Does ICP Filing Follow the Domain or the Server?
For example: after a domain is filed through Alibaba Cloud, it can point to a Tencent Cloud server, but you need to complete an access filing first. According to the relevant rules, ICP filing follows the cloud server, not the domain. If your domain was filed with Alibaba Cloud but you want to point it to a Tencent Cloud server, you need to go through the access filing process.
So the conclusion is: ICP filing follows the server, not the domain. No matter where your domain was originally filed, as long as the server is in mainland China, filing is required. Of course, if you move from one Alibaba Cloud server to another Alibaba Cloud server, you generally do not need to file again.
How Long Does Filing Take?
Domestic cloud provider pages usually show an estimated time. In short, it is not very efficient. Just assume the timeline will not be optimistic and evaluate based on the longest expected duration.
Filing Entity
Sometimes one company has multiple legal entities, so pay attention to the filing entity. I recently ran into an issue where the WeChat developer account entity did not match the filing entity of the domain I wanted to bind, which caused problems.
Does Hosting in Hong Kong or Overseas Avoid Filing?
Yes, but there are tradeoffs. For example, if you want to use Baidu Webmaster tools or earn ad revenue in China, it may not work, because domestic sites must have ICP filing.
Is the Filing Number Required in the Footer?
- Yes. According to the relevant rules, websites operated in mainland China must display the ICP filing number in the page footer. The filing number indicates that the website has completed the required filing process and meets the relevant requirements.
- For the homepage, or for a closed system, the login page must show the filing number. Other pages may not need it, but for an open system, I recommend placing it on every page because users may directly access pages other than the homepage.
Final Thoughts
- If your business targets mainland China, you cannot move forward without ICP filing. The process is unpleasant, but there is no real workaround.
- If you do not care about mainland China business, then you have much more freedom.
