Domain Name Life Cycle

Leverage Expired Domains

Written by Matt Paolini / Edited by Brent Winters

Originally Published: May, 2004

Active (1-10 years) After purchasing a domain, it becomes active for 1 to 10 years depending on the length of the subscription. Most people purchase domains for one or two year terms and then can renew at the end of that term.
On Hold (1-45 days) When the registrar receives no response from the owner of the domain after the subscription ends, the registrar may send the delete command to the registry at its discretion. The domain could continue to operate for 1 to 45 days depending upon the registrar and other factors. The domain is still in the Shared Registry System (SRS) during this time.
Redemption Grace Period (30 days) After the on hold period, the domain name is held in the registry for 30 days during the Redemption Grace Period (RGP). During this time, the general public cannot purchase the name and the Web site no longer operates. This gives the original owner a grace period when he or she can still renew it. Sometimes domains accidentally expire when the owner had meant to renew it.
Deletion (5 days) After the final deletion command is sent, there can be 5 additional days where the domain remains in the Shared Registry System and cannot be purchased by others. The original owner can still renew the domain during this time.
Available Once the deletion completes, the name is released for purchase by the general public, normally on a first come, first served basis.

This article is copyrighted and has been reprinted with permission from FirstPlace Software.