What happens when a domain expires

Letting a domain lapse can take your site and email offline — here's the timeline so you know what to expect, and how to avoid it.

The expiry timeline

  1. Expiry date — the domain stops working; your website and email go down.
  2. Grace period — for a short window you can usually renew at the normal price.
  3. Redemption period — after that, renewal is still possible but with a higher redemption fee.
  4. Released — finally the domain is deleted and anyone can register it.

How to avoid losing it

  • Turn on auto-renew and keep a valid payment method on file.
  • Keep your contact email current so reminders reach you.
  • Renew as soon as you get the invoice.

Think a domain has expired? Contact us right away — the sooner we act, the better the chance of recovering it.

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