The states of domain expiration and redemption

When a domain expires, there are a couple of stages that it enters before it gets released for re-registration. The domain registries set the rules regarding the lifecycle of the domains. These stages apply to all domains except domains that are tied to specific countries like .CA, .UK, .AU and .US. You can find out specific information about your domain's lifecycle from the specific countries' registry. 

• Grace period
• Redemption
• Pending delete
  • Re-registering a domain

Grace period

The grace period takes place after your domain expires. You can renew the domain from the dashboard of our site for the standard renewal cost without any added fees during this time. Grace periods typically last 34 days for the domains that support them like .COM, .ORG, or .NET. 

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Redemption

During the redemption phase, the domain is returned to the domain registry. We can attempt to redeem the domain by paying the redemption fee of $175 plus your renewal cost. The redemption phase typically lasts 30 days; however, that timeframe isn't guaranteed so it is important to take action on any renewals during the grace period.

Note: When a domain is released, the registration goes to whoever can register it first. If the domain is essential, it is not recommended to let the domain be released back to the open market. There is a substantial risk that it may be lost.

To attempt to get your domain back from the redemption state, reach out to support.

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Pending delete

The domain is in the process of being purged from the registry and made available again for public registration. It can take between one to five days for the domain to the released for re-registration. Once a domain has reached this point, it cannot be redeemed, and you'd need to wait until it's released and attempt to register it again.

Re-registering a domain

If you do not want to pay the redemption fee, you can wait until your domain is released back to the market to attempt to re-register it. You can re-register the domain on Hover if it hasn't been registered already by someone else. Use a Whois lookup to determine the specific status of the domain and to see whether it's available for re-registration. 

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