Key facts
- .org.uk is intended for non-commercial organisations
- Nominet does not check eligibility for .org.uk
- Nominet runs it, so transfers use an IPS tag
- Register it to the organisation, not a volunteer personally
- .org is the generic, international alternative
- Register at clients.dijitul.uk
Who .org.uk suits
.org.uk is the UK extension intended for non-commercial organisations: charities, sports clubs, parish and community groups, societies and associations. People recognise it as "not a shop", which suits organisations that want to look like a cause rather than a company.
Nominet doesn't run eligibility checks, so a business could register a .org.uk too. That also means nobody is reserving your group's name for you. If it matters, register it before someone else does in the dijitul client portal.
A .org.uk also works well for projects that sit alongside a business, such as a community fund, a sponsored event or a residents' association that a local firm helps run. Keep it registered to the group itself, not the business, so it can continue if the business steps back.
.org.uk or .org?
Both signal a non-profit. The difference is scope:
- .org.uk is under Nominet and reads as a UK organisation. Transfers use an IPS tag and expiry follows Nominet's 90-day timeline.
- .org is a generic domain under ICANN policy. It suits groups with an international audience. Transfers use an auth code.
A local club rarely needs both. A national charity might take both and redirect one to the other.
Whichever you choose, keep the name short and recognisable. Many groups pick an abbreviation, but check it isn't already well known for something else.
If your group is already known by a .org.uk address, don't switch just because .org is shorter. Changing address means updating letterheads, listings, grant applications and every member's address book.
Keep the domain with the organisation
The common problem with club and charity domains isn't technical. A volunteer registers the name on their own card, in their own name, with their own email. Years later they move on, the renewal reminder goes to an inbox nobody reads, and the website and email stop.
Avoid it by:
- Registering the domain to the organisation itself.
- Using a shared role address, such as a secretary or treasurer mailbox, as the contact email.
- Recording who holds the login and passing it on at each committee handover.
- Turning on auto-renew.
If a former volunteer still holds yours, our guide to checking domain ownership is the first step.
Many groups find it helps to put the domain, the website and the email login details in a single handover document kept by the chair or secretary. If ownership is currently unclear, sort it out now, while the people involved are still easy to reach.
Email for volunteers and trustees
A .org.uk gives every role a proper address, like treasurer@yourclub.org.uk, that survives changes of personnel. Role addresses can be full mailboxes or simply forward to whoever holds the post this year. See business email addresses and email forwarding.
For a small group, forwarding is usually enough and keeps things simple. For a charity with staff, proper mailboxes are easier to manage, and they let you keep records when someone leaves. Set SPF, DKIM and DMARC records whichever you choose, so messages from the group aren't treated as spam.
How dijitul helps
Search and register your .org.uk at clients.dijitul.uk. If the website is hosted with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT, one .org.uk registration or renewal a year is included. We'll point the DNS, set up role email and make sure renewals reach someone who will act on them.
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
Do I need to be a charity to register a .org.uk?
No. .org.uk is intended for non-commercial organisations, but Nominet does not check eligibility. Clubs, community groups, societies and charities all use it. Register it to the organisation itself so it doesn't depend on one person.
Should our club use .org.uk or .org?
A UK club or group usually suits .org.uk, which reads as a UK organisation. .org is better for groups with an international audience. Both look non-commercial. A larger charity might register both and redirect one to the other.
Our old volunteer registered the domain. What now?
Find out who the registrant is and which registrar holds it. Ask the volunteer to change the registrant to the organisation, or to change the IPS tag so the domain moves to an account your committee controls. Do this before it expires.
How do .org.uk renewals work?
.org.uk follows Nominet's rules. Reminders are sent before expiry, the domain is suspended 30 days after expiry, and it can be renewed until the end of the 90th day. After that it is released for anyone to register.
Can we have email addresses for each role?
Yes. Addresses like secretary@ or bookings@ on your .org.uk can be full mailboxes or forward to the current volunteer. When someone steps down, you change where the address delivers rather than telling everyone a new address.
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.