How to check when a domain expires
Type the domain above and press check. You get the expiry date, the days left, the registrar and the nameservers.
How to check if a domain is available
Enter the domain as above. If nobody owns the domain we say so, and you can go and register it today. Most domain expiry checkers don't do this. Unregistered domains have no expiry date, so their checkers show an error.
What happens when a domain expires
Domain names do expire. Registrations last one to ten years, then must be renewed. If you don't renew, then the domain goes through a series of steps before someone else can buy it. The various stages are outlined below.
- Taken. Registered, renewal date still ahead of it. Nothing to wait for.
- Past its expiry date. The owner missed the renewal but can still pay to keep it. Most domains at this stage get renewed.
- Redemption period. About 30 days where the owner can buy it back for a fee. Fewer come back from here.
- Pending delete. The last stage, about 5 days. The registry will delete it and nothing can stop that now.
- Available. No record at all. You can register it from somehwere like Porkbun or GoDaddy.
How long after a domain expires does it become available?
Usually two to three months. About 30 to 45 days of grace, then about 30 days of redemption, then 5 days of pending delete. Even then, good names rarely reach the public. Drop catchers watch the same queue and grab anything with traffic or a useful phrase in it, so most sell at auction.
What does "this domain has expired" mean?
You have landed on a parked page. The owner stopped paying, so the registrar replaced the site with a holding page. The site is not gone for good. Check the domain above. If it is still in grace or redemption the owner can bring it back. If it says available, nobody owns it any more.
How to buy an expired domain
Three options. Wait for it to drop, offer the owner money, or pick a different name. The last one is usually cheapest and fastest. If it is your own domain, just renew it. In the grace period you pay the normal price. After that you pay a restore fee, often $100 or more.