What a domain name actually is
The domain name is the address people type to reach your website, for example mybusiness.fr. It is also used for your professional email addresses, which end in the same name (contact, at sign, then your domain). It is therefore a lasting part of your identity, just like your shop sign.
It has two parts: the chosen name and the extension (.fr, .com, .ch…). The .fr is a national extension managed by Afnic, its registry.
The questions to ask before you choose
Is the name easy to say over the phone?
Try it: read it out to someone without spelling it. If you have to add “with a hyphen”, “double L” or “no accent”, there will be mistakes. Go for a short name with no spelling ambiguity.
Is it close to your business name?
Your customers should connect your business name and your web address without effort. The business name, possibly followed by your trade, is often the simplest choice. Avoid tying yourself to one town if you plan to widen your area.
Which extension?
If your customers are in France, .fr is the natural choice. In French-speaking Switzerland, .ch plays the same role. A .com suits a business with an international focus. Nothing stops you registering several extensions and redirecting them to the same website, so that nobody else takes an address close to yours.
Is the name available, and safe to use?
A domain name goes to whoever applies first, provided they meet the extension’s conditions. Check that it is available, but also that it does not copy a trademark or another business’s name: Afnic points out that a name must not infringe the rights of others.
The rules to know for .fr
According to Afnic, these are the essentials:
- The .fr is open to legal entities and individuals resident in the European Union, as well as in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
- It can be created for a period of one to ten years, renewable as many times as needed.
- Registration goes through a registrar, a service company acting as the intermediary between you and Afnic. Afnic publishes the directory of accredited registrars.
- As well as letters, numbers and the hyphen, some accented characters are accepted (such as ç or œ). In practice, a name without accents is still easier to type on every keyboard.
- Personal data of individuals is anonymised by default in Afnic’s Whois database.
Who should the domain be registered to?
This is the most important question, and the one most often forgotten. The domain holder is the person or business that owns it. That must be you, or your company. If a supplier registers it in their own name, changing supplier can become complicated, and you risk losing your address, your email and your visibility.
- Ask for the domain to be registered in your business’s name.
- Note its renewal date and check who keeps an eye on it.
- Keep access to the registrar account, or at least the ability to recover the domain.
- Use a contact email address you actually read: that is where renewal notices arrive.
Our position
When we build your website, the domain stays in your name. You remain the owner of your website, your data and your access. The monthly fee for our websites covers a service (hosting, maintenance, small changes), not a right to use what belongs to you.
What if you already have a domain?
No need to change everything. Check who it is registered to, when it expires and who holds the access. If your current website is ageing, a redesign can keep the same address, so you do not lose what you have built. Our free diagnostic tells you in a few seconds whether your website displays well on a phone and whether it is secure.
Information checked on 4 November 2026 on the Afnic website. Registration conditions can change: check the naming charter currently in force. This guide is not legal advice, particularly on trademark questions.