The Domain Lifecycle: What Happens If You Don’t Renew?

Knowledgebase Article

The Domain Lifecycle: What Happens If You Don’t Renew?

Domains don’t usually just vanish the second they expire and become available for re-registration. There's a process—and it varies by domain extension (TLD). Some registries let you renew at the standard price for a while. Others shut down your website and email immediately. A few make recovery expensive (or outright impossible) which means its critical to renew on time.

Understanding this lifecycle means no surprises, no lost domains, and no unexpected renewal fees.

Below, we break it down: what happens when a domain expires, when you can still get it back, and when it’s game over.

Stage 1: Active Period (Everything’s Fine)

This is where you want to be. Your domain is registered, and your website and email work fine. If auto-renewal is enabled, renewal should happen automatically as long as your payment method is valid.

🔍 What to check:

Is auto-renewal enabled?
Is your payment method valid?
Do you want to renew for multiple years to lock in pricing?

Read our article on managing your domain renewals for full details.

Stage 2: Expiry Date (Oops, It’s Expired!)

The moment your domain expires, things start breaking. Your website and email will go offline (except for some country-code domains like .uk, which may give you a short buffer before pulling the plug).

At this point, you can still renew—but the time you have depends on the TLD.

⏳ Renewal Grace Period: How Long You Have to Fix It

The grace period is how long you can still renew at the standard price before extra fees kick in. But not all domains have one.

TLD (Domain Name Extension)	Renewal Grace Period (Days)
.com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .us, .mobi	36
.asia, .bz, .ca, .cn, .co, .me, .mn, .name, .pro, .sc, .tel, .vc, .ws, .xxx	40
.uk	90
.es	9
.nz	4
.eu, .nl, .de, .com.de	0 (No Grace Period!)

🚨 If your domain is in the "0 Days" group, you MUST renew before expiry!
Otherwise, it could be deleted instantly or enter an expensive recovery phase.

Stage 3: Redemption Period (It Just Got Expensive)

If you don’t renew in time, most domains enter Redemption—which is like the internet’s "Lost and Found" bin, but with a hefty price tag.

This phase usually lasts 30–40 days, and recovering the domain will now cost significantly more.

TLD	Redemption Period (Days)
.com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .us, .mobi	30
.asia, .bz, .ca, .cn, .co, .me, .mn, .name, .pro, .sc, .tel, .vc, .ws, .xxx	40
.uk	❌ No Redemption (Just renew within the 90-day grace period)
.es	12
.eu	30 (BUT it enters redemption immediately upon expiry!)
.nl, .de	❌ No Redemption (Once expired, you may not be able to get it back)

⚠️ .eu domains are a special case! They skip the grace period entirely and enter redemption immediately, meaning late renewals are only possible at an increased cost.

Stage 4: Pending Delete (The Point of No Return)

Once a domain leaves Redemption, it enters Pending Delete, which is basically a countdown to freedom—but possibly for someone else.

For 5-7 days, your domain is in limbo. You cannot renew or recover it anymore. When the timer runs out, it’s gone.

❌ If someone else registers it, there’s nothing we can do. Some expired domains even get auctioned off by the registry before they become available to the public.

In other words, if your domain name is in redemption period, the safest way to secure it is to pay the redemption fee - we do not advise leaving it to become available for re-registration as this is not guaranteed.

If you’re wondering what can happen when someone else gets hold of an expired domain, this real-life example involving a children’s book and an online safety scare is a good reminder of why you shouldn’t take the risk.

What You Should Do to Avoid This Mess

✅ Enable Auto-Renewal.
This ensures your domains are renewed automatically—assuming your payment method is valid.

✅ Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute.
Renew early, especially for domains with no grace period.

✅ Check Your Email.
We send renewal reminders for a reason.

✅ Consider Multi-Year Renewals.
Lock in today’s pricing for multiple years to avoid yearly stress.

Read our article on managing your domain renewals to find out everything you need to know about renewing your domains.

Final Thoughts: The Best Strategy? Just Renew on Time.

The domain lifecycle might seem complicated, but really, it boils down to this:
Don’t let your domain expire unless you’re absolutely sure you don’t need it.

If you do let it expire, act fast—before the grace period ends and things get expensive (or worse, permanent).

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