Namespro.ca users can now register dot-ca domains in French. As we all know, traditional domains are limited to English characters only. But starting on 2013-Jan-13, CIRA (the dot-ca registry) is allowing the use of French characters (é, ë, ê, è, â, à, æ, ô, œ, ù, û, ü, ç, î, ï, and ÿ) in any dot-ca domains. This new type of non-English domains are called Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) and we have upgraded our systems to allow users to register French IDNs using our service.
The process is as simple and seamless as it can be. Users can perform a French IDN search the same way as an English domain search. Please click on "register a domain" on left menu to start when ready. Our domain search boxes will now accept BOTH English and French characters directly. Once you have typed in the desired search term, our system will then display the corresponding results. There are 5 possible outcomes for a French IDN search:
i) available
The French domain is available for registration immediately. There are no extra requirements and the domain can be registered under any Namespro.ca account and any new or existing registrants.
ii) conditional
A spelling variant of the French domain already exists (likely the plain English character version), and this variant is currently managed by our system. The condition to register the new French domain is that the same Namespro.ca account and the same registrant as the variant must be used. For example, only the current owner of namespro.ca can register naméspro.ca and the registration must be done so under the same Namespro.ca account and the same registrant. If you are the owner of the spelling variant and wish to register the new domain, please contact our support team via our online support system. We would be glad to guide you through the conditional registration process.
iii) withheld
A spelling variant of the French domain already exists (likely the plain English character version), but this variant is currently registered at another registrar. If you are the owner of the spelling variant, it must first be transferred to Namespro.ca before we can register the new domain for you. Please contact our support team via our online support system for more information on how to proceed.
iv) not available
The French domain has already been registered by another user. It is not available for registration.
v) invalid
The search term is either invalid, restricted or reserved by the dot-ca registry. It is not open for registration.
Note
French IDNs are ONLY available for the dot-ca extension. All other extensions are English only.
Upon successfully registering a French IDN, you will be assigned a corresponding A-label for the domain automatically. An A-label (ASCII-label) is an English character representation for the French domain and it starts with the reserved characters "xn--". It exists to make sure the French domain is compatible with all of the current English-only applications, programs, systems and networks. In short, whenever and wherever the French domain cannot be recognized or displayed properly, the A-label should be used in place of it.
last updated = Jan 6, 2021 08:09:06 EST
category = domains
keywords = 4015 French domain IDN IDNs French character Internationalized domain name accents é, ë, ê, è, â, à, æ, ô, œ, ù, û, ü, ç, î, ï, ÿ
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