

No ” .Fr “

It is possible to buy first -level areas that are allocated to the States, but certain criteria should be fulfilled. For the domain reserved in Canada, ” .that “, we must prove a” Canadian presence »Specifies Google. Some areas are missing, such as the extensions attributed to Belgium (” .Be “), in Luxembourg (” .read “) to Switzerland (” .CH “) or in France (” .Fr “).

The first level domain reserved for France.

225 first -level areas are currently offered. It should be noted that Google manages certain areas itself, such as ” .Google ”, but their use is reserved. It should indeed be remembered that the company has completed no less than 101 forms to try to administer areas like ” .Youtube “, ” .docs “and even” .lol ”, due to the liberalization of this sector launched in 2012.

Google claims that its office has dealt with more than 1.8 million domain name records. To find out about the detail of this offer, go to the official Google Domains website and consult the assistance.

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Google Domains test: advantages and disadvantages (+ how to record a domain name)

If you are looking for a service to help you record a domain name, Google Domains is one of the best services you will find. In this article on Google Domains, we will help you understand why we recommend Google Domains by offering full coverage of what this Google service has to offer.

What is Google Domains ?

Google Domains is a domain recording service launched by Google in January 2015. Google Domains helps you save the domain name you use with your site. Unlike many other popular fields recording offices, Google Domains offer No type of accommodation. This means that you will have to buy accommodation separately. For example, you can buy your domain name from Google Domains and then connect it to Kinsta for accommodation. Google Domains also allows you to easily connect to other Google services, such as Google Workspace, Google Search Console, and more, and you can access Google Domains using the same Google account you use for other services.

Examination of Google Domains features

• Save new areas.
• Transfer to existing areas from other registration offices.
• Free privacy protection included with your purchase.
• DNS powered by Google.
• Simple management dashboard that corresponds to other Google services.
• Is part of your existing Google account, no separate identifier. Also allows two -factor authentication.
• E-mails redirection (up to 100 alias).
• Redirection of domains and sub-domains.
• Integration/integrated verification with other Google services.

FAQ on Google Domains

Can you use Google Domains with WordPress ?

Yes, you will always need WordPress accommodation to feed your site, but Google Domains facilitates the connection of your domain to any WordPress host (Kinsta included).

We even have instructions on how to make your field point to Kinsta which work perfectly with Google Domains.

Google Domains is a host ?

No, unlike many other field registration offices, Google Domains offers no accommodation for additional websites ( The exception of Google Sites, which is quite limited)).

You will have to buy accommodation separately if you want to launch a website. You can then use the Google Domains interface to point your domain to your accommodation service.

Google Domains works for emails ?

Yes ! Google Domains is a great option to create your own personalized email address. By the way, you need to find someone’s email address ? Here are some solid tips.

There are two ways to use emails with Google Domains:

• Integrated email transfer: Free, create up to 100 alias of email and transfer them to your existing accounts. You can send emails from these alias using Gmail or any other messaging customer.
• E-mail accommodation with Google Workspace -From $ 6 per month, you can easily integrate the Google Workspace for e-mail accommodation, 30 GB of storage, and more to have a professional email address. Google Workspace is the e-mail hosting solution recommended by Kinsta.

Does Google Domains offer confidentiality protection ?

Yes ! While many domain registration offices charge you confidentiality protection, Google Domains includes it free of charge as part of your purchase.

Can I contact Google Domains by phone ?

Unfortunately, there is no phone number to contact Google Domains. However, there are other options to contact Google Domains via their support gate, including their online discussion or by filling out a contact form. Many resources are also available to answer all your questions.

Advantages of the use of Google Domains

Well -designed, familiar interface with a single session opening

Google Domains is like any other Google service in this area:

• It uses your existing Google user account.
• The style of the dashboard corresponds to Google’s aesthetics.

