Domain lifecycle
What actually happens when a domain expires
An expired domain does not become available. It moves through four registry states over roughly 40 to 80 days, and only the last one ends in a drop.
The single most common misconception about domain expiry is that the expiry date is the date the name becomes available. It is not. On the expiry date almost nothing happens: the domain usually stops resolving, and a countdown starts that the registrant can reverse for most of its length.
For gTLDs (.com, .net, .org and most others) the sequence is set by ICANN policy, so it is broadly predictable. The exact durations at the front are not.
The four states, in order
| Stage | Typical length | Registry status | Recoverable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-renew grace | 0–45 days | autoRenewPeriod | Yes — normal renewal price |
| Redemption grace | 30 days | redemptionPeriod | Yes — restore fee, often $80–200 |
| Pending delete | 5 days | pendingDelete | No |
| Released | — | no record | Anyone may register it |
1. Auto-renew grace period — 0 to 45 days
The registry auto-renews the domain and the registrar decides how long to hold it before giving up. ICANN allows anywhere from 0 to 45 days, and registrars genuinely differ across that whole range. This is the stage where recovery is cheap: you pay the ordinary renewal price.
It is also the stage nobody plans for, because its length is a registrar policy rather than a rule. Two domains that expired on the same day at two registrars can reach redemption three weeks apart.
2. Redemption grace period — 30 days
The registrar has now deleted the domain, and the registry holds it in redemptionPeriod. It can still be restored, but through a formal restore request rather than a renewal, and the fee is typically $80–200 rather than $10–15.
Thirty days is fixed by policy, which makes this the one stage you can plan around precisely. If a name you want is in redemption today, it is not droppable for at least 35 days.
3. Pending delete — 5 days
pendingDelete is the point of no return. The name cannot be renewed, restored, or transferred. It is counting down to release, and the five days are fixed.
For a registrant this is the stage where the answer is "register it again afterwards, and hope". For anyone waiting to acquire the name, it is the only stage where the drop time becomes genuinely predictable.
4. Released
The registry deletes the record and the name is registrable by anyone. Contested names are usually taken within seconds by backorder services bidding the moment the registry opens, so "available" and "obtainable" are different things.
Not every registry works this way. ccTLDs set their own rules. Nominet's .co.uk, for instance, publishes status but no expiration date at all, so the only way to track one is by watching its status transitions rather than counting days from an expiry.
Why the dates on your calendar are not enough
Three things break a calendar reminder, and all three are common:
- The auto-renew grace period is variable. You cannot compute the redemption date from the expiry date, because the gap between them is a registrar setting you do not control and are not told.
- A domain can enter hold without expiring.
clientHoldandserverHoldstop a name resolving for reasons unrelated to the calendar — a billing dispute, a registrar action, a legal request. - Renewal notices go to the registrant contact. That is frequently a person who has left, or an address on the domain that has just stopped resolving.
The registry's own status is the only record that reflects what is actually true right now, which is the argument for reading it directly rather than inferring it.
Common questions
How long after expiry can I still get my domain back?
Through the auto-renew grace period (0-45 days, set by your registrar) and the 30-day redemption grace period. Once it enters pendingDelete, which lasts 5 days, it cannot be recovered at any price.
How much does it cost to restore a domain in redemption?
Typically $80-200, versus $10-15 for an ordinary renewal. The exact figure is set by your registrar, not by ICANN.
Can I tell exactly when an expired domain will drop?
Only once it reaches pendingDelete, which is a fixed 5 days. Before that, the auto-renew grace period varies from 0 to 45 days depending on the registrar, so any earlier estimate is a guess.
Does the domain stop working the day it expires?
Usually yes, and usually immediately, because most registrars redirect the nameservers to a parking page at expiry. That is a registrar action, not a registry state change.
Know which state a domain is in, without checking by hand
DropPerch reads each of these statuses straight from the registry over RDAP and emails you once when one changes. Free for 25 domains.