What happens if your domain expires?

We spend plenty of time thinking about what domain to register. What keywords should be included for SEO? What spelling would be ideal? Which extension fits best? Understandably, most people focus on the pre-registration process. But, what happens after a domain name is registered? Whether you develop the domain or hold onto it for future use or sale, it can be easy for a domain’s expiry date, and ultimately the name itself, to get lost in the shuffle.

Buying a domain name doesn’t necessarily mean it belongs to the individual indefinitely. “Owning” a domain name is comparable to leasing a car or renting an apartment – once one is registered, the rights to the name belong to the registrant for only a specific period of time, generally between 1-10 years and only as long as they keep renewing it. Once it expires, it goes through an after-expiry life cycle where the domain passes through several stages before being made available to the public again – first come first serve, of course.

Every domain registrar has their own procedure and timeline, and there’s also variation between different extensions even within the same registrar. However, this is a general guideline of the various stages that follow expiry:

Stage 1 – Renewal Grace Period (0-45 days)

During this grace period, registrants have the opportunity to renew their domain name at their regular price, even after it has expired.

Stage 2 – Redemption Period (30 days)

Once the initial grace period is up, most domains have a redemption period. The current registrant still has the chance to retrieve their domain name by paying a redemption fee in addition to the regular renewal fee. Consider this a late penalty set by the registry.

Stage 3 – Pending Delete Status (5 days)

The registrant no longer has ownership of the domain – it cannot be recovered or renewed anymore.

Stage 4 – Backorder, Auction, Closeout, Made Available to Public

A few things can happen at this stage, depending on the domain and registrar. If a backorder has been placed on the domain by an individual, they will be notified once it is available for purchase. If there are multiple people interested, it might go up for public auction and get sold to the highest bidder. Some registrars may offer the name at a closeout price if it still remains unclaimed.
If no one has purchased the domain name at this point, it is returned to its registry. Usually, the name will then be released, meaning it will become available to the public for registration again. Some registries have been reclaiming names and putting them up for premium renewal (this does not happen with .com names).

The good news is that most registrars offer courtesy warning and renewal reminder emails to prevent domains from expiring. Keeping an eye out for these emails can help prevent domain names from slipping through the cracks.

One important note: if you get a notice about one of your names expiring, go directly to your registrar’s website; don’t follow the link in the email. Domain expiration notices have been known to be popular phishing targets. (Click here for more tips to secure your domain)

Enabling the auto-renew function can also be very helpful for those who prefer a “set and forget” method. This will help make sure that your domain is renewed automatically, and thus prevent the unnecessary expiry (and loss) of valuable names.

Since there can be differences depending on which registrar you use, it’s best to check the exact policy at your domain registrar. Here are links to the policies at some of the most common registrars:

GoDaddy:

NameCheap: