How ZenaDomains works

Who owns my domain? What is a registrar?

You are the registrant (the “owner”)

When you register a domain, you (or your organisation) are recorded as the registrant in the registry’s records. That is the party that holds the right to use the name for the registration period, as long as policies and fees are met. ZenaDomains / ZenaConsult acts on your behalf to register and manage that name with the technical registrar connection.

What is a registrar?

A registrar is an accredited company that has a contract with the registry for a given extension (like .nl, .com, …) and is allowed to create, renew, and update domain records for customers. Think of the registry as the “database of all .nl names” and the registrar as the shop that submits orders into that database.

ZenaDomains works through a wholesale registrar relationship so you get a single, simple flow: you order and pay with us, and we place the technical order with the registrar and registry on your behalf.

Buying a new domain

1. Check availability on the home page. Enter the name you want (for example example.nl).
2. If the domain is free, choose DNS-only or an optional hosting plan, and enter your contact email.
3. Submit your order request. You will receive emails explaining the next steps.
4. When we send a payment link, open it on your phone or computer, pay with bunq (QR or payment page), and wait until the page confirms payment.
5. After payment, we complete registration and provisioning. You will get confirmation and, if you chose hosting, access details for your control panel when they are ready.

If something is unclear in an email, reply to it or write to admin@zenadomains.it.

Renewals

A renewal extends your registration before (or around) the expiry date so you keep using the same domain.

• You may receive reminder emails as the expiry date approaches (if you opted into reminders / automatic renewal messaging).
• If you use the ZenaDomains account (sign in), open My domains. Domains that are due soon may show a Renew action.
• After you start a renewal, use the payment link we send—same style as for a new order. When payment is confirmed, we process the renewal at the registrar.
• If you need to renew several domains, on My domains use Pay multiple renewals to select multiple renewals and pay them in one flow.
• For some domains, the Registrar auto-renew column shows whether your registrar is set to renew by itself; routine renewals with us are still pay first, then we complete the renewal.

Transferring a domain to ZenaDomains

A transfer moves the registration of an existing domain from another provider to our side, while you stay the registrant. You will need the authorisation (auth / EPP) code from your current registrar.

1. Start the transfer flow from your account when offered for your domain, or follow the link from your payment / thank-you page for transfer orders.
2. Enter the auth code carefully when asked. It is sensitive—treat it like a password.
3. Complete payment when we ask for it.
4. Some registries send a separate approval email—approve the transfer there if required.
5. Transfers can take several days depending on the extension and losing registrar. We will keep you informed by email.

Your ZenaDomains account

The account is a secure login so you can see your domains, renewal status, and (where applicable) auth codes and transfer steps in one place.

• Create account: Register with your email - new accounts receive a random password by email (letters, numbers, and symbols).
• Forgot password: use the same register / reset page with your email. If you already have an account, we email a time-limited link to choose a new password; your old password keeps working until you complete that link.
• Sign in: login. You can enable two-factor authentication (2FA) under settings for extra safety.
• Domains list combines information from your orders, hosting, and registrar data we hold for your email—plus any mappings support has configured for you.
• For export, renewal reminders, and OVH-specific actions, see My domains tools below.

Password: new account, forgot password, and change while signed in

The register / account request page is used both for first-time sign-up and for resetting a forgotten password. The sign-in page links to the same flow when you tap Request a reset link.

• New account: enter your email on the register page. We create the account and email you a random password (mixed letters, numbers, and symbols) - copy it exactly when signing in.
• Forgot password (existing account): enter the same email on the register page (or use the link from the login page). We email a signed reset link that opens account/reset-password.php. Your current password stays valid until you open that link and save a new one. The link expires after 48 hours. Requesting a new link invalidates the previous one.
• Signed in: on Settings, use Change password if you know your current password. The header also has Register and Reset password shortcuts to the register page (same as “forgot password” for people who already have an account).

Emailed login passwords (new accounts only) are generated for you: about 16 characters, mixing uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. A few easily confused characters (such as the letter O vs the digit 0) are not used. Copy and paste from the email if you can, so symbols are exact. When you choose a password (Settings, or after a reset link), it must be at least 12 characters; using a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols is recommended.

OVH API: connect your OVH account (optional)

If you have domains or DNS hosted at OVH, you can connect your own OVH API credentials so the portal can manage OVH features directly from your account (for example: transfer lock toggle, fetch auth/EPP code, and OVH DNS updates where applicable).

• Open Settings and press Connect OVH (API).
• Paste your Application Key, Application Secret, and Consumer Key from OVH’s token page.
• Click Test connection first. If it succeeds, click Save & enable.
• Permissions: the OVH page shows a minimal set (recommended), plus extra rules only if OVH requires them. There is also an optional wide rule set (GET/POST/PUT/DELETE /*) for the simplest setup.

My domains: exports, calendar, DDNS, and OVH transfer lock

These features appear on My domains when you are signed in. Not every domain uses OVH—some use our registrar or are “hosting only”—so the buttons you see depend on the row.

