Domain Registration: The Life Cycle of a Domain

The Domain Life Cycle

Active - Domain Life Cycle

While your domain is Active, you can modify its settings and contact information. Keeping an active domain is essential for keeping your website online and your email working. Here are a few articles that will help you understand how to customize your domain:

Domains have a minimum registration/renewal period of one year, though some domains may require more. Domains can be registered and renewed for up to a total of 10 years at a time. To help you keep your domain registered and active, we provide you with an easy way to renew your domains and strongly encourage you to participate in our automatic domain renewal service! Here are a few articles that help you understand how to register your domain and keep it registered:

ccTLD Renewal Guidelines

Some country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) must be renewed before their expiration dates. The table below outlines the renewal deadlines for each domain extension, as specified by the respective registries.

Important: Failure to renew your registered domain name before its expiration date (according to the timeline below) may result in losing your registered domain name. We are not liable for the loss of domain name registrations due to failure to renew services.

# of Days Before Expiration that the Domain Must be Renewed	Top-Level Domain Extensions
Up to the date of expiry	.ca, .cn, com.cn, .net.cn, .org.cn, all regional .cn extensions, .co, .cx, .gd, .gs, .im, .in, .co.in, .firm.in, .gen.in, .ind.in, net.in, .org.in, .me, .ms, .tc, .tw, .com.tw, .org.tw, and .vg
26 days	.ac, .am, .be, .de, .eu, .fm, .io, .nl, .sh, .co.uk, .me.uk, .org.uk
57 days	.at, .ch, .cz, .es, .com.es, .nom.es, .org.es, .jp, .li, .mx, .com.mx, .nu, .co.nz, .net.nz, .org.nz, .pl, .ru, .sg, and .tk

Expired - Domain Life Cycle

A domain becomes Expired one day after its expiration date. While a domain is expired, the email will stop working, and its website will be replaced with a 'parked' page indicating that the domain has expired.

Renewing your domain will return it to normal and allow your website and email to start working. You can renew your domain at the normal renewal rates so long as it hasn't expired long enough to reach Redemption status or has been purchased by a 3rd party.

Domain Registration: How To Renew Your Domain

Important: As soon as your domain expires, it can be purchased or bid for by a 3rd party. You still have priority for renewing your domain so long as you renew your domain within 30 days of its expiration date, even if purchases or bids have been placed toward your domain. However, if you still haven't renewed your domain within those 30 days and a 3rd party purchases your domain, you lose the domain and will no longer be able to renew it.

Pending Deletion - Domain Life Cycle

Once a domain enters Pending Deletion status, the domain cannot be redeemed or changed in any way. The domain will be held for about five days before it is released back to the public for new registration. Once the domain is available for new registration again, it can be registered at the normal domain registration rates (no redemption fees will apply).

Redemption - Domain Life Cycle

A domain typically enters Redemption about 45 days after its expiration date if it is not renewed or purchased by a 3rd party (30 days if the domain is registered through FastDomains). However, certain top-level domains may enter redemption status the day after the domain's expiration date.

While every registrar handles the redemption period differently, the redemption period commonly lasts for 30 days until the domain enters Pending Deletion status.

Expiration Timeline

Days after a domain name expires	What happens and what can be done
+1 day	We'll try to renew it automatically, but you can also manually renew for the standard renewal price.
+5 days	We'll try to renew your domain again, but if it doesn't work, your site and email will be deactivated. However, you can manually renew for the usual renewal charge.
+12 days	We'll try to renew your domain once more. You can still renew manually for the standard renewal fee.
+19 days	The domain is put on hold: it remains in your account but is no longer active. Manually renew with the appropriate redemption
+26 days	The domain will be auctioned off. If no active bids are placed on the domain, you can manually renew for the normal price plus the appropriate redemption charge.
+30 days	If there are no active bids in the auction, the domain remains in your account but has now expired. Manual renewal is possible for the usual price plus the applicable redemption charge. The domain cannot be renewed if there is an active bid at auction.
+36 days	The last closeout auction is held for the domain. You can manually renew for the usual amount plus the applicable redemption charge until there is an active bid. You cannot renew the domain once it has been bid on, but you can place your own bid.
+41 days	The final closeout auction concludes. You can still renew manually for the regular price plus the applicable redemption fee.
+72 days	The domain has been removed from your account, and you can no longer renew it. You may be able to register the domain after the registry has released it. However, we cannot predict when a domain will be available for registration.

Important: When your domain is in Redemption status, you can still return your domain to normal by paying a redemption fee in addition to the normal domain renewal rate. The redemption fee will cost up to $160.00 USD. Please contact us to redeem your domain.