This guide explains how a domain name and a DNS zone work.

3 basics to understand

1. When you browse a website like https://www.abc123.xyz for example, abc123.xyz is the domain name
   
   
2. Each domain name has DNS (Domain Name System), which allows indicating where (with which provider, for example) the DNS zone
   
   
3. The DNS zone then allows entrusting the management of different services related to the domain name to different providers. For a single domain name, it is for example possible to entrust Web hosting to provider X (via the "A" record) and Mail Service to provider Y (via the "MX" record)

In the case of Infomaniak, the DNS are generally in the form of nsXX.infomaniak.com and nsXX.infomaniak.com (XX like 11 or 12 for example). You can change the DNS of your domain name, as well as modify the "inside" of these DNS, i.e., modify the DNS zone of a domain name.

Administratively speaking

• Each domain name is reserved and managed by a registrar. For example, Infomaniak is a registrar, one of the cheapest in Switzerland
• The DNS of a domain name are configured with the registrar who manages the domain name
• The DNS zone can be managed by the registrar or another provider
• Web hosting and Mail Service can be handled by any hosting provider

In the most complex case, it is possible to have 1 different provider for the following services: domain name registration and DNS management, DNS zone management, Web hosting, Mail Service.

As a registrar and hosting provider, Infomaniak can handle the management of all these services. It's the simplest solution.

For your information:

• an MX record allows to point a domain name (domain.xyz for example) to a mail server
• an A record allows to point a domain name (domain.xyz for example) or a subdomain (example.domain.xyz for example) to a web server with a static IP address (otherwise you would have to constantly edit the A record to enter the new IP address - read this guide (click here) about this)

Some possible situations

Examples and fictitious names

etc.

This guide explains how to modify the details related to a domain name, i.e., the details of the owner/holder/responsible person.

Introduction

• The characteristic of domain names is that they all have an owner whose details are specific to the domain itself, independent of the user account managing the product with the host or registrar
• These details related to the domain name are called Whois details and include information such as first name, last name, postal address, email address, etc.
• They have no link with the Infomaniak user account details
• They can be checked online via Whois services (whois.infomaniak.com or whois.nic.swiss for example) and additional private details may sometimes be available upstream
• These public Whois information are never visible or communicated by Infomaniak without prior authentication!
• They will always be considered in case of a dispute regarding domain ownership, so it is important to keep this information up to date even if you enable Domain Privacy to mask this information

Managing Whois Information

Any modification of Whois details must be validated by the current contact. They will receive an email with a validation link valid for two days to confirm the changes.

To access your domain names:

1. Log in to the Infomaniak Manager (manager.infomaniak.com) from a web browser like Brave or Firefox
2. Click on the ‍ icon at the top right of the interface (or navigate using the left sidebar menu for example)
3. Select Domains (under Web & Domain)
4. Click on the name of the relevant object in the displayed table
5. Click on Whois Information in the left sidebar menu
   

Then, several options are available under Domain Owner:

• Click on the Edit button to update postal and telephone details immediately
• Click on the Change Owner button to modify other elements but requiring agreement from both parties before applying:
  • Select another existing contact record (this might be the case if you have other domain names)
  • Or click on the Add button to create a completely new contact record

You can also do this on multiple domains at once: a contact record can be linked to several domains; thus, modifying a record will automatically reflect on all domains having the same Whois contact.

This guide explains what a web host like Infomaniak is and what its role is. For example, can the technical support help with designing a website or troubleshoot a bug that appeared on a user's computer?

Infomaniak, hosting provider since 1996

According to Wikipedia, a web host is a company that provides internet hosting services for various computing systems to individuals or entities who do not wish to do so by their own means.

Infomaniak is also:

• decades of experience: it is a recognized player worldwide in hosting & online solutions, who loves what it does and aims to offer high-end solutions at accessible prices while continuously improving its services based on market trends and customer needs
• over one million users in Switzerland and Europe; CHF 36.5 million in revenue in 2022 (22.43% growth in German-speaking Switzerland compared to 2021)
• company certified ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001... Infomaniak is 100% committed to sustainable and responsible development with concrete actions, such as creating the most ecological data center in Switzerland; it offsets the CO2 emissions generated by its activities and the energy used is renewable
• 100% Swiss-made technological expertise: all customer data is hosted on servers in Switzerland owned by Infomaniak; its solutions are systematically developed and maintained by hundreds of employees based in Geneva and Winterthur
• with over 1,000 articles and videos, the knowledge base allows customers to immediately find answers to the vast majority of questions, and it is always possible to contact Infomaniak support

Infomaniak's Responsibilities and Intervention Limits

As a web and mail host, Infomaniak's main activities are to install, secure, and keep servers up to date, particularly to protect them from malicious attacks.

