You own your ENS name completely—no one else can change or take it from you.
This means you must protect your wallet keys from phishing scams—if you lose your name, we cannot recover it.
Use the multi-wallet strategy below to prevent theft.
Wallet Setups - Cold, Warm and Hot
With these three wallet types you can protect your name at different security levels:
Wallet type | Details |
Cold wallet | Stores your funds offline for maximum security. Never used for daily transactions.
Never connects to apps or websites, eliminating phishing risk. |
Warm wallet | Used occasionally to add a security buffer between your everyday wallet and your offline storage.
With this wallet you may be connecting and signing permissions on several apps, sites, etc |
Hot wallet | Your everyday wallet that holds only the funds you need immediately.
Connects to apps and websites regularly, creating higher security risk. |
Recommended Security Setup for your ENS name.
Recommended security setup:
Store ownership in your cold wallet to prevent theft
Set a hot or warm wallet as manager for daily updates without risking ownership
Point your ETH address and Primary Name to your hot wallet for daily transactions.
This setup separates ownership into a cold wallet—if your hot or warm wallet is compromised, you keep your ENS name.
To change the ETH record, Manager & Owner use the Edit Roles button, found in the Ownership tab.
Set your Primary Name using the Set as Primary Name button in the profile tab.
In practice
For Unwrapped names
Role | Wallet type | Details |
Owner | Cold | Maximum security: never connects to sites or apps, eliminating phishing risk. |
Manager | Hot or Warm | If compromised, the owner can replace the manager to regain control. |
ETH Address + Primary Name | Hot | If compromised, the Manager can update the record to protect your funds. |
For Wrapped names
Role | Wallet type | Details |
Owner | Cold | This wallet is secure because you aren't connecting it to any sites or apps and signing permissions. |
ETH Address + Primary Name | Hot | If compromised, the owner can redirect to a new address to protect your funds. |
No manager role visible? Your name is wrapped in the Name Wrapper contract. See Where is the Manager role?
Understanding ENS Roles
Owner
Unwrapped names:
Can transfer ownership of the name to another wallet.
Can update the manager.
Cannot update records (like ETH address)
Cannot create subnames
Wrapped names:
Can transfer ownership of the name to another wallet.
Can update all the records like the ETH Address, Avatar, Contenthash, etc.
Can create subnames.
Manager
Unwrapped names only:
Cannot transfer ownership of the name.
Can update all the records like the ETH Address, Avatar, Contenthash, etc.
Can set a new manager.
Can create subnames.
ETH Record
This is the address the name points to and determines where funds are received.
The wallet matching the ETH address can choose that name to How to Set and Clear a Primary Name