What a registrar does
When you take out a name, the registrar passes the record to the registry of the chosen top-level domain and assigns the domain to you. It also stores the owner's contact details that end up in WHOIS, and lets you set the NS servers — that is, choose which DNS will serve your zone.
What a registrar is responsible for
From the registrar's dashboard you usually handle the main tasks around a domain:
- Renewal — a name is leased for a term, and the registrar reminds you to pay for the next period.
- WHOIS data — updating the owner's contacts and, if you wish, turning on privacy protection.
- NS settings — changing the name servers when you move to another host or DNS provider.
Don't confuse the roles: the registry runs the whole zone, while the registrar is the storefront through which a specific name is registered and maintained.