Infomaniak also ensures to continuously evolve its web interfaces (Manager) and its infrastructure based on customer feedback, the latest technologies, and market needs. Finally, Infomaniak is also there to support its customers through the various stages of using its services.

However, Infomaniak does not intervene in server content or website development. Indeed, creating or maintaining a website is a different profession; Infomaniak employs webmasters and developers for its own site, its own applications & tools.

Technical Support Limits

In particular, the technical support department will not be able to help you with:

• solving issues related to website development (Fatal Error, etc.) or its updates
• setting up solutions (e.g., "hello, I want you to help me set up my entire Swiss Backup", “migrate my site”)
• manually installing WordPress
• remotely controlling your computer with TeamViewer or similar
  etc.

but it can assist you with:

• resolving issues related to infrastructure or the Manager
• clarifying certain processes
  etc.

A Premium support option exists for more demanding and recurring requests requiring additional time and resources from staff to assist you optimally.

Finding Help from a Webmaster

For external help related to your site's content or organizing your messaging systems, you can contact one of Infomaniak's partners.

Request a Quote

The Infomaniak quote platform lists over 1,000 verified companies in Switzerland, France, Belgium, Italy, and Spain. It is the fastest way to find a webmaster, UX designer, IT technician, web agency, or marketing and communication agency near you; or browse the directory.
 

This guide presents the DNS Diagnostic tool, which allows you to verify that the relationships between domain names and Infomaniak's Mail Service and/or Web Hosting are correct so that Mail/Web traffic is directed to the right place. This involves checking MX, A, CNAME, etc. records. The tool allows you to intervene in the configuration if needed.

You can thus detect and correct certain Mail or Web problems, especially if they are related to DNS (name servers, technical information that essentially determines where Web or Mail traffic should be directed) by acting at the level of your domain.

Diagnosing a DNS Problem

To access the DNS diagnosis of your domain name:

1. Log in to the Infomaniak Manager (manager.infomaniak.com) from a web browser like Brave or Firefox
2. Click on the icon at the top right of the interface (or navigate through the left sidebar menu, for example)
3. Select Domains (universe Web & Domain)
4. Click directly on the name of the relevant object in the displayed table
5. Click on DNS Diagnostic in the left sidebar menu
6. If DNS problems are detected, they will be indicated in red on the table
7. Correct each entry individually (1) or all entries at once (2), or if necessary and you are sure about it, ignore these warnings (3):
   

Also see the diagnosis of DNS records related to messaging.

This guide explains how to order a DNS zone from Infomaniak.

Why Order a DNS Zone?

Owning the DNS zone with Infomaniak is useful if your domain name is registered elsewhere (third-party provider/registrar) and you want to easily link this domain with Infomaniak products.

Ordering a DNS Zone

1. Go to the Shop (shop.infomaniak.com)
2. Enter the name of the domain registered elsewhere
3. Click on the action button ⋮ on the right and select Order a DNS zone
   
   

Dieser Leitfaden erklärt, wie Sie einen neuen Domainnamen zu einer Infomaniak-Website hinzufügen.

Vorbemerkung

• Wenn Sie einen neuen Domainnamen zu einer Website hinzufügen, spricht man von einer verknüpften Domain oder auch von einem Alias.
• Ein Alias-Domainname in diesem Fall ist ein zusätzlicher Domainname, der ebenfalls mit einer bestehenden Website verknüpft ist.
  • Damit die Website „domain.xyz“ auch unter einem anderen Domainnamen wie „private.abc“ erreichbar ist, muss „private.abc“ als Alias der Website hinzugefügt werden.
  • Ein weiteres Beispiel: Damit die Website „domain.xyz“ auch mit „www.domain.xyz“ erreichbar ist, muss sie als Alias zur Domain „domain.xyz“ hinzugefügt werden. In diesem Beispiel ist „domain.xyz“ die Hauptdomain des Aliases „www.domain.xyz“. Der Alias „www“ wird im Allgemeinen bereits automatisch hinzugefügt und ist vorhanden…

