How to Register a .com.au Domain

To get a .com.au domain, you need to be an Australian commercial entity (usually with an ABN or ACN), and the name you choose has to be connected to your business, such as your business name, an acronym of it, your trade mark or a product or service you offer. You register it through an accredited domain provider for 1 to 5 years at a time, then renew it while you stay eligible.

What is a .com.au domain?

A com.au name is part of Australia’s country domain, .au, which is managed by the .au Domain Administration (auDA). It’s the most popular choice for Australian businesses: auDA reports more than 3 million com.au names registered. Because every com.au registrant has to show a connection to Australia, a com.au domain tells customers you’re an Australian business (auDA: com.au domain names).

The au domains also include .au direct (yourname.au), net.au, org.au, id.au and others. For a business, com.au is the usual first choice for an Australian domain.

Who can get a .com.au domain?

To register a com.au domain you must be an Australian commercial entity. auDA says the most common way to qualify is an active ABN or ACN. If you don’t have either, you can still be eligible with an Australian Registered Body Number (ARBN) or an Australian trade mark. You don’t need a physical address in Australia if you meet the Australian presence requirement.

What name can you choose?

Your com.au domain name has to be connected to your business. auDA lists these connections:

• Your exact business, company or personal name
• An acronym of your name or business name
• A match to your registered Australian trade mark
• A match to, or acronym of, a related Australian company, partnership or trust
• A match or synonym of what you do: a service you provide, goods you sell, an event you run or sponsor, an activity you teach or a venue you operate

Names are allocated first come, first served to the first eligible registrant, so register early.

How do you register a .com.au domain name?

Domain registration in Australia follows the same few steps, whichever provider you use:

1. Get your ABN or ACN set up first, and ideally register your business name.
2. Search for the name you want with an auDA-accredited domain provider.
3. Enter your details, including your ABN or ACN and the name you’re relying on for eligibility.
4. Choose a term of 1 to 5 years (not every provider offers 5 years).
5. Pay and confirm. Most providers check eligibility automatically, so the name is usually ready to use straight away.
6. Point it at your website and email by setting the domain’s DNS records or nameservers.

That’s also how to buy a .au domain, how to register a .au domain name in the other namespaces, and how to get a com.au through a web developer: the steps are the same, only the eligibility rules differ. In short, com.au domain registration and any other .au domain registration work the same way.

Can you register a .com.au domain without an ABN?

Not usually. com.au is for commercial entities, so you need an ABN, ACN, ARBN or an Australian trade mark. If you can’t get a com.au, auDA points to .au direct (for example, yourname.au) as the alternative: it’s open to anyone who meets the Australian presence requirement, with no ABN needed and no rule that the name matches your business (auDA: the different .au domain names).

Should someone else register your domain for you?

A web developer can register a com.au domain on your behalf with your written permission, but it should be registered in your business’s name with your ABN, not theirs. auDA warns that if a developer uses their own details, they may not be eligible to hold it, renewal notices may not reach you, and you depend on them staying in business to keep your name. Check the .au WHOIS: if your business isn’t listed as the registrant, you don’t hold the licence.

Can you get domain privacy on a .com.au?

The .au WHOIS already protects personal details. Under auDA’s WHOIS Policy, a registrant’s street address and phone number aren’t disclosed, and email addresses only appear on the web WHOIS behind a CAPTCHA. The registrant’s legal name and ABN or ACN are shown, because that’s what proves eligibility. You can nominate a business email address rather than a personal one as the contact (auDA WHOIS Policy).

How much does a .com.au domain cost?

auDA sets the wholesale price for .au names, and each accredited provider sets its own retail price, so it varies between providers and by how many years you register for. Compare the renewal price as well as the first-year price, and check what’s included (such as DNS management and email forwarding). If you’d rather not deal with it, our Essentials, Standard and Advanced website packages include domain registration (conditions apply), so you can register a domain with com.au eligibility checked as part of the project.

Can you change a .com domain to .com.au?

Not directly: a .com and a .com.au are separate registrations. If you’re eligible, register the matching .com.au, move your website and email to it, and set up permanent (301) redirects from the old .com addresses so you keep your search rankings and links. Many businesses keep both and redirect one to the other. Our website migration service can handle the move.

Does Squarespace support .com.au domains?

You can connect a com.au name registered with another provider to a Squarespace site. Whether Squarespace can register the .com.au for you depends on the domain endings it currently supports, so check Squarespace’s own help pages before you buy, and make sure your ABN details are used for eligibility.

How we handle domains for clients

Our Essentials, Standard and Advanced website packages include domain registration (conditions apply; an ABN is needed for .com.au). Whoever registers it, make sure the domain is in your business’s name and that you know which provider manages it. Our web design page has more on what each package includes.

Frequently asked questions

How long can I register a .com.au for?

For 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 years at a time, depending on the provider, and you can renew it at the end of each term while you still meet the eligibility rules.

Do I need a website to have a .com.au domain?

No. Many businesses use a .com.au only for email addresses at first. A website on the same domain is a natural next step, and our guide on why small businesses need a website explains why.

What happens to my .com.au if I close my business?

You can only keep it while you’re eligible. If the ABN or ACN tied to it is cancelled, you lose eligibility, unless you transfer the licence to another eligible entity you control.

Do I get the .com.au when I buy a business?

Not automatically. The domain has to be transferred to the new owner, so make sure it’s named in the sale agreement and transferred before the old company is deregistered.

The short version

A .com.au domain needs an Australian commercial entity (usually an ABN or ACN) and a name connected to your business. Register it in your own business’s name through an accredited provider, renew it while you’re eligible, and use .au direct if you can’t get a com.au.

If you’d like help choosing a domain or setting one up with a new website, contact our Mildura team.