When your domain expires, it doesn’t vanish overnight. Instead, it goes through several phases over 30-80 days before becoming available again. Understanding this timeline is crucial whether you’re recovering your own domain or trying to catch a dropped one.
The 4-Phase Domain Expiration Timeline
| Phase | Duration | Domain Status | Who Can Recover | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Period | 0-45 days | May remain functional | Domain owner | $10-$20 renewal |
| Redemption | 30 days | Completely down | Domain owner only | $100-$200+ |
| Pending Delete | 5 days | Locked | No one | N/A |
| Available | Instant | Open for registration | Anyone | $10-$20 |
Phase 1: Grace Period (0-45 Days)
The grace period is your first safety net. Your website might stay live, though some registrars immediately suspend services. The good news? You can renew at the standard price with no penalty.
What works during grace:
- Your site may still be accessible
- Email might continue working
- DNS usually remains active
- Simple renewal restores everything
Grace Periods by Popular Registrars
| Registrar | Grace Length | Extra Fees |
|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy | ~18 days | None |
| Namecheap | 30 days | None |
| Google Domains | 30 days | None |
| Name.com | 25 days | None |
Best practice: Enable auto-renewal and maintain valid payment methods. Set calendar reminders 60 days before expiration. Don’t wait—renew immediately when you notice an expired domain.
Phase 2: Redemption Period (30 Days)
Miss the grace period and things get expensive. Your domain enters redemption—completely non-functional with a hefty restoration fee.
During redemption:
- Website shows errors or parking page
- All email services stop
- DNS records inactive
- WHOIS shows “REDEMPTION PERIOD”
- Processing takes 24-48 hours after payment
Redemption Costs Comparison
| Registrar | Restoration + Renewal | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy | $80-$100 + $15-$20 | $95-$120 |
| Namecheap | $160-$200 + $10-$15 | $170-$215 |
| Google Domains | $60-$100 + $12-$20 | $72-$120 |
| Name.com | $150-$200 + $10-$15 | $160-$215 |
Why so expensive? The fee covers mandatory registry charges ($40-$100), registrar processing, and administrative overhead. These fees are non-negotiable and non-refundable.
Should you pay? Ask yourself:
- Is this domain critical to your business?
- Does it have valuable backlinks and SEO authority?
- Would downtime cost more than the restoration fee?
- Can you afford 30+ days of complete inaccessibility?
For business-critical domains, pay immediately. For low-value domains, consider letting it drop and re-registering later (risking someone else claiming it).
Phase 3: Pending Delete (5 Days)
After redemption expires, the domain enters a 5-day “pending delete” phase. This is the point of no return—no one can recover it, including you.
What happens:
- Domain status changes to “PENDING DELETE”
- Completely locked
- Original owner loses all rights
- Drop catch services prepare to grab it
- Domain invisible in WHOIS
On day 5, the domain is deleted from the registry and becomes immediately available for anyone to register.
Phase 4: The Drop & Re-Registration
The moment a domain drops, it’s a race. For valuable domains, automated systems compete to register it within milliseconds.
Drop Times by TLD
| TLD | Drop Time (UTC) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| .com/.net | ~2:00 PM | Varies slightly by day |
| .org | ~2:00 PM | Afternoon window |
| .info/.biz | 11 AM – 3 PM | Variable window |
Drop catch services use automated systems with direct registry connections to grab domains the instant they’re available. If you want a competitive domain, use multiple backorder services.
Drop Catch Service Costs
| Service | Backorder Cost | Success Rate |
|---|---|---|
| SnapNames | $69-$99+ | High |
| DropCatch | $59+ | High |
| GoDaddy Auctions | $20+ | Medium-High |
| NameJet | $69+ | High |
For low-demand domains, simply check your registrar 1-24 hours after the drop—it might be available at standard pricing.
Special Cases to Know
Country code TLDs (ccTLDs) don’t follow the standard timeline:
| ccTLD | Grace | Redemption | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| .uk | 90 days | None | No redemption available |
| .de | 30 days | None | Drops immediately after grace |
| .au | 30 days | None | No redemption option |
Premium domains (single words, dictionary terms, two-letter combinations) often have higher fees and may not follow standard drop processes.
Quick Action Guide
If you discover your domain expired:
- Check WHOIS immediately to determine the phase
- 0-45 days: Renew now at standard price
- 46-75 days: Contact registrar for redemption ($100-$200+)
- 76-80 days: Too late—domain entering pending delete
- 80+ days: Dropped—use backorder services or check availability
Prevention checklist:
- ✓ Enable auto-renewal on all domains
- ✓ Keep payment methods current
- ✓ Use multiple notification emails
- ✓ Set 60-day advance reminders
- ✓ Audit domains quarterly
Domain expiration follows a predictable pattern: 30-45 day grace period → 30-day redemption → 5-day pending delete → available for anyone.
Key numbers to remember:
- Grace period renewal: $10-$20
- Redemption restoration: $100-$200+
- Prevention cost: $15/year with auto-renewal
- Business impact of expiration: $5,000-$50,000+
The math is simple: a $15 annual renewal beats a $180 redemption fee every time. But beyond cost, domain expiration can mean:
- 30+ days of complete downtime
- Lost revenue and customers
- Damaged SEO rankings (3-6 months to recover)
- Email communication breakdown
- Brand reputation damage
The best recovery strategy is prevention. Enable auto-renewal, maintain valid payment information, and treat your domains like the critical business assets they are.
For domain hunters, understanding drop times and using professional backorder services dramatically increases your success rate for acquiring valuable expired domains.
Last Updated: October 2025
