A domain name can carry several different statuses throughout its lifetime. A domain's status is visible in a Whois lookup and can signify whether the registrant must take specific action. Check a domain's status and understand what kind of action, if any, is required.
How to read a domain status
Statuses that begin with "client" indicate a registrar-level status. Statuses that begin with "server" indicate a registry-level status.
Note: The complete list of statuses and further information is available on the ICANN website.
Domain status reference
Use the table below to identify a status, understand what it means, and determine what to do.
| Domain status | What it means | What to do |
| addPeriod | The domain was registered very recently. | This is a normal status for a recently registered domain. No action is needed. |
| autoRenewPeriod | The domain has expired, and the registry has charged the registrar for an extra year of renewal. | Renew the domain with your current registrar or get the transfer key to move the domain to another provider. Alternatively, take no action and allow the domain to be deleted or go to auction. |
| clientHold | The registrar has taken action to stop the domain from resolving in the DNS. Any websites or email associated with the domain are offline. | If the domain is registered at Enom, contact legal@enom.com for further information and the steps to remove the hold. |
| clientRenewProhibited | The domain cannot be renewed. This status is sometimes set automatically for domains outside their renewal period. | Contact support for further information and to determine what action, if any, is required to renew the domain. |
| clientTransferProhibited | The registrant or account holder has locked the domain from transfer. This status is normal, and most domains have it enabled automatically as a security precaution. It is also known as the registrar lock. | Follow these steps to add or remove the lock if you can access the domain in your Enom account. If you have a domain through a reseller, contact your reseller to remove the registrar lock. Google customers can unlock their domain by following this article. |
| clientUpdateProhibited | The domain cannot be updated. | Contact support if you need to make any changes to the domain. |
| ok | The domain is not under any particular status or lock. | No action is necessary. You may want to enable the transfer lock on a supported domain. |
| pendingDelete | The domain has gone through its grace and redemption periods after expiry and will be purged from the registry within five days. Once purged, it becomes available to the general public again. | There is usually no way to recover a domain in this status. On rare occasions, a redemption order can recover the domain. |
| pendingTransfer | The domain transfer to another registrar has begun. | The domain transfer can take five to seven days to complete and does so automatically. To cancel the transfer, speak to the gaining registrar. |
| redemptionPeriod | For TLDs with an expiry grace period, the redemption period can follow the grace period. There is typically an additional fee to recover the domain at this point. Many ccTLDs do not have a grace period and go immediately into redemption, sometimes before their expiration. | If you have a direct Enom account, you can redeem your domain to recover it. If the domain is no longer in your account, submit a verified support request and agree to the redemption fee plus the renewal fee to have support attempt to restore the domain. Recovery is not guaranteed: a domain can be moved to auction during its redemption period, at which point it is recoverable only through auction. |
| serverHold | The registry has taken action to stop the domain from resolving in the DNS. | Contact the registry for your domain. This status usually indicates a failure to comply with registration requirements or illegal activity on a domain. |
| serverRenewProhibited | The registry is preventing the domain from being renewed. This status can appear on domains that have recently been renewed or registered, or that are outside their renewal window. | Submit a verified support request so support can investigate the status with the registry if necessary. |
| serverTransferProhibited | The registry is preventing the domain from being transferred. | Submit a verified support request so support can investigate the status with the registry if necessary. |
| serverUpdateProhibited | The registry is preventing the domain from being updated. | Submit a verified support request so support can investigate the status with the registry if necessary. |
Next steps
Questions? Contact Enom Support.
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