I am interested in knowing how to become a domain registrar. What process do you need to go through in order to do that?

I would start by reading the ICANN Accreditation Overview. (http://www.icann.org/registrars/accreditation.htm)

The important bits are that you need a half million dollar liability policy (they cost about $5,000 per year in the US), $70K in liquid funds (e.g., sitting in a bank account), $2,500 application fee, and $4,000 annual accreditation fee.

Once that's done, you enter into agreements with the registries, develop software, pass each registry's certification test (they're all different), place funds on deposit with the registries, and you're in business.

We've done it once for ourselves and three times for others (filling out the forms, supplying software, and running the certification tests) and while it can be time-consuming, it's straightforward.

Good luck. :)

I would start by reading the ICANN Accreditation Overview. (http://www.icann.org/registrars/accreditation.htm)

The important bits are that you need a half million dollar liability policy (they cost about $5,000 per year in the US), $70K in liquid funds (e.g., sitting in a bank account), $2,500 application fee, and $4,000 annual accreditation fee.

Once that's done, you enter into agreements with the registries, develop software, pass each registry's certification test (they're all different), place funds on deposit with the registries, and you're in business.

We've done it once for ourselves and three times for others (filling out the forms, supplying software, and running the certification tests) and while it can be time-consuming, it's straightforward.

Thanks for that answer!

Is this basically the required steps to go through if you want to use a program to register domain names? I would like to create a service to grab domains before other companies do (as they expire). Do you have to be an accredited company, or are there API's available to do this?

I see: http://www.enom.com/resellers/InterfaceInfo.asp

What are the limitations on checking availability of a domain name in the last day of it's ownership?
Can you tell the exact minute or second it is going to become available?
How often can you check a minute or second?Would it be possible to setup reseller accounts with multiple registrars and check availability across all of them in those last moments of availability?

I hear some companies check as many times as 30 times a second. Is that true? Are they allowed to check that much? Is that the limit? Can you check more?

Anyone know the best company for what I am trying to do?

Most of the backorder services like Pool and Snapnames have tieups with multiple registrars to grab the dropping domain names. The registries limit the number of connections that can be opened by a single registrar, so you need multiple registrars to stand a better chance.

Actually, the registries don't let you unleash a flood of requests through the guaranteed or overflow pools. Doing so will get you a warning, and failure to correct your behavior will get you blocked by the registry until you've corrected your "bad behavior."

Catching dropping domains is only possible in the batch pool, and registrars don't give you access to the batch pool via their API. If you want to try to be a drop catcher, you'll have to become an accredited registrar, or get an accredited registrar to give you access to their batch pool. dkni is correct that companies like Pool and Snapnames partner with multiple registrars, paying them for access to their batch pools.

Actually, the registries don't let you unleash a flood of requests through the guaranteed or overflow pools. Doing so will get you a warning, and failure to correct your behavior will get you blocked by the registry until you've corrected your "bad behavior."

Catching dropping domains is only possible in the batch pool, and registrars don't give you access to the batch pool via their API. If you want to try to be a drop catcher, you'll have to become an accredited registrar, or get an accredited registrar to give you access to their batch pool. dkni is correct that companies like Pool and Snapnames partner with multiple registrars, paying them for access to their batch pools.

Very interesting. I would love to know how much they charge for access to their batch pool.

Do you know how the batch pool process works? What makes one company get a domain name as opposed to another? Luck of the draw?

It is mainly luck, though Pool and Snapnames use algorithms so they stand a better chance of getting a domain compared to other backorder services.

We all strike different deals, 'though there is a lot of similarity in the deals that are offerred by each drop catcher to their partners.

Yes, I know how the batch pool process works and, yes, it's basically luck of the draw. The first request after the domain's actually deleted, gets it. We know the exact sequence in which the domains will be deleted, and we know when the delete batch is supposed to start. The variable is how fast the deletes are processed.

We all strike different deals, 'though there is a lot of similarity in the deals that are offerred by each drop catcher to their partners.

Yes, I know how the batch pool process works and, yes, it's basically luck of the draw. The first request after the domain's actually deleted, gets it. We know the exact sequence in which the domains will be deleted, and we know when the delete batch is supposed to start. The variable is how fast the deletes are processed.

Domainitor,

The script that you use or have used in the batch pool is it something you developed yourself or did you outsource the developement?

I quess you know my next question is could you put me in touch with someone who would be willing to assist with the development or sell me an existing script? For a fee of course.

Jim

Jim:

If you're not a registrar, you'll not be able to participate in the drop catching via the batch pool. So I ask, are you an accredited registrar?

Jim:

If you're not a registrar, you'll not be able to participate in the drop catching via the batch pool. So I ask, are you an accredited registrar?

I'm in the ICANN filing process now. I hope to complete by the end of November if everything goes as planned.

Jim

Once you've filed it can take months. I worked an accreditation that took ten months for ICANN to process. That was in 2002. And there was nothing special or odd about the application. I'd be happy to discuss this privately if you like.

As regards drop catching, our partner is responsible for the code. Based on discussions I've had with their techs it's written in Java.

On our part, we don't use scripts anywhere on our back ends and on the front end we use a proprietary language that my software company developed several years ago. Frankly, I'm not a big proponent of scripting languages for a number of reasons, not the least of which are throughput and security. Generally speaking, if it doesn't compile, we don't use it. We're a big C shop.

I would love to know how much they charge for access to their batch pool.

This is a real intresting question.
I have absolute no intrest in a batch pool (for using it to grab expiring domains).
But If the money I earn with renting this grabing-function of batch-pool to someone else comes near to the cost of beeing a registrar, I would shortly send in an application to be a registrar.

This is a real intresting question.
I have absolute no intrest in a batch pool (for using it to grab expiring domains).
But If the money I earn with renting this grabing-function of batch-pool to someone else comes near to the cost of beeing a registrar, I would shortly send in an application to be a registrar.

The income from drop catching won't pay your bills. It ain't even close. Without factoring in your commercial space, equipment, software, and personnel costs, accreditation will set you back roughly US$82K. Your monthly outgo will far outstrip the drop catching income.

Domainitor,

Could you help us (I work with a small registrar) get in touch with or get up to speed with the drop catching kind of script that you mentioned in this post?

Thanks,

am