.au and .com.au domains

Learn about the guidelines and features of .au and .com.au domains.

Last updated January 3, 2025

You can register or connect domains ending in .au or .com.au to Squarespace if you have an Australian address. These domains are a great option if you want to establish an online Australian presence.

The .au and .com.au country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) follow different rules than most other ccTLDs we offer. This guide covers these special requirements. This guide covers certain special requirements and exceptions from Squarespace and the relevant organization that oversees .au and .com.au domain registration. To learn more about these requirements and exceptions, visit TLD registry policies.

To find a domain's price, you can search for it on our domain name search page or in your domains dashboard.

Accessing this feature

If you already have a .au or .com.au domain registered with a third-party domain provider, it’s not currently possible to transfer these domains into Squarespace, but you can connect the domain to your Squarespace site instead. If you don’t already have a .au or .com.au domain, you can register one with us.

TLD features

Browse the table below to learn about the unique features and rules of registering a domain ending in .au or .com.au. If you connect a third-party .au or .com.au domain, these guidelines don't apply.

Feature

Rules

Additional information

When registering a .au or .com.au domain, you'll need to provide information about you or your Australian company or organization.

Address requirement

To register a .au or .com.au domain, you need to have an Australian address.

Domain verification

You don't need to take any action or verify your domain via email after registering. Your .au or .com.au domain is verified automatically.

Failed payments and expired domains

15 days before your domain's official expiration date, we'll charge the credit card linked to your site. If we can't complete the charge, we'll make additional attempts to charge your card every five days until the expiration date. If we're unable to successfully charge your card, the domain will expire and will no longer connect to your site.

After your domain expires, you have a 30 day grace period to reactivate it through Squarespace. If your domain isn't reactivated, it's deleted from both our system and the registrar's (TuCows).

Five-day registration grace period

There's no five-day grace period to cancel .au or .com.au domains, and no refunds.

Before you register the domain, ensure you want to keep it. Double-check the domain for typos.

Free domain offer

You can use the free domain offer when registering a new .au or .com.au domain.

Transferring to Squarespace

It's not currently possible to transfer .au or .com.au domains to Squarespace.

Transferring away from Squarespace

You can transfer your domain away from Squarespace at any time because .au and .com.au domains don't have a 60 day lock period.

When you complete the domain transfer steps, you'll receive an email from your new domain provider confirming the transfer is in progress. No action is needed to complete the transfer. To cancel the transfer, follow the steps in the email.

Whois privacy

Whois privacy isn't available.

ABN and ACN details

You can look up your ABN or ACN information to ensure it matches the information you provide when registering your domain.

Tip

If your ABN is listed as an "Australian private company" in the Australian Business Register, we recommend selecting "Company" in the Entity type drop-down menu during registration.

Additional requirements

The Australian Domain Name Administrator requires that all .au and .com.au domains include specific information in their registration details. This is because .com.au domains are intended for registered Australian businesses and organizations. Similarly, .au domains can be used for businesses and organizations, or for individuals with an Australian address.

During the registration process, you'll complete the following fields in the Additional Requirements panel:

  • Entity name - Enter the name of your business or organization as it appears on your Australian Business Number (ABN) or Australian Company Number (ACN) documents.
  • Entity type - Select the entity type that best describes you, or your business or organization. The entity options include: Company, Partnership, Pending trademark owner, Registered business, Sole trader, and Trademark owner. If you're registering a .au domain, you have a few more options: Charity, Citizen/Resident, Club, Non-profit Organization, Private Person, and Trade Union.
  • ID - Select either ABN or ACN from the drop-down menu, then enter your ID number in the field. Keep in mind, if you select ACN, your ID will only be accepted if your company also has a valid ABN.
  • Eligibility ID - Select the type of ID you're providing from the drop-down menu. The ID options include: Pending trademark, Trademark owner, and Other (if your ID isn't tied to a trademark). Enter the business or trademark ID number in the field. This field only appears if you choose Registered business, Pending trademark owner, or Trademark owner in the Entity type menu.
  • Policy reason - Select the reason the domain you've chosen meets the eligibility requirements from the drop-down menu.

Locate the Additional Information panel

After registering the domain, you can review the information you provided in the Additional Information panel:

  1. Open the domains dashboard.
  2. Click the domain you want to review, then click Registration information.
  3. Click Additional information.

Changing the domain's additional information

If your business or organization's registered information changes, you can update the information attached to your domain.

Changing the additional information transfers ownership of your domain. We'll charge you the current price of a .com.au domain plus any applicable taxes. A new year of domain registration begins when the change is complete. If your domain had time remaining on the registration, it's lost when you change the information.

Follow these steps to change the domain's additional information:

  1. Download the Current owner and New owner forms.
  2. Complete both forms and save them. If you need help filling out the forms, refer to the instructions on the OpenSRS website and the additional requirements section above.
  3. Contact our Customer Support team by email. Attach both forms to your email and enter your .au or .com.au domain in the description field. We’ll reply with next steps.
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.au and .com.au domains