Domain Availability Errors

Problem

While checking domain availability or registering a domain, the order form displays one of the following errors:

There was an error in your request

There was a problem connecting to the domain registry

Alternately, there is no error message but the domain checker is reporting availability inaccurately (for example, reporting registered domains as available or unregistered domains as unavailable).

Cause

These errors indicate a Whois-related problem or a problem with your pricing for an extension.

For more information about Whois servers and WHMCS, see Whois Servers.

Troubleshooting

To troubleshoot this issue, go to Configuration () > System Logs and look for any error messages that begin with WHOIS Lookup Error at the time of the failed check.

Error	Explanation	Suggested Action
`Domains must begin with a letter or number`	The most common cause of this issue is that you have configured WHMCS to use multiple currencies, but you have not configured a price for the currency that the client uses.	To resolve this issue, make sure that you have configured all of the currencies in Configuration () > System Settings > Domain Pricing. For example, when offering the 2 Year Pricing term in `USD`, you must also specify the 2 Year Pricing term in all of your other currencies.
`Error: 110 - Connection Error` or `Error: 110 - Network is unreachable` or `Error: 110 - Error detail unknown`	This error indicates that WHMCS cannot access the Whois server in your `/resources/domains/dist.whois.json` file. This may be due to your firewall or another issue.	Make certain that port `43` is open in your server’s firewall. Work with your hosting provider or system administrator to allow the WHMCS server to connect to your Whois server.
`Error: 0 - php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Name or service not known`	This error indicates that the domain extension does not appear in the `/resources/domains/dist.whois.json` file or your server is unable to resolve it.	Use the IANA database to ensure that you are connecting to the correct Whois server. If the entry does exist, work with your system administrator or hosting provider to investigate why your server cannot resolve it.
`extension not listed in /resources/domains/dist.whois.json or /resources/domains/whois.json`	This error indicates that the domain extension in the search is not configured on your server (in the default `resources/domains/dist.whois.json` file or the `/resources/domains/whois.json` customization file).	Update the `/resources/domains/whois.json` file to include the extension.
`The domain you entered is not valid`	This error indicates that you have not configured pricing for the selected domain extension and WHMCS does not have a Whois server to check availability.	Perform either of the following actions: Configure pricing for the TLD extension at Configuration () > System Settings > Domain Pricing. Add a Whois server for the TLD to the `/resources/domains/whois.json` file.

Last modified: October 29, 2024