GoDaddy Guide

How to Report Infringement to GoDaddy

GoDaddy is both a domain registrar and a web host, so before filing, check whether GoDaddy is only registering the domain or also hosting the actual content. The outcome depends entirely on which one applies.

🕑 Guide last reviewed: July 2026. GoDaddy's own process can change; the official link above is always the source of truth.

GoDaddy only processes DMCA takedowns for sites it's actively hosting. If it's just the registrar and someone else hosts the content, your report gets redirected to the real host. A quick WHOIS lookup first saves you a wasted submission.

Important: Self-help templates and general information only, not legal advice. Using this site doesn't create an attorney-client relationship, and we're not affiliated with any platform named on this page. Full details in our Terms of Service.

Step-by-step process

1

Run a WHOIS lookup

Confirm whether GoDaddy is actually the hosting provider, not just the domain registrar.

2

File through GoDaddy's report form

Use the general abuse report form or the dedicated copyright complaints form, choosing copyright or trademark depending on your claim.

3

Provide the required DMCA details

Infringing URL(s), your proof of ownership, and the required statements including consent to jurisdiction.

4

GoDaddy reviews and responds

Approved requests are typically resolved in about 10–14 business days; the site owner can file a counter-notice if they dispute it.

GoDaddy Abuse Report Form → GoDaddy Copyright Complaints →
⏱️ Typical response time: approximately 10–14 business days for approved requests
Evidence Checklist

What to have ready

  • Infringing URL(s)
  • WHOIS confirmation that GoDaddy is the actual host
  • Proof of ownership

Need the notice text?

Use our free generator to draft the actual copyright notice or cease-and-desist language, then paste it into GoDaddy's report form above.

Generate Your Notice →

Common Mistakes That Delay This Process

Filing with GoDaddy when it's only the domain registrar, not the actual host, is the most frequent reason a report gets redirected rather than actioned; a quick WHOIS lookup before filing avoids the wasted cycle. Reports missing explicit consent-to-jurisdiction language, one of GoDaddy's required statements, are also treated as incomplete.

If GoDaddy's Customer Disputes Your Report

When a site owner files a counter-notice disputing a GoDaddy takedown, GoDaddy generally requires you to pursue formal legal action within a set window if you want the content to stay down, otherwise it may be restored. Because GoDaddy serves as both a major registrar and a hosting provider, a single case can sometimes involve two separate GoDaddy relationships, domain registration and website hosting, that need to be evaluated independently to determine what GoDaddy is actually able to act on. Reports involving clearly established trademark rights, such as a registered mark, tend to move through GoDaddy's review with less back-and-forth than copyright claims involving disputed originality or fair use.

Frequently Asked Questions About GoDaddy Takedowns

Your complaint will be redirected. You'll need to find and contact the actual hosting provider instead.
Yes, but they're evaluated separately. Submit each claim type on its own.
File a new complaint. Ongoing monitoring can help catch repeat postings faster than manual checking.
Both are handled through GoDaddy's complaint system, but you select the claim type that matches your situation, since the required evidence differs.
File with GoDaddy for removal, since hosting, not registration, is what determines who can actually take the content down.
In limited circumstances involving domain-level abuse, yes, but a standard copyright complaint about hosted content is typically addressed through content removal, not domain suspension.
Yes, GoDaddy's terms of service allow for account-level action against customers with a pattern of confirmed policy violations, beyond individual content removal.
No, GoDaddy's abuse and copyright complaint process applies the same way across the domain extensions it manages.
Yes, sites built with GoDaddy's own website builder are hosted on GoDaddy's infrastructure, so the standard hosting-abuse report applies.

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Need to report infringement somewhere else? See the full Platform Guides directory.