EPNIC is the domain registration system of EPAG Domainservices GmbH. The API allows for all transactions necessary to manage domains. It uses the same order format to submit commands and receive responses for all of the domain extensions available through EPNIC.
This document is intended for EPAG resellers who wish to offer domain services to their customers. This document will show you how to use the API for offering domain name registration and management on your website by sending API commands by email or via an online connection. The API allows the automation of domain management, while most of the functionality is also available for manual use through the EPAG control panel.
For every command you submit, the API will return one or multiple status callbacks. Those contain both clear text messages as well as response codes which are easy to parse and process.
You can use the EPNIC API via two interfaces:
- Email-(SMTP) – domreg@epnic.net (OT&E: domreg-ote@epnic.net).
- SRS-Shared Registration System (TCP/IP, SSL) – srs.epnic.net (OT&E:srs.ote.epnic.net)
EPAG also provides a control panel at https://domrob.epag.net/. There you will find some additional features, such as invoice download, domain lists, details on requirements for specific extensions etc. The control panel is not part of this manual.
For questions concerning this documentation or bug reports, please contact us at support@epag.de.
Auth Code
Abbreviation for “authentication code”. The AuthCode is a password to a domain which is set by the current registrar of a domain name.
ccTLD
Abbreviation for country-code top-level domain; defines a top-level domain corresponding to a specific country. The notation of the ccTLD of a specific country is based on the ISO country code (e.g. “.de” for Germany).
CED
CED is an abbreviation of “Charter Eligibility Declaration” and relates to the registration terms for .asia domains, which require one of the registration contacts to prove it’s residence in Asia in order to be eligible for a .asia domain.
DNSSEC
“Domain Name System Security Extensions“ are a series of security mechanisms which verify the authenticity and integrity of DNS data. Via DNSSEC it is possible to verify that the DNS zone data received in the lookup response is exactly the same as the data which was authorized by the creator of the zone.
Expiration date
Domains are registered and paid for a limited period. The expiration date indicates the end of the current registration period. Upon the expiration date, EPAG will automatically renew and invoice the domain for another registration period, if the domain has not been cancelled before this date.
FOA email
FOA is an abbreviation for “Form of Authorization”. This term is used in relation with domain transfers regulated by ICANN. It indicates the email that is sent by EPAG to the current registrant or admin-c of a domain before a domain transfer to EPAG is started. With this email, EPAG requests the recipient to confirm or deny the transfer.
gTLD
Abbreviation for “generic top-level domain”; defines one of the superior top-level domains which are directly regulated by ICANN policies. There are several gTLDs such as .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .aero, .asia, .jobs, .mobi, .museum, .name, .pro and .travel.
Handle
A contact handle is a unique key consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters that indicates a dataset of personal contact data to be used along with domain registrations, e.g. ABC123-EPNIC.
ICANN
Abbreviation for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. ICANN decides on basic policies related to the administration of domain names and determines technical and administrative standards.
IDN Domain
IDN stands for “Internationalized Domain Name” and indicates a domain name which contains some characters that are not part of the 7-Bit-ASCII-Code table. IDN domains are not available in every top-level domain.
Registrant
The registrant is the owner of a domain name.
Registrar
Provider who is entitled by contracts with registries to directly register domains through registries. EPAG is a registrar with various registries.
Registry
The central registration authority of a given top-level domain.
SMTP
Abbreviation for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a protocol that is used to exchange emails over the internet.
SSL
Abbreviation for Secure Sockets Layer, which is a protocol to encrypt data when transmitted via the TCP/IP protocol.
TLD
Top-Level Domain, indicates the last part of a domain name divided by dots. A TLD resembles the root or basic level of name resolution within the internet. For the domain name epnic.net, net is the top-level domain.
UDRP
UDRP stands for “Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy” and refers to an ICANN policy for the procedure of domain disputes. All registrars and domain owner are bounded obligatory (www.icann.org/udrp).