Our Editorial Process
Every article on dotau.com.au follows a structured editorial process designed to ensure accuracy, clarity, and practical value for Australian readers. Our small editorial team includes people with hands-on backgrounds in domain portfolio management, small business web consulting, and DNS and domain policy.
Research
We begin with primary sources: auDA's published .au Licensing Rules and policy announcements at auda.org.au, the Australian Business Register for eligibility questions, and registrars' own published terms and processes. Where we describe industry practice -- renewal flows, drop auctions, transfer timing -- it reflects our team's direct experience managing .au domains.
We cross-reference multiple sources to verify facts. If a regulation has changed recently, we note the effective date and link to the official announcement where possible.
Writing
Our articles are written in plain Australian English, avoiding jargon unless it is industry-standard terminology that readers need to know. We define acronyms on first use (for example, EPP code -- the domain password used to authorise transfers) and structure articles with clear headings so readers can find the information they need quickly.
Each article is assigned to the team member with the most relevant expertise. Portfolio and lifecycle guides are written by our domain portfolio manager, small-business registration guides by our web consultant, and policy and transfer guides by our DNS and policy analyst.
Review and Fact-Checking
Before publication, every article undergoes a review by a second team member. This review checks factual accuracy against cited sources, clarity of explanation, completeness of coverage, and correct attribution of rules to the right authority (auDA policy vs. individual registrar practice).
Updates
.au policy and registrar practice change. We review our content regularly and update articles when auDA revises the licensing rules, when registry or registrar processes change, or when pricing norms shift materially. Updated articles display both the original publication date and the date of the most recent revision.
Sources We Reference
Our primary sources include official Australian regulatory and government bodies:
- auDA (.au Domain Administration) -- the administrator of the .au namespace and author of the .au Licensing Rules
- Australian Business Register (ABR) -- ABN records used for .au eligibility
- ASIC -- company and business name registrations
- ACMA -- the communications and media regulator
- ACCC -- consumer law guidance relevant to domain renewal and billing practices
What We Do Not Do
- We do not provide legal advice or formal valuations of domain names.
- We do not quote a specific registrar's pricing as fact -- prices change; we give indicative market ranges and tell you to check current pricing.
- We do not guarantee the accuracy of third-party information linked from our articles.
- We do not accept payment for editorial coverage or favourable reviews.
Our advertising (served via Google AdSense) is clearly separated from editorial content. Registrar comparison placements may contain affiliate links, which are disclosed where they appear and do not influence what we write or recommend.
Corrections
If you spot an error or outdated information in any of our articles, please let us know. We take corrections seriously and will update the article promptly, noting the correction in the revision history.