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Tidy Names

Connect Namecheap

This guide walks you through enabling API access on your Namecheap account, whitelisting the required IP address, and connecting it to Tidy Names.

Check this first: Namecheap does not give every account API access. To qualify you must have at least one of: an account balance of $50 or more, 20 or more domains in your account, or purchases totalling $50 or more within the last 2 years. If your account does not meet any of these, Namecheap's API Access page shows "you have not met the criteria to qualify for API access" and there is no way to generate a key. See what to do if you don't qualify below - you can still track Namecheap domains in Tidy Names.

Prerequisites

  • A Namecheap account with one or more domains
  • An account that qualifies for Namecheap API access - a $50+ account balance, 20+ domains, or $50+ of purchases in the last 2 years
  • A Tidy Names account with an organisation set up
  • Your Tidy Names server's public IP address (for whitelisting)

Step 1: Enable API Access

Namecheap requires you to explicitly enable API access and whitelist the IP addresses that will call their API. This is a security measure to prevent unauthorised access.

Enable the API

  1. Log in to Namecheap
  2. Go to Profile > Tools > Manage (under the API Access section)
  3. Toggle API access to ON

For more details, see Namecheap's API introduction and their API methods documentation.

Whitelist Your Server IP

On the same API management page, add your Tidy Names server's public IP address to the whitelist:

  1. Find the Whitelisted IPs section
  2. Enter the IP address of the server where Tidy Names is hosted
  3. Click Save or Add
Important: If you're hosting on Vercel, you'll need to use a static IP proxy service, as Vercel uses dynamic IPs. The IP you whitelist must match the IP that Tidy Names uses when making outbound API calls to Namecheap.

Copy Your API Key

  1. On the same page, your API Key is displayed (or you can generate a new one)
  2. Copy the API Key for use in the next step

Step 2: Add the Connection in Tidy Names

Namecheap requires three pieces of information - more than other registrars - because of their IP-based authentication model.

  1. In Tidy Names, go to Connections in the sidebar
  2. Click Add Connection
  3. Select Namecheap from the registrar list
  4. Enter your API User - this is your Namecheap username (the same one you use to log in)
  5. Paste your API Key from the previous step
  6. Enter your Whitelisted IP - this must match the IP address you added to the Namecheap whitelist
  7. Optionally set a Display Name
  8. Click Test Connection - you should see a success message
  9. Click Save Connection

Step 3: Verify Your Domains

After saving the connection, go to the Domains page. You should see your Namecheap domains listed with:

  • Domain name and status
  • Expiry date
  • Auto-renew setting
  • WHOIS privacy status

Troubleshooting

Test Connection fails

  • IP not whitelisted: The most common issue. Double-check that the IP address in Tidy Names's Whitelisted IP field exactly matches one of the IPs in your Namecheap API whitelist.
  • Incorrect API User: This should be your Namecheap username (the one you log in with), not your email address.
  • API not enabled: Go back to Profile > Tools and confirm API access is toggled ON.
  • Account does not qualify: Namecheap grants API access only to accounts with a $50+ balance, 20+ domains, or $50+ of purchases in the last 2 years. If you do not qualify, the API Access page says so and no key is issued - add your domains without the API instead.

Missing domains

  • Domains in an "expired" or "redemption" state may not appear in API results
  • Recently transferred domains may take up to 24 hours to appear

Revoking access

  • In Tidy Names: Go to Connections and remove the Namecheap connection
  • In Namecheap: Go to Profile > Tools > API Access and toggle API access OFF, or remove the whitelisted IP

If your account doesn't qualify for API access

Namecheap's criteria are theirs, not ours, and there is no way to work around them from Tidy Names. You can still manage Namecheap domains here - add them without a connection:

  • Import from CSV - export your domain list from Namecheap (Domain List > Export), then in Tidy Names go to Inventory > Add Domain and choose Import from CSV. See the CSV import guide for the accepted columns.
  • Add domains manually - fine for a handful of domains. Go to Inventory > Add Domain and choose Add Manually.

Manually added and imported domains behave like any other domain in Tidy Names: expiry tracking, renewal alerts, tags, DNS and email-security checks, and cost analytics all work. The only thing you lose is automatic syncing - expiry dates and auto-renew settings will not update themselves, so re-import after renewals or transfers.

If you later qualify for API access, add the Namecheap connection then. Domains that already exist in Tidy Names are matched by name, so syncing takes them over rather than duplicating them.

Next Steps