Registering a domain does not automatically provide HTTPS for a website. The website platform must serve a valid certificate for the hostnames in use. SSL is the familiar older term; modern secure connections use TLS. Arrange it with your external host or platform and test the visitor journey.
Separate domain, DNS and certificate services
The registrar manages registration, DNS resolves names, and the web platform serves HTTPS. These roles may belong to different providers. We do not currently sell website hosting. Ask your chosen platform how it issues, renews and attaches certificates to the root and other required hostnames.
.nl with or without www: choose one primary address →
Complete validation at the appropriate service
Certificate issuance may require website or DNS validation. Follow the platform’s precise instructions and preserve unrelated TXT records. Validation methods differ; one setup is not universal. A platform may automate renewals when its required configuration remains intact.
Check hostname coverage and page content
Test the hostnames visitors actually use. A certificate for one name does not necessarily cover every subdomain or extra domain. Check images, scripts and forms for secure addresses too. A valid certificate does not repair outdated or insecure links inside website content.
Recognise a suspicious domain renewal invoice →
Understand what encryption does not prove
HTTPS protects the connection to a host; it does not prove that every offer is honest or that the site is your supplier. Fraudulent sites can have certificates. Email has separate connections and authentication such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC, so a website padlock does not diagnose mail delivery.
Your practical checklist
- Ask the website platform about certificate management.
- Check all used hostnames.
- Test secure images, forms and redirects.
- Assess supplier identity and mail separately.
A business connects .nl to an external platform. The bare address works, but an old www link shows a certificate error. The platform must support that hostname before redirecting securely; buying the registration again would not solve it.
Common questions
Does domain registration automatically include website SSL?
Domain registration and a website certificate are separate components. Your external website platform determines how HTTPS is provided and maintained.
Sources and further reading
Registration rules and provider functions can change. Check the current requirements for your domain before ordering or changing services.
Ready for your own .nl?
€9.99 for year one, €12.99 renewal or 3 years for €27. No hosting required.
Check your domain →
