.io domains

Learn about the guidelines and features of .io domains.

Last updated November 20, 2024

You can register, transfer, or connect domains ending in .io to Squarespace. These are country-level domains for the British Indian Ocean Territory, but are also popular with tech companies.

The .io country code top-level domain (ccTLD) follows different rules than most other TLDs we offer. This guide covers all these requirements and exceptions.

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

TLD features

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

Feature

Rules

Domain renewal

15 days prior to your domain’s expiration date, we’ll attempt to renew your domain by charging the credit card attached to your site. If the charge fails, we’ll make additional attempts to charge your credit card until three days prior to the expiration date. At that point, your .io domain locks and we can’t renew it.

Expiration grace period

If your domain expires, your next steps depend on who your registrar is:

Tucows: When these domains expire, you have a 40-day expiration grace period to renew with us. After that, these expired domains return to their registrar, Tucows. You then have a 30-day redemption period to contact Tucows and request a renewal.

Key-Systems: You have about 30 days after the domain’s expiration date to renew. Once the domain no longer appears on your account dashboard, the option to restore is not available. If your domain can’t be renewed, contact us to confirm if the domain can be reactivated.

Five-day registration grace period

There's no five-day grace period to cancel these domains and no refunds.

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

Free domain offer

These domains aren't eligible for the free domain offer.

Transferring to Squarespace

At the time of transfer, you’ll purchase a one-year extension of your domain registration through Squarespace. You’ll keep the time remaining on your current registration, plus an additional year.

Whois Privacy

Whois privacy isn’t available.

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