SIDN, the .NL registry, has announced that ForSale, the DNS-based method to indicate a domain is for sale, is moving from pilot to full production.
If you enabled ForSale on your .nl domains during the pilot phase, you must update your DNS TXT record to ensure it continues to function correctly.
What is SIDN ForSale?
ForSale is a lightweight, standards-based way to signal that a domain name is available for purchase.
It works by adding a TXT record to a reserved DNS node:
_for-sale.<domain>.nl</domain>
The domain can remain fully active while also being listed for sale. The record simply signals availability in a structured and machine-readable way.
What is changing?
During the pilot, the TXT record used the following format:
Old (pilot syntax):
_for-sale.example.nl TXT "idcode=[your-code]"
In production, SIDN is switching to a standardised format that includes a version tag and a landing-page code tag:
New (production syntax):
_for-sale.example.nl TXT "v=FORSALE1;fcod=NLFS-[your-code]"
Good news
Your unique code remains the same.
You only need to replace the idcode= prefix with:
v=FORSALE1;fcod=NLFS-
What you need to do
If you listed .nl domains for sale during the pilot phase, please update your DNS records as soon as possible:
- Open your DNS management panel.
- Locate the TXT record for _for-sale.<domain>.</domain>
- Replace the old idcode=... value with the new v=FORSALE1;fcod=NLFS-... format.
- Verify that the updated TXT record is publicly visible.
SIDN will temporarily support both formats during the transition period. However, the pilot syntax will be phased out. To avoid disruption, we strongly recommend updating your records now.
If you need support verifying or updating your DNS configuration, our team is ready to help.