What happens when a domain expires? Print

  • Domain Expiry, Domain Redemption, Domain Grace Period
  • 90

⚠️️ The time frames given on this page are estimates. To be on safe side we advise that you renew your domains well in time before the expiry date. Expired domains may be deleted from Rocket Domains within 34 to 43 days after expiration.

All domains have a life-span with a set expiration date. Unless renewed, they're considered expired and eventually deleted or auctioned off. In this article you will learn the entire life-cycle of a domain name and what happens past its expiration. 

Domain Name Life Cycle
Illustration credit: ICANN

Here's what happens when a domain expires:

Upon expiry, your domain goes into Auto-Renew Grace Period which lasts around 40 days at Rocket Domains. During the first 36 days of this period, it's possible to renew the expired domain for its standard renewal price.

We understand that payment problems can occur for a variety of reasons which is why we allow an expired domain to continue to function as normal in the first 10 days of the Auto-Renew Grace Period.

After 10 days, Rocket Domains parking page nameservers may assigned and your domain will resolve to a notice stating it has expired.

Thereafter, the domain may become available for sale in an auction. While you may still be able to renew the domain during this period, it may be sold if a buyer scoops it up at the auction.

Once the 40 day Grace Period comes to an end, the domain is deleted from Rocket Domains and returned to its Registry. At that stage the domain enters the Redemption Grace Period. During this period, it's still possible to redeem the domain for its renewal fee plus a redemption fee which varies from registry to registry. Please contact Rocket Domains Support if you wish to regain control of your domain in the redemption phase.

The Redemption Grace Period will end on the 70th day when it'll be marked as "Pending Delete". At this stage it's no longer possible to redeem the domain name.

Five days later on the 75th day the domain may be:

  • released to the public for registration on a first-come-first-served basis—including drop catch bots. 
  • marked by the Registry as a "premium" domain which will increase the cost of registration/renewal.
  • reserved by the Registry which means it will not be registrable.

⚠️️ Please note that all the time frames, processes, and outcomes given in this article are estimates which vary from registry to registry. This is why these are beyond our control, and so we make no guarantees that these time frames, processes, and outcomes will be applicable in your case.

 

Note: This article applies to ICANN-regulated extensions such as .com and does not necessarily apply to country-code TLDs which may not have grace periods or which may have their own redemption periods and procedures. For instance, .co domains may stop working upon expiry, while .cx and .am domains enter redemption period 3 days before expiration.

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