Einen Alias zu einer bestehenden Website hinzufügen

Voraussetzungen

• Wenn der Domainname (der zum Alias werden soll) oder dessen DNS-Zone von Infomaniak verwaltet wird, ist alles in Ordnung. Andernfalls:
  • Der A-Record des Domainnamens muss auf Infomaniak verweisen.
  • Zur Vereinfachung können Sie die Domainverwaltung Infomaniak überlassen.
• Der zukünftige Alias darf auch nicht bereits ein Alias sein; in diesem Fall muss er zuvor vom aktuellen Standort getrennt werden.

Um eine zusätzliche Domain hinzuzufügen, die mit Ihrer Website verknüpft wird:

1. Hier klicken, um auf die Verwaltung Ihres Produkts im Infomaniak Manager zuzugreifen (Brauchen Sie Hilfe?).
2. Klicken Sie direkt auf den Namen des betreffenden Produkts:
   
3. Klicken Sie dann auf das Chevron-Symbol ‍, um den Abschnitt Domains dieser Website zu erweitern.
4. Klicken Sie auf die Schaltfläche Domain hinzufügen:
   
5. Geben Sie den oder die hinzuzufügenden Domainnamen ein und trennen Sie diese durch die Eingabetaste.
6. Wenn der Alias oder seine DNS-Zone von Infomaniak verwaltet wird, können Sie die DNS-Einträge automatisch aktualisieren. Andernfalls nehmen Sie die Änderungen bei Ihrem Registrar vor oder übertragen Sie die Domainverwaltung an Infomaniak.
7. Wenn Sie ein SSL-Zertifikat wie Let's Encrypt verwenden, können Sie hier eine Aktualisierung anfordern, um die neuen Namen einzuschließen.
8. Klicken Sie auf Bestätigen, um den Vorgang abzuschließen:
   

Um den Alias als Hauptdomain festzulegen, lesen Sie diesen anderen Leitfaden.

This guide explains how to register a domain name with Infomaniak. With a new domain name or an additional one, many possibilities open up for you, such as:

• using free services related to the domain you order:
  • 1 email address with contact and calendar management
  • 1 10MB Web space
  • Newsletter
• using your Mail Service or existing website with a different spelling
• hosting a website with a third-party hosting provider
• etc.

Ordering...

... a first domain name

To do this:

1. if necessary, create a user account
2. open the Manager (manager.infomaniak.com)
3. click on Domains (which is grayed out because you don't own one yet) to open the Shop
4. once in the Shop, enter the domain name to register:
   
5. check or uncheck the additional extensions offered
6. click Next
7. choose the desired options on the following pages, such as any Mail Service associated with the domain name:
   
8. choose the desired options on the following pages, such as any web hosting associated with the domain name:
   
9. complete the purchase, making sure to read and accept the Terms (the checkbox may require scrolling down on the page):
   
10. wait a few hours for the setup (and, in broad terms, the propagation of your domain name to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) worldwide)

... an additional domain name

To do this:

1. open the Manager (manager.infomaniak.com)
2. click on Domains
3. click on the cart to Order an additional domain:
   
4. follow the first guide above from step 4

Check the availability of a domain name

This page allows you to quickly check if a domain is available for registration or not.

There are at least 3 main indications:

• Available — in this case, you're good to reserve it
• Transferable — you must own it with another provider to transfer it to Infomaniak
• Unavailable — unfortunately, it won't be possible to order it until it's released by its current owner
  

This guide explains how to have multiple denominations (everything that comes after the @ symbol of your email address) for an existing Mail Service by adding associated domain names to it.

Email addresses (existing and future ones) are automatically valid with all associated domains.

To completely transform and change the domain names of a Mail Service, read this guide (click here). To modify the part of your email address coming before the @ symbol, read this guide (click here).

Also note that you can rename your product in the Infomaniak Manager, but changing the name of a Mail Service has absolutely no impact on its emails. You need to act on the domain name.

