Knowledgebase

When a domain name expires, it goes through a series of stages and processes before potentially being released back into the pool of available domain names. The exact procedures can vary depending on the domain registrar and the specific top-level domain (TLD), but here's a general overview of what typically happens when a domain expires:

1. Expiration Date
   Your domain name has a set expiration date, typically one year from the date of registration or the last renewal. You can renew the domain name any time before this date to keep it active.
2. Grace Period
   After the expiration date, many registrars provide a grace period during which you can still renew your domain name without extra fees. This period usually lasts a few weeks, during which your website and email services may still be operational.
3. Renewal Grace Period
   If you don't renew the domain during the initial grace period, some registrars offer an extended renewal grace period. During this time, you can still renew the domain, but there might be an additional fee.
4. Redemption Period
   If the domain isn't renewed during the renewal grace period, it enters the redemption period. This is a 30-day period during which you can still reclaim the domain, but it comes with a substantial redemption fee on top of the regular renewal cost.
5. Pending Delete (Auction Period)
   If the domain is not renewed or redeemed during the redemption period, it enters a pending delete phase. This phase typically lasts for about 5 days, during which the domain cannot be recovered. During this time many TLDs post the domain for auction to the highest bidder. If not claimed through the auction, the domain is released back to the pool of available domain names. Domains are claimed through the auction process more often than not.
6. Release and Availability
   Once the pending delete phase is over, the domain is released and becomes available for registration by anyone on a first-come, first-served basis.
   

   For particularly popular domain names, there are often multiple parties anticipating the expiration. Competition for expiring domain names has since become a purview of drop catching services. These services offer to dedicate their servers to securing a domain name upon its availability, usually at an auction price. Individuals with their limited resources find it difficult to compete with these drop catching firms for highly desirable domain names. Because of this, it is not recommended to let your domain expire unless you truely do not want access to it in the future. If you are looking to transfer to another service providers it is recommended to renew the domain with the current provider and then to do a transfer after any grade periods have finished.

   Retail registrars such as GoDaddy or eNom retain names for auction through services such as TDNAM or Snapnames through a practice known as domain warehousing. Drop catch services are performed by both ICANN-accredited registrars and non-accredited registrars.

It's important to note a few things:

• Different TLDs may have varying expiration and recovery processes. Some TLDs might have shorter or longer grace periods and redemption periods.
• During the redemption and pending delete periods, your website and email services associated with the domain are likely to be suspended.
• If you have important data associated with the domain (such as website content, email accounts, or online services), it's crucial to act promptly before the domain goes through these stages.
• If you are looking to transfer to another service providers it is recommended to renew the domain with the current provider and then to do a transfer after any grade periods have finished.

To avoid domain expiration issues, make sure to keep track of your domain's renewal date, set up auto-renewal if possible, and keep your contact information up to date with the domain registrar to receive renewal reminders. If the domain name is important, it is best practice to maintain a good status. A good registrar will contact you many times throughout the expiry process and long before expiry begins.