Managing Your Domains Renewals: Everything You Need to Know

Knowledgebase Article

Managing Your Domains Renewals: Everything You Need to Know

Whether you want to set your domains to auto-renew, cancel the ones you no longer need, or adjust your renewal period, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know.

We’ll cover how to stay in control of your domains, avoid unnecessary costs, and ensure you never lose an important domain by accident.

TL;DR – Keep Your Domains in Check

Auto-renewal keeps your domains safe (provided you have a valid card on file)
Turning off auto-renewal is how you cancel a domain (no extra steps required)
Renewal reminders are mandatory, even if you’re not renewing
Locking in a longer renewal period can save you money and hassle
If you don’t renew on time, recovery might be costly—or impossible

1. Auto-Renewal: Set It and (Almost) Forget It

Auto-renewal is your safety net. When enabled, your domain renewal happens automatically before it expires. If you have a card on file we’ll use this, because that’s the only payment method that supports fully automated billing.

If you don’t have a card on file, auto renewal will still generate an invoice for you, but you’ll need to log in and pay it manually.

How to Check and Manage Auto Renewal:

Log into your Client Area
Go to Domains > My Domains
Click Manage on a domain
Find the Auto Renewal toggle and turn it on or off

We’ll remind you ahead of time. Auto renewal is on by default because keeping your domains active is important. But don’t worry—we’ll send you a reminder before we process any renewal so there are no surprises!

Heads up: If your card expires or is removed, auto renewal will only generate an invoice - we won't be able to process your payment automatically.

2. How to Cancel a Domain (Turning Off Auto Renewal)

Not using a domain anymore? The simplest way to let it go is to turn off auto renewal. This prevents any automated invoicing and ensures that it won’t be renewed unless you do so manually.

If auto renewal was enabled and we’re chasing an unpaid invoice, turning off auto-renewal will prevent further invoice payment requests.

To Cancel Your Domain:

Turn Off Auto Renewal (Follow the steps above)
If a domain has already been invoiced, the invoice will be automatically cancelled once auto renewal is turned off. If multiple domains are included on the same invoice, only the specific domain will be removed from the invoice.
No further action needed—just let it expire.

3. About Renewal Reminders (Even If You’ve Turned Off Auto Renewal)

You’ve turned off auto renewal. Great. But why are we still emailing you about renewal? It’s not because we love filling your inbox (though we do like keeping you in the loop). It’s actually a requirement.

Domain regulations require us to send renewal notices when a domain is approaching expiration. Even if you’ve decided not to renew, you’ll still receive reminders both before and after expiry.

4. Changing Your Renewal Period (And Why You Should Consider It)

Want to lock in your domain for the long haul? You can change your renewal period to register a domain for multiple years at once.

Why Consider a Longer Renewal Period?

✅ Avoid Future Price Increases – Domain prices generally go up, not down. Renewing for 2, 5, or even 10 years means you pay today’s rates.

✅ No Expiry Stress – The longer the registration period, the fewer renewal reminders cluttering your inbox.

How to Change Your Renewal Period:

Head to Domains > Renew Domains
Select the domains you'd like to renew and the desired Renewal Period if available
Complete checkout and your domain will be renewed for the desired period.
We'll use the same renewal period next time, unless you reduce this.

Limits: Not all domains can be renewed for long periods. Most allow up to 10 years, but some have shorter maximum registration periods. Additionally, if you're renewing before reaching the maximum period, you may only be able to extend for the remaining years up to that limit (e.g., if your domain is already registered for 8 years, you can only renew for a maximum of 2 more years).

5. What Happens If You Don’t Renew?

If you don’t renew, your domain will expire—and what happens next depends on the extension. Some people assume they can just let it expire and then re-register it like nothing happened, but that’s a dangerous gamble.

For most domains, expiration means your website and email go offline immediately—the exception being some country-code domains, like .uk, that have a short buffer period.

Many domains have a renewal grace period, where you can still renew at the standard price. But if you miss that window, your domain could enter redemption, where renewal costs significantly more. Worse, some extensions—like .eu, .de, and .es—skip the grace period entirely and enter redemption straight away. That means if you don’t renew on time, your domain could be immediately lost or require an expensive recovery process.

And if it goes past redemption? Your domain might be auctioned off, scooped up by a competitor, or grabbed by a domain investor looking to resell it for a much higher price.

Best move? Renew on time and avoid the stress altogether.

🔗 Read our full guide on the domain lifecycle.

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