The various stages that a domain goes through, from being available for registration through its expiration and final deletion, are collectively referred to as the domain life cycle. Knowing these stages can assist you in maintaining your domain and preventing its loss.
Available
Every domain starts out being offered for sale. Visit our domain checker to register a new domain. If your desired name is already taken, you can also look at alternative names there.
Active
After successful registration, the domain becomes active. To maintain domain ownership, you must renew it before the expiration date.
Expired
When the domain expires, it will no longer work. Emails will be suspended, and the website will not function. Consider turning on auto-renewal to avoid these interruptions and paying the fees before expiration.
Expiration consists of two possible periods: grace and redemption.
- Grace Period
The domain name can be renewed during the grace period without being deleted. After the expiration date has passed for some TLDs, the redemption period begins immediately. When present, a grace period’s allotment of time can vary per TLD.
- Redemption Period
The redemption grace period begins when the grace period ends, or when the domain expires if there is no grace period. To redeem the domain, an additional fee of $80 is required aside from the renewal.
Some TLDs don’t offer a second chance at renewal and instead move straight to the Pending Deletion status after the expiration (or grace period, if any) has passed.
Pending Deletion
The domain enters the pending deletion phase after the redemption period ends or if there is a grace period but no redemption. The only option to recover a domain pending deletion is to wait until it’s fully deleted.
It can be repurchased once it becomes available. You should be aware that anyone can purchase the domain.
Keeping your online presence and brand identification constant requires keeping track of these stages and renewing your domain name at the appropriate times.
