Email Notifications Registrar Module does not work - What could be the issue?

[kon]

Hello everyone, 😊

We 'd like to offer 2 TLDs for which we do not have an integrated registrar module. We've also searched the market and there is no available module in general.

As we read on WHMCS docs, the Email Notifications Registrar Module is meant to be used for such cases. We activated it on System Settings -> Domain Registrars, we set the default WHMCS admin email to receive notifications there and tried to make searches for the specific TLDs. After more than a decade of operating WHMCS, this will be the first time we have activated and tried to use the Email Notifications Registrar Module.

Every time we make a search for these 2 TLDs, we get the message "domain.TLD is not available" meaning that the module does not work.

What are we doing wrong here? Have we missed something in the configuration?

[WHMCS SamP]

Hi @kon

Could you please tell me which lookup provider you're using and the TLDs you're searching for?

[kon]

Hi @WHMCS SamP,

Lookup Provider: "WHMCS Namespinning". Geo-targerted results is checked and we have selected the .com, .net, .org and .eu TLDs for extra availability checks.

TLDs: .cy and .com.cy

After these 2 TLDs, i'd like to add more to the Email Notifications Registrar Module.

[WHMCS SamP]

Hi @kon

The issue is occurring because these TLDs aren't included in our standard dist.whois.json. To address this, you should contact the whois server admin/registry, get the whois server for this TLD and add it to a custom whois.json file as indicated here - https://docs.whmcs.com/WHOIS_Servers#Customising_WHOIS_Servers

You can often find the contact details on the related page in the IANA database: https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/cy.html

[kon]

Hi @WHMCS SamP

We've done that with other TLDs. However, i don't think, as far as i know, that this Registry has a whois server publicly available.

In your Docs page we read that:
 

Quote

 

This can occur when using a registrar that does not have an API or that does not integrate with WHMCS.

The module does not connect to any registrar to automatically register, transfer, or make changes to any domains. Instead of automatic connections, it will send an email to predefined contacts alerting them to the requested registration, transfer, or other change. This allows your staff to make the changes manually and update your system.

When a client pays a domain registration, transfer, or renewal invoice, the system will send an email to your staff notifying them of the needed manual action.

 

 

Thus we were hoping that it wouldn't require us to connect to any whois but it would instead show a message to the client "example.cy is available". When the client proceeded with the purchase, we would get a message that there is a request for this domain, we would manually search for it and if it was available we would proceed the operation. If not, we would cancel the order and refund any money. At least that was the plan and thought 😊

 

Can't we achieve that with the Email Notifications Registrar Module?

[kon]

Hello,

We asked the .cy and .com.cy Registry if they have a WHOIS Server and their official reply was negative. They do not have a WHOIS Server for Registrars and the only method to search if a domain is available is through their website.

So, is there any way to make the Email Notifications Registrar Module work for this case? Client won't be able to make real time searches, but we will be able to give them the opportunity to request it.

Currently when they search for .cy and .com.cy domains, they only receive "domain is not available" messages so we are losing sales 😐