DNS health / export, DKIM test, and DNS monitoring

On My domains, open DNS health / export for a domain to see key records (for example NS, MX, SPF, DMARC, published DKIM TXT), an informative deliverability hint, comparison with a previous snapshot when available, and downloads such as JSON (including a normalized export) or a BIND-style zone snippet. Public overview: DNS health check / export.

• Multi-resolver inspection: for deeper side-by-side resolver checks, the standalone tool at dns.zena.host remains available.
• DKIM signing test: in the DNS health dialog, use the DKIM section to copy a disposable address at …@dkim.zena.host, send one test message from your outbound mail stack to that address, then press Check result (or open the full report link). We read the DKIM-Signature header and show the selector and signing domain your server actually used.
• Report URL: you can always open https://zenadomains.it/dkim/?inbox=… with the same inbox id as in the address. Results appear after our server-side mail fetch runs (usually within a few minutes if scheduled collection is enabled).
• Change alerts: under Settings, configure DNS monitoring (email alerts) (check frequency and notification address). On My domains, use the bell icon on a row to watch or unwatch that domain.

DDNS (Dynamic DNS): automatically update your IP

DDNS is useful when your public IP changes (for example a home/office connection with a dynamic IP). On My domains, you can enable DDNS for a domain and keep an A record pointing to your current IP. Depending on where your DNS is hosted, ZenaDomains updates either Hestia (hosting DNS) or OVH DNS (OVH zone DNS).

• Open My domains and press DDNS on the domain row.
• Choose a subdomain (example: home → home.example.com). Use @ for the apex.
• Use Update now to update immediately.
• Use Copy link to get a secret token URL that can update the record from any source (router, cron, scripts).

Renewals calendar (subscribe)

On My domains, use Subscribe calendar. Your device should offer to open Apple Calendar, Outlook, or another app that handles calendar subscriptions (webcal://).

• The feed includes one yearly recurring event per domain that has a renewal / expiry date in your list. Domains without a date are skipped.
• Each event’s title is like Renew domain: example.com, and the description can include the date, an optional renewal amount when we have a price on file, and a link back to My domains. (The table shows registry dates in the Relevant dates column, not prices.)
• Built-in reminders trigger 14 days, 7 days, and 1 day before each renewal date in most calendar apps.
• Unlike a one-off file download, the subscription stays in sync when our systems refresh the feed (you do not need to re-import).

OVH domains: transfer lock off, auth code, refresh

For domains managed through OVH, My domains shows a transfer lock control (labels such as Transfer locked / Transfer unlocked). This talks to OVH’s registry transfer lock, not your hosting panel.

• Turn transfer lock off when you intend to move the domain to another registrar. OVH may show a short unlocking state before it becomes unlocked—that is normal.
• Auth / EPP code: after the name is fully unlocked, use Fetch from OVH if the code does not appear yet. Some registries only send the code by email; you can also use Email all auth codes when available.
• Refresh OVH data re-downloads the linked OVH portfolio and updates lock state, expiry, and name servers stored for the table. After a successful sync the page reloads so you see current values.

Domains on our registrar use a separate transfer lock control in the same table; unlocking there does not use this OVH flow.

Admin-assisted transfer unlock

If the transfer lock control on My domains is only available through support (for example some OpenProvider rows or when you prefer a recorded approval), you can request an admin-assisted unlock from the same transfer-lock entry. We email our team a signed, time-limited link. After approval, we turn registry transfer lock off at OpenProvider or OVH and email you the outcome—including an auth / EPP code for OVH when the registrar returns one.

• Use this only when you intend to move the domain to another registrar; unlocking increases transfer risk if someone else obtains your auth details.
• You will get a normal confirmation in your inbox; there is nothing extra to click on your side once the team has processed the request.

Registrar: “Registrar auto-renew” column

On My domains, some domains may show a column labelled Registrar auto-renew. That value comes from the registrar’s automatic renewal setting (refreshed when our systems update the domain list cache), not from your hosting panel.

• Off (green pill): the registrar is not set to renew the name automatically on its own. In normal operation, you renew through ZenaDomains: you pay when we send a payment link, and we place the renewal at the registrar after payment is confirmed.
• On (amber pill): the registrar may renew the domain automatically and bill the wholesale account. If you see this and expected pay-first renewals only, contact admin@zenadomains.it so we can align the setting with your agreement.
• Default: the effective behaviour follows registry or account defaults at the registrar. Ask us if you need certainty.
• Unknown: the table does not have a fresh value yet (for example the cache was not updated). It does not mean something is wrong by itself.
• n/a: the row does not have a registrar auto-renew value available in the list (for example external registrar or hosting-only).

Paying (bunq)

• Payment links open our secure payment page with a unique token in the address. Only use links from our emails or from your signed-in account flow.
• You can pay with the QR code (phone camera often works best) or open the bunq payment page.
• Keep the tab open until you see payment confirmed; the page polls automatically.
• If you opened the link from your account, you can usually go back to My domains from the header.

Frequently asked questions

Still stuck?

Email admin@zenadomains.it or reply to any message we sent you from ZenaDomains / ZenaConsult.