Domain Expiry FAQ
Everything you need to know about domain expiry: grace periods, redemption periods, what happens to your website and email, how to renew, and how to prevent it.
Domain Expiry FAQ
What happens when a domain expires?
When a domain registration lapses, it goes through several stages:
1. Expiry: The domain stops resolving in DNS. Your website goes offline, email stops working, and any services using the domain become unreachable. This happens immediately at expiry.
2. Grace Period (0-45 days after expiry): The registrar holds the domain for you. You can renew it at the normal renewal price. The exact grace period length varies by TLD and registrar — typically 30 days for .com domains.
3. Redemption Period (30-60 days after grace period): The domain enters the registry's redemption grace period. You can still recover it but the registrar charges a significant redemption fee ($100-$200+ is common). The domain remains offline.
4. Pending Delete (5 days): The registry marks the domain for deletion. It cannot be renewed during this stage.
5. Drops: The domain is released and becomes available for anyone to register. Domain drop-catchers often register popular domains within seconds.
How long do I have to renew after expiry?
Usually 30 days at normal price, then up to 90 days at redemption price. The exact window depends on your TLD and registrar. Check your registrar's specific policy.
Will my website go down the moment it expires?
Yes. DNS resolution stops at expiry. Visitors get a DNS error ("This site can't be reached"). Email also stops working immediately.
What is the redemption period?
A grace period after the normal renewal window where you can still recover the domain, but at a significantly higher cost (typically $100-$300 redemption fee charged by the registrar). The domain is still offline during this period.
How do I renew an expired domain?
- Log in to your registrar.
- Find the expired domain in your account.
- If it is in the grace period: renew at normal price.
- If it is in redemption: pay the redemption fee and renew.
- If it is in pending delete: you cannot renew it — wait for it to drop and try to register it again.
Can someone steal my domain while it is expired?
Not during the grace or redemption period — the registrar holds it for you. After it fully drops, yes — anyone can register it.
How do I prevent accidental domain expiry?
- Enable auto-renewal at your registrar — this is the most important protection.
- Keep your payment method up to date — auto-renewal fails if the card on file has expired.
- Set up expiry monitoring in ElasticDomain — get email alerts at 60 days, 30 days, and 7 days before expiry.
- Register for multiple years — a 5-year registration is much harder to accidentally let expire than an annual one.
My domain shows as expiring soon in ElasticDomain but I already renewed it — why?
WHOIS data can take 24-72 hours to update after a renewal. Trigger a manual scan (Scan Now on the domain detail page) after 24 hours and the new expiry date should appear.
What is auto-renewal and should I use it?
Auto-renewal automatically charges your payment method and renews the domain 30 days before expiry. You should enable it for any domain you need to keep. The downside is the charge happens automatically — but losing a domain is far more damaging than an unexpected charge.
Can I monitor domains I don't own?
Yes. ElasticDomain monitors any publicly accessible domain regardless of ownership. Add competitor or watchlist domains using the COMPETITOR or WATCHLIST domain type to track their expiry dates.