Learn How to Register Onion Domain

The Tor browser is known as a powerful free tool for navigating the Net anonymously. It unlocks deep web represented as .onion addresses. If you are eager to build a website, you are recommended to learn how to register onion domain and protect your visitors.

What is a .onion Domain?

It is the website address that you can access only in the Tor anonymity browser.  The rest browsers will not be able to navigate across the proxy services, which usually take people to your site. If to compare. onion domain with other regular browsers like org., com., biz., etc., then it should be noted that they are issued by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Users must submit proposals to it for domain and sub-domain registration. It’s evident that registering and maintaining the domain costs money.

Reasons to Get a .onion Domain

Like any other domain, a .onion has its own advantages and disadvantages. To begin with, you can use only the Tor browser to access the site with such a domain. Thus, there are both advantages and drawbacks. Unfortunately, not everybody knows about such a browser as Tor; hence, you cannot expect massive traffic on the website. But, Tor has a few layers of anonymity that not all browsers can actually boast. Hence, if you want to create a safe space for your visitors, then Tor is the best option to reach this goal.

A domain name is automatically generated while creating a .onion site.  It will contain 16 accidental numbers (2-7) and lowercase letters that let the Tor browser navigate across your server. The string can’t be shorter than these 16 characters that are often difficult to remember. As a result, users will not be able to memorize your site, while malicious users can create an akin but different domain to confuse regular visitors.

All this says about the absence of necessity to register with ICANN to get your own domain. Your ICANN account will not be accessible to malicious users, and you will not have to hide personal details from “whois searches.” Simply put, you will take the full control under your domain and your privacy.

A domain that is recognizable for you, the word is called vanity domain and creating it is rather expensive. For example, Google shared plenty of resources that are dedicated to achieving its .onion domain. But, unfortunately, it includes only eight characters.

Steps on How to Register Onion Domain

In case you decide to take advantage of the .onion domain, then take these two simple steps and reach your purpose quickly:

1. If your available webs server is configured correctly, then the Tor’s .onion service can give it a /onion domain. But, you will not enjoy strong anonymity if your server shares your data that advanced users use for identifying you.  That’s why Tor offers to fasten your server to localhost.  After setting up .onion services, you will be able to create a virtual port for visitors to connect through. As a result, you will not show your real IP address. Ensure that you hide all data that can identify you, your location, or your IP. For example, get rid of any reference to your server’s data from error messages that were sent to your visitors before.
2. Next, you need to configure your server’s .onion services. Open “torrc” file for this. It is a text file that you had received while setting up the Tor browser. In case you need more information, then check the instructions on Tor’s website. Once the setup is finished, you need to turn in the Tor browser to create a public domain or key for your site. Afterward, you may encourage people to visit your website. Remember that sharing your private key with other people is not a good idea.

Summing – up

.onion domain registration is a nice option to stay safe and create a secure experience for your website visitors. However, not all people are using the Tor tool. If you want to ensure that your site remains safe in other browsers, consider using a VPN service. For example, VeePN can hide your actual IP and protect personal information from the leak. As a result, no third parties will be able to take advantage of it.

Written by VeePN Research Lab VeePN Research Lab is dedicated to provide you latest posts about internet security and privacy.

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