The Expiration Timeline
1
Expiration Day
Domain expires. Website may still work briefly, but renewal reminders intensify.
2
Grace Period (0-45 days)
Renew at normal price. Website likely goes down. Length varies by registrar.
3
Redemption Period (~30 days)
Can still recover—but costs $80-200+ redemption fee on top of renewal.
4
Pending Delete (5 days)
Domain locked. Cannot be renewed or transferred. Countdown to deletion.
5
Drop
Domain released to public. Available for anyone to register—often grabbed instantly by backorder services.
Recovery Costs by Stage
| Stage | Cost to Recover |
|---|---|
| Grace Period | Normal renewal (~$15) |
| Redemption | $80-200+ fee |
| Pending Delete | Cannot recover |
| After Drop | $10-$10,000+ (if available) |
How to Prevent Expiration
- ✓ Enable auto-renew on all domains
- ✓ Keep payment method current (card not expired)
- ✓ Update contact email so you receive renewal notices
- ✓ Set calendar reminders 90, 60, 30 days before expiration
- ✓ Use a registrar that emails you multiple times before expiration
The Bottom Line
Never let a domain you care about expire. The cost of prevention (enabling auto-renew) is zero. The cost of recovery can be hundreds of dollars—or you may lose the domain forever.
Turn on auto-renew right now for every important domain.