Key facts
- .co.uk is intended for commercial use in the UK
- Nominet is the registry; transfers use an IPS tag
- The matching .uk is no longer reserved for .co.uk owners
- A suspended .co.uk stops website and email 30 days after expiry
- Individuals' addresses are hidden in WHOIS by default
- Search and register at clients.dijitul.uk
Why .co.uk is still the default
UK customers have been typing .co.uk for decades. It tells people straight away that you trade in the UK, and it's what many will guess if they only remember your business name. For a company that sells mainly here, it's the safe first choice.
Search for your name in the dijitul client portal. If the .co.uk you want has gone, try a shorter variant, add your town, or check whether the owner is actually using it before giving up.
Write down two or three alternatives before you search, so you aren't choosing under pressure if the first is gone. Our page on choosing a domain name has a quick checklist.
Pair it with the .uk
Since 25 June 2019 the shorter .uk has been open to anyone. If you own yourname.co.uk and someone else registers yourname.uk, they could run a website or send email that looks very like yours. Registering both and redirecting the .uk to the .co.uk closes that gap.
Set the redirect with a proper 301 so search engines treat the .co.uk as the main address. See domain forwarding for how we do it.
After you register: DNS and email
A new .co.uk does nothing until it has DNS records. The typical first set is:
- A or AAAA record for the website, or a CNAME on
www. - MX records pointing to your mail provider.
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC TXT records so your email is trusted.
We manage these in Cloudflare. See MX records setup and SPF, DKIM and DMARC records.
If you use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, the provider gives you the exact MX, SPF and DKIM values. Add a DMARC record at _dmarc starting with p=none, read the reports, then tighten it. Getting this right in the first week stops your new address landing in spam.
Moving a .co.uk you already own
A .co.uk moves between registrars when its IPS tag changes to the new registrar's tag. There's no code to find. The domain keeps its expiry date, because a tag change doesn't add a year. Your website and email keep working as long as the DNS stays where it is. Our step-by-step .co.uk transfer guide covers what to ask your old registrar for.
Before you ask for the tag change, check where your DNS is hosted. If the old registrar provides it, copy the records first so the website and email don't drop when the account closes.
Don't let it lapse
Thirty days after a .co.uk expires, Nominet suspends it and your website and email stop. You can still renew up to the end of day 90, after which the name is released and anyone can take it. Turn on auto-renew and keep the contact email current. More on domain renewal.
A suspended .co.uk is easy to miss if nobody checks the website daily. The first sign is often a customer saying their email bounced. Keeping the domain on auto-renew, with a card that won't expire before the renewal date, avoids it.
How dijitul helps
Register and renew your .co.uk at clients.dijitul.uk. Host the website with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT and one .co.uk registration or renewal a year is included. We set up the DNS and email records so the name works from day one.
How it works and what it costs
Domains are priced live in the client portal. DNS management and 10 mailboxes are included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. On their own, DNS and email set-up is £45 an hour + VAT or a fixed quote.
Tell us what you have
Your domains, who they are registered with, where your DNS and email live today, and what you want to change.
Plan the change
We list every DNS record and mailbox first, so nothing is forgotten, and agree a time to switch.
Make the switch
Transfers, nameserver changes, DNS records and mailbox moves, done carefully with low TTLs and a rollback plan.
Check it works
We test the website, email delivery, SPF, DKIM and DMARC from the outside before calling it done.
Look after it
Renewals, records and email stay looked after, and you can call a person when something changes.
Frequently asked questions
Who can register a .co.uk domain?
.co.uk is intended for commercial use, but Nominet doesn't check what you do with it. Individuals and businesses, including those outside the UK, can register one. Make sure the registrant details are accurate, because that person or company is the legal owner.
Does .co.uk help with Google rankings in the UK?
It is a UK country code, which signals UK relevance, but it won't lift a weak site above strong competitors. Content, speed and links matter far more. Choose .co.uk because UK customers recognise and remember it.
Should I buy the .co.uk and the .uk?
For most UK businesses, yes. The reserved right to the matching .uk ended in June 2019, so anyone can register it now. Owning both and redirecting one stops lookalike websites and spoofed email from the shorter name.
How do I transfer a .co.uk to dijitul?
Start the transfer in the dijitul client portal, then ask your current registrar to change the IPS tag to the tag we give you. No auth code is needed. If the old registrar won't act, the registrant can change it through Nominet.
What happens when a .co.uk expires?
Nominet sends reminders. If the domain isn't renewed, it is suspended 30 days after expiry and the website and email stop. It can be renewed until the end of the 90th day, then it is cancelled and released.
Related
Find and register your domain
Live prices, registration and renewals in the dijitul client portal. Or call us and we will do it for you.