Prerequisites

• Own the new domain name (if necessary, create it beforehand)
• Familiarize yourself with the instructions in this guide (click here) and apply the relevant instructions based on your situation (to ensure the domain name works when linked to your Mail Service)

Add a Domain Name to the Mail Service

Once the new domain name is ready to be used alongside the old one, you need to add it to the Mail Service:

1. Login to the Infomaniak Manager (manager.infomaniak.com) using a web browser like Brave or Firefox
2. Click on the icon in the upper right corner of the interface (or navigate using the left sidebar menu, for example)
3. Choose Mail Service (under Collaborative Tools)
4. Click on the name of the relevant object in the displayed table
5. Click on Domain Management in the left sidebar menu
   
   
6. Click on Domains linked to the service in the left sidebar menu
7. Click the blue button Add a linked domain
   
   
8. You can:
   
   1. Search for an existing domain within the organization you're connected to — this will link and automatically update the DNS zone of the added domain
   2. Add a domain name or subdomain to manually specify the domain name or subdomain to use (ideal if the domain name is hosted elsewhere)
   3. Buy a new domain name (read the prerequisites above)
   

a: the domain exists within the organization

1. Click on the proposed domain name
   
2. Click the blue button Link this domain
   

It's done; the Mail Service now responds to a second domain name.

b: the domain exists elsewhere

1. Enter the domain name to add
2. Enable DNS entry updates (if the domain name situation allows it, the DNS zone of the domain name will be automatically updated)
3. If point 2 above is active, then activate the replacement of potentially existing entries
4. Do not activate domain name reversal unless you want to set this new domain name as the primary one (this is mainly an administrative matter rather than technical)
5. Click the blue button Link this domain
   

Usage Example

The email contact@super-family-business.com is a long email address. The synonymous domain contact@usef.com is shorter and easier to remember.

By adding the "usef.com" domain to the "super-family-business.com" Mail Service, you allow all messages sent to contact@usef.com (the linked domain) to arrive alongside the messages that the contact@super-family-business.com address already receives.

This guide explains how to link a domain name to an Infomaniak Mail Service.

Where is your domain name located?

With Infomaniak, same organization

If your domain name is registered with Infomaniak and is in the same user account or organization as the email, then there is nothing to do.

• Check and correct any errors with this guide (click here)

With Infomaniak, different organization

If your domain name is registered with Infomaniak but in a different user account or organization, then you need to:

• edit its DNS zone by specifying Infomaniak's MX (+ SPF & DKIM) and then wait a maximum of 48 hours

OR

• move it within the same organization

With Infomaniak and external DNS

If your domain name has DNS that are not from Infomaniak, then you need to:

• Edit the current DNS zone where it is located (if necessary, consult the help of the relevant provider), specifying Infomaniak's MX (+ SPF & DKIM) and then wait a maximum of 48 hours

OR

• Change the current DNS and select the use of Infomaniak's DNS; check and correct any errors with this guide

Elsewhere with external DNS

If your domain name has DNS that are not from Infomaniak, then you need to:

• Edit the current DNS zone where it is located (if necessary, consult the help of the relevant provider), specifying Infomaniak's MX (+ SPF & DKIM) and then wait a maximum of 48 hours

OR

• Change the current DNS (if necessary, consult the help of the relevant provider), specifying Infomaniak's DNS (this implies having a DNS zone with Infomaniak; this will be configured correctly but check and correct any errors with this guide)

Elsewhere but you are bringing it back

If your domain name is registered with another registrar and you want to bring it back to the same place as your Infomaniak email, you need to:

• transfer the domain name to Infomaniak (this will be configured correctly but check and correct any errors with this guide)

This guide explains the difference between the terms Synonym and Alias concerning the Domain product from Infomaniak.

Synonymous Domain, Alias Domain

A synonymous domain name and an alias domain name can both serve as secondary domain names to another domain name.

For example, the domain names apple.xyz (alias) and banana.xyz (synonym) can redirect to the domain name fruits.xyz (the main domain).

The difference between a synonym and an alias is technical:

• A synonymous domain name is based on the DNS of the main domain name.
• An alias domain name has its own DNS.

Learn More

• Add a domain as a synonym
• Dissociate a synonymous domain
• Understanding domains and DNS zones