Is your .ma domain name suspended? Website down, email broken, understandable panic. In most cases this is not a hosting bug, but a registry-side suspension — often linked to ServerHold status.

Here is what to do, step by step, to diagnose the issue and unlock your .ma.

1. Confirm the domain is actually suspended

Before reinstalling everything, check the official status:

  1. Open WHOIS on mawhois.com or the .ma registry WHOIS.
  2. Look for serverHold.
  3. Also note the displayed holder name and registrar.

If WHOIS shows serverHold, the domain is suspended by the registry (ANRT). Changing DNS or hosting will not clear the block.

Do not confuse this with pendingCreate: that status often means a newly created domain is still awaiting administrative validation. ServerHold already means an active suspension.

2. Identify the most common cause

For a .ma, ServerHold suspension often comes from an incomplete or incorrect holder file:

  • ID documents not submitted through the accredited registrar;
  • holder name different from official documents;
  • company registered under a name inconsistent with the trade register / Modèle 7;
  • domain managed via an intermediary while the declared holder is not justifiable.

Other cases exist (non-renewal, dispute, etc.), but in 2026 the #1 cause remains holder verification. Context: ANRT holder verification and ServerHold risk.

3. Contact your accredited registrar immediately

Act the same day:

  1. Log into the client area of an ANRT-accredited registrar (not a plain reseller).
  2. Open a ticket / email with the exact domain name.
  3. Ask clearly: “My .ma is in ServerHold — which documents are missing to lift the suspension?”
  4. Attach the real holder’s documents right away.

Typical documents

  • Individual: national ID (or passport for a foreign holder)
  • Company: trade register / recent Modèle 7, consistent with the WHOIS name

If your provider does not reply, use the form at www.registre.ma/contact — especially if the registrar is unreachable. See also: .ma registrar dispute.

4. Wait for ServerHold to clear (and don’t change everything)

Once documents are submitted:

  • keep copies of the files and acknowledgment;
  • do not transfer the domain mid-regularization unless clearly instructed;
  • watch WHOIS: as soon as serverHold disappears, website and email can come back.

Timelines depend on the registrar and registry. Follow up politely if nothing moves after several business days.

5. Bring services and DNS back online

When the suspension is lifted:

  1. Check that the domain resolves again (ping / DNS).
  2. Test mailboxes at @yourdomain.ma.
  3. Recreate DNS records if needed (A, MX, etc.) with your host.
  4. Test the site in a private window.

Checklist: “.ma suspended — what to do?”

  • WHOIS confirmed as serverHold
  • Accredited registrar contacted the same day
  • Real holder documents ready and consistent
  • Submission proof kept
  • WHOIS rechecked after deposit
  • Site + email tested after lift

What if nothing moves?

  • Follow up with the registrar and your exchange history.
  • Contact the registry via registre.ma/contact.
  • Verify that the declared holder is the one who can provide documents.
  • As a last resort, prepare a registrar change after recovering the EPP code — not before clarifying the file.

Without regularization, the risk is no longer just downtime: it is permanent deletion of the domain name.

Summary

A suspended .ma domain (often in ServerHold) is handled with 3 reflexes: check WHOIS, send the holder’s documents to an accredited registrar, track the status lift. Don’t waste time “fixing” hosting if the registry blocked the domain.

To avoid another suspension: buy a .ma with a correct holder and complete .ma guide.