.ws Domain: A Short Address Read as 'Website'
.ws is technically the country code domain (ccTLD) of Samoa; the sponsoring body is Samoa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, technical operation belongs to Global Domains International, and the extension entered the root zone on 14 July 1995. The abbreviation originally came from 'Western Samoa'; for years the extension has been marketed as reading 'website' or 'web service', and that association brings registrations from outside the country.
Most second level .ws registrations carry no geographic restriction: you do not need to live in Samoa or have a company there. Names such as .org.ws, .gov.ws and .edu.ws are restricted, however, and are not open to everyone. If you are after a short address, the extension allows names from two characters, so the word pool is far more comfortable than on .com and your chances of finding your full brand name here are good.
When picking an address, lean on the way the ending reads: a short single word said together with the extension forms a complete phrase and stays in memory. Long, hyphenated spellings throw that advantage away, so keep it plain. Check whether the name you have in mind is free on the domain search page.
.WS Domain at a Glance
- Sponsoring organisation Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Samoa
- Technical operator Global Domains International
- Delegated 14 July 1995
- Prominent use Short brand addresses read as 'website'
- Document Requirement No documents are required to register a .ws domain
- Country Western Samoa
- Character Length 2 - 63 characters
- Registration Period 1 - 10 years
- Name Server Count 1 - 13 servers
.ws Domain Prices — No Surprise Fees
Registration, transfer and renewal fees are listed separately. The renewal price can differ from the first-year price, so you see both up front.
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New Registration
$34.99 /year -
Transfer
$34.99 /year -
Renewal
$38.99 /year -
Restore
$153.00 -
Late Renewal
$7.70
Included With Every .ws Domain
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Free DNS management
Change A, MX, TXT and CNAME records yourself from the panel — no waiting on anyone when you move a site or mailbox.
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Domain lock
While the lock is on, nobody can move your domain to another registrar without your approval.
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Domain forwarding
Point the domain at your existing site, a campaign page or a social profile — at no extra cost.
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Free WHOIS privacy
Your name, address and phone stay out of public WHOIS records, which cuts down spam and scam calls.
.ws Domain Lifecycle
What happens day by day after it expires
Day 0 is the domain's expiry dateIn short: for .ws the post-expiry timeline is set by the registry, so it differs from one extension to the next. The diagram below shows the windows that actually apply to .ws, day by day. One thing never changes, whichever extension you hold: renewing before the expiry date is always the cheapest and safest route.
Domain Is Available (Available)
A .ws address at this stage has not been taken yet, and it goes to whoever registers first. Check the name you have in mind — if it is free, it can be yours within minutes.
Domain Is Active (Active Period)
Once registration is complete, the domain is registered to you for the term you selected. You can renew at any point before it expires to keep it active, or switch on auto-renewal so you never have to watch the date.
Redemption Period (Redemption Period)
The domain is not released the moment it expires — during this window it is still yours and can be recovered. Some extensions charge an extra restore fee at this stage, so renewing before expiry is always the cheaper route.
Domain Is Available Again
Once deletion completes, the domain leaves the system and anyone can register it — popular names are often taken the same minute by someone watching. Keep auto-renewal on so a name you care about never gets this far.
.ws Domain Specifications and Registration Rules
Registration conditions, supported features and the registry's own timelines in a single table.
.ws Domain Registration
- Document Requirement No documents are required to register a .ws domain
- Country Western Samoa
- Character Length 2 - 63 characters
- Registration Period 1 - 10 years
- Name Server Count 1 - 13 servers
.ws Domain Support
- IDN Support No
- Transfer Support Yes
- Late Renewal Support Yes
Frequently Asked Questions About .ws Domains
The questions people actually ask before registering — answered plainly.
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No. Most second level .ws registrations carry no geographic restriction; you do not need to live in Samoa, incorporate there or appoint a local contact, and no documents are requested at registration. Only names such as .org.ws, .gov.ws and .edu.ws are restricted; those are not open to everyone and follow their own rules.
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The abbreviation originally came from 'Western Samoa', and the extension is still formally the country code domain of Samoa. Alongside that, it has been marketed for years as reading 'website' or 'web service', and a significant share of registrations arrives from outside the country on the strength of that association. Both readings are accurate: the origin is Samoan, the everyday use largely global.
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These lower levels sit among the restricted names and follow different rules from the second level .ws names that are open to general registration. The practical consequence: if you want an address carrying an institutional, association or educational identity, separate conditions may apply at those levels. For general use, registering directly at the second level is the most practical route.
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A transfer starts when you obtain the authorisation code from your current provider and confirm the name is not locked against transfer. Your site and email keep working while it runs, and the registration time you have left is preserved. If the name is close to expiry, do not delay the transfer, because the process can take several days. Start it on the domain transfer page.
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Yes, a privacy service is available on this extension, so your registration details can be masked in lookup results. You can see what a given name returns today on the whois search page. Even with privacy enabled the domain remains registered to you; the service only keeps your contact details out of the public lookup and leaves ownership and rights untouched.
Ready to Claim Your .ws Domain?
Type a name and see in seconds whether it is free on .ws. If it is taken, we list close alternatives right away.
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