There are two great advantages to this:

First, you don’t need to create a new account because we can almost guarantee that you have a Google account. Just be sure to lock your account with a solid password and two-factors authentication, as it creates a unique point of failure.

Second, you will be able to understand the interface very quickly because it seems similar to the existing tools you could use, such as Google Analytics.

Competitive and transparent price

Google Domains is not always the most affordable option (we will come back to this later), but it is the one that offers the most transparent prices. And is more affordable than most competition for many extensions of popular domains.

With Google Domains, you will know exactly what the domain name will cost you today and in the future. That is to say that the price you pay to record your domain name is the same as the one you pay to renew it.

Other domain name recording offices attract you with big discounts the first year before increasing the price when you renew. For example, Godaddy invoices $ 11.99 for the first year of an area.com, but then invoices $ 17.99 to renewal. Google Domains, on the other hand, is just still $ 12.

Free Privacy Protection

When you record a domain name, you must provide your own personal information, such as your address and phone number.

By default, all this information is accessible to the public in the Whois register, which leaves you open to spam or any other malicious activity.

Protection of privacy changes this by hiding your information behind generic confidentiality information.

Many Domain names registration offices charge you the protection of privacy, sometimes up to $ 10 per year.

Google Domains, however, includes the protection of privacy for free as part of your purchase.

DNS servers powered by Google

DNS, abbreviation of Domain Name System, is what connects your domain name to your web server. It is often called “Internet Directory”.

Each domain registrar has its own DNS service, such as many hosts.

But that’s the thing:

Not all DNS are created equal, and the DNS you use can have an effect on your pages loading time.

With Google Domains, you can use Google’s DNS cloud, which is supported by Google’s own infrastructure. You benefit from advanced speeds at no additional cost.

Folder note: If you are hosted at Kinsta, we include the premium DNS via Amazon Route 53, which is also a great option.

Two -step authentication to protect your account

It is essential that you protect your account with your Domain Registrar, because malicious actors would simply like to get their hands on your domain names.

With Google Domains, it’s easy to do because you have access to all the verification options in 2 steps of Google. You can use text messages, smartphone applications, physical keys and more.

[Email Protected]), Google Domains allows you to create up to 100 alias of e-mail that you can deliver to your existing email accounts, like Gmail.

Or, it is also very easy to connect Google Domains to Google Workspace for email accommodation, although you will have to pay an additional google workspace.

Automatic verification with other Google products

If you use a website, you will certainly need to check your website with certain Google products.

The most popular scenario is to check your site with Google Search Console, but there are also other properties like Google App Engine, Cloud Run, etc.

However, when you record your domain with Google Domains, Google can automatically check your field with these properties, which allows you to save time and efforts.

Disadvantages to the use of Google Domains

You can still find cheaper alternatives

Although the transparent prices of Google Domains are very competitive, you can always find cheaper alternatives for certain domestic extensions. It really depends on the extension, however. For example, Google Domains is one of the most affordable options for the domains.org, But quite expensive for the domains.io.

Let’s see some examples so that you can see how Google Domains compare itself:

Areas .com:

• Google Domains – $ 12
• Namecheap – $ 10.98 ($ 8.88 in the first year)
• Godaddy – $ 17.99 ($ ​​11.99 in the first year)
• Domain.com – 9.$ 99 (with a sharp increase in sales for privacy)

Areas .org ::

• Google Domains – $ 12
• Namecheap – $ 12.98 ($ 9.98 in the first year)
• Godaddy – $ 20.99 ($ ​​9.99 in the first year)
• Domain.com – $ 14.99

Areas .IO:

• Google domains – $ 60
• Namecheap – $ 32.88 ($ 25.88 in the first year)
• Godaddy – $ 59.99 ($ ​​44.99 in the first year)
• Domain.com – 49.99

Not as many small extensions

Google Domains supports more than 100 domain extensions, including all popular options. However, other domain name recording offices support even more.

For example, Namecheap offers more than 400 extensions.

