Most generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) follow a similar life cycle. After a domain expires, it can move through reactivation, redemption, and possibly auction before it is finally deleted. These stages may not apply to most country-code TLDs, which can, depending on the ccTLD, enter redemption before their expiration date and offer no grace period. Use this article to understand each stage and to track your own expiring domains.
TLD expiry timeline
The following timeline shows the stages a gTLD passes through around its expiry date and the emails you can expect at each point.
Note: The dates below reference the expiry date as Day 0, so negative dates are days before expiry. These dates are estimates and serve as a guide for when to expect certain emails.
| Day relative to expiry | What happens |
| -45 | Two-week notice email to the account holder if automatic renewal is enabled. |
| -30 | Automatic renewal. Until the following year, no further emails go out regarding the domain's life cycle. Alternatively, an email is sent to the account holder that a payment issue prevented automatic renewal, or that automatic renewal is disabled. |
| -14 | Second notice about the upcoming expiry. |
| -7 | Third notice about the upcoming expiry. |
| 0 | Domain expires. Nameservers and/or host records are updated to show an expired domain page. The domain can be renewed as normal. |
| 2 | Notice sent that the domain has expired. |
| 30 | Domain enters the redemption period, or the domain is moved to auction. |
| 60–75 | Redemption period; the domain can be restored for an additional fee. Alternatively, the domain may be moved out of the account or to auction. At this point, the domain is no longer the property of the original registrant. |
| 60–75 (end of redemption) | Domain set to pendingDelete at the registry. |
| 75–80 | Domain deleted at the registry and available for general purchase. |
Viewing expiring domains
Enom strongly recommends that you enable automatic renewal for your domains. Renewal years are added to the end of the current registration period, so you never lose time on your domain by renewing early.
Also keep track of your domain expiration dates and renew well in advance to avoid unintentional downtime or loss of the domain. Because Enom contacts the account holder regarding upcoming expirations, keep the email address on the account up to date and actively monitored.
Listing expiring domains
- Log in to your account.
- Select Domains at the top of the website, then choose My domains from the dropdown.
- Select the Expiring tab.
- Sort the list by clicking any of the headings. To view the list by ascending expiry date, click Exp date.
Generating an expiring domains report
- Log in to your account.
- Select My account, then My reports.
- Choose Expiring domains from the Report type dropdown, select your desired timeframe, and click Run report.
Expiry grace period
Enom offers a non-guaranteed 30-day grace period for renewal on many TLDs. Each registry sets its own rules regarding the expiry grace period, and some offer no grace period at all. Once a domain expires, Enom may dispose of it in any way, at any time, according to the registration agreement.
When a domain expires, it becomes inactive immediately, a parking page is displayed, and all services such as a website or email cease to function. You cannot update an expired domain, but you can still transfer it to another registrar. The domain remains available for reactivation at the regular renewal rate. Follow the standard renewal steps to renew a domain in its expiry grace period.
Note: The domain may appear renewed for another year in the registry Whois lookup. This added year indicates the "auto-renew grace period" provided by the registry, which charges the registrar's account for the renewal to hold the domain name and give the registrant time to renew. Despite the date shown at the registry, the domain is still expired and must be renewed or transferred, or it risks going to redemption or auction.
Redemption period
After a domain passes through any applicable expiry grace period, it may enter a non-guaranteed redemption period that typically lasts 30–45 days. The Enom system may also move the domain to auction during this period. The domain cannot be modified or transferred in this state and continues to point to an expired page. The account holder or registrant must recover the domain to bring it back online. Recovering a domain from redemption incurs an additional fee in addition to the renewal fee.
If the domain is not recovered from redemption, the registry eventually deletes it. Once the domain enters the pendingDelete status at the registry, the registry deletes the domain within five days. After deletion, the domain becomes available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Auction
Enom makes every effort to allow registrants to renew their expired domain names. The registrant or account holder can renew their domain at the normal rate within the expiry grace period. Once the grace period ends, Enom reserves the right to provide a redemption grace period or send the domain to auction.
Domains moved to auction either appear in the Afternic, LLC account at Enom or are listed in a Whois lookup as registered elsewhere. In either case, these domains are no longer recoverable through standard methods.
Domains moved to auction can be recovered only through purchase at auction. They are no longer the property of the previous registrant and are available for general purchase at auction.
Next steps
- Renewing your domain
- How to stop renewing a domain or service
- Recovering domains from redemption
- Enom terms of service
Questions? Contact Enom Support.
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