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An expired domain isn't a cliff edge. It's a sequence of stages, and at most of them you can still get your domain back. The catch is that it gets more expensive, and more disruptive, the longer you leave it.
What you'll notice first
When a domain expires, your website and email stop working, usually straight away or within a few days. That's the part people notice, and it's why expiry feels like a disaster. It almost never is, as long as you act quickly.
The stages after expiry
The exact timings depend on the domain extension. These are the two most common cases.
.com, .net, .org and most other international domains
- Grace period (about 30 days after expiry). You can usually renew at the normal price. Once renewed, your site and email come back as soon as DNS catches up.
- Redemption period (about 30 days more). The domain is removed from the internet, but you can still recover it. Recovery costs considerably more than a normal renewal, because the registry charges a restoration fee.
- Pending delete (about 5 days). Nothing can be done. At the end, the domain is released and anyone can register it.
.uk and .co.uk domains
UK domains follow Nominet's rules, which are more forgiving. You can normally renew for up to 90 days after expiry, and there's no redemption fee in the way there is for .com. Your site and email still stop working during that time, so a cheaper renewal doesn't make waiting any less painful. After 90 days the domain is cancelled, and a few days later it's released for anyone to register.
If your domain has just expired
- Don't wait to see what happens. Every day it's down, customers can't reach your site or email you.
- Log in to your account and look under Domains. If the domain is with us, you can renew it there.
- If you can't renew it yourself, open a ticket. Tell us the domain name and we'll check which stage it's at and what it will cost to bring back.
- Once it's renewed, allow a few hours for DNS to update before your site and email are reachable everywhere.
How to stop it happening again
- Turn on auto-renew, and check the card on your account is still valid. An expired card and an auto-renewing domain fail together, quietly.
- Keep your contact email current. Renewal reminders and expiry warnings go to the email address on your account. If that's an old address you no longer read, the warnings go nowhere.
- Renew for longer. Most domains can be renewed for several years at once, which means one less thing to remember.
Not sure where your domain is registered, or who holds the login? Open a ticket and we'll help you find out.