Is this difference important ? Not for most people because the majority of people will buy an extension of the general public domain (which Google Domains takes care of).

But if you are on the market for something “over there” as a domain name.vodka, You might need to go outside of Google Domains.

Google Domains against competition

So how does Google Domains compare itself to other popular domain recording offices ? We will examine two of the most popular options to find out more: Godaddy and Namecheap.

Google Domains vs Godaddy

If you try to choose between Google Domains and Godaddy, Google Domains is doing quite favorably.

Google Domains is much more affordable than Godaddy for most extensions of popular domains. While Godaddy can have more affordable first -year prices for certain extensions, Godaddy’s renewal prices are generally much higher than those in Google domains.

Overall, there are very few reasons to consider Godaddy rather than Google Domains for the recording of a domain.

Google Domains vs Namecheap

If you try to choose between Google Domains and Namecheap, the image is not as clear.

Namecheap offers a competitive service with:

• Regular prices that are always competitive with Google Domains, while offering generous discounts for the first year.
• Free domain confidentiality, just like Google Domains.
• An additional accommodation service (if you wish),
• A larger selection of domain extensions.

Google Domains still has many advantages, such as its integration with other Google and Google DNS services. But honestly, you will not be mistaken with Namecheap or with Google Domains.

In fact, when we questioned our subscribers on Twitter about their favorite registrars, Namecheap beat Google Domains:

How to save a domain with Google Domains

If you are ready to buy your first area with Google Domains, here is how to proceed:

1. Choose your domain

To start, go to Google Domains and search for the field you want to buy:

Google will then show you a list of domain extensions available. If everything is going well, you should see a green check next to your desired domain name, which means that it is available. Click on the basket icon to add it to your basket:

If your domain name is not available, you may need to use another domain name or choose another extension.

2. Order and buy your domain name

Once you have added your domain name to your basket, open your basket to order.

Google Domains will show you a summary of your basket, as well as two options, which are both activated by default:

• Protection of private life : This 100% free service protects the confidentiality of your personal information. We recommend that you let this activate.
• Self-renewal: Self-renewal assures you not to accidentally forget to renew and lose your field. It is up to you to decide, but we recommend that you leave it in place if you have long -term projects for your domain name.

Once you have made your choice, click the button Order:

On the order page, you will need to enter your contact details. But do not forget: as long as you have left the free protection of privacy activated, this information will not be public.

Then enter your payment information to finalize your purchase:

3. Highlight your domain to your host

Once your purchase is finalized, Google Domains will open the dashboard of your field:

To point your domain name to a host (like Kinsta), go to the tab Dns.

There you can also:

• Change your name servers for name servers of your host.
• Add resource records to your Google name servers.

4. Configure the redirection of emails (optional)

If you want to use e-mail redirection via Google Domains (rather than configure emails through your host or service like Google Workspace), you can access the tab E-mail and click on Add an alias of email to start :

How to transfer a domain name to Google Domains

If you have already recorded your field with another domain registrar, you can also transfer your field from this registrar to Google Domains.

The process is quite similar, but you will also need to carry out certain actions with the registration office where your domain name is currently registered.

To start, open your Google Domains dashboard and click the tab To transfer. Then enter the domain name you want to transfer:

Google Domains will automatically detect where your domain name is currently recorded and will provide you with a step -by -step assistant to guide you in the transfer process:

Once the transfer is completed, you can manage your domain name as if you had recorded it directly via Google Domains.

Summary

Google Domains offers transparent and competitive prices for extensions of the most popular domains. It can be expensive for certain extensions – as.io – but it is close or lower than the competition for extensions such as.com And .org.

It offers a well -designed interface, as well as pretty features such as the protection of free privacy, Google DNS, automatic verification of the Google search console, and a strong authentication with two factors.

If you encounter difficulties in obtaining a specific domain name, this area may be parked. Learn more about this in our article.

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Matteo Duò

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