What Happens When a Domain Expires? Complete Guide

You forgot to renew your domain. Or maybe you're just curious what would happen if you did. Either way, here's exactly what goes down when a domain expires—and more importantly, what you can do about it.

The good news? You don't lose your domain the second it expires. There's actually a process that gives you multiple chances to get it back. The bad news? If you wait too long, it gets expensive. And if you wait even longer, you lose it completely.

What Happens Immediately When Your Domain Expires

The moment your domain expires, your website stops working. Visitors trying to reach your site will see an error page or a "domain expired" message. Your email stops working too—any emails sent to addresses at your domain will bounce back.

But here's the thing: your domain isn't gone yet. It enters what's called a grace period, which typically lasts 30-45 days depending on your registrar. During this time, you can renew it at the normal price—usually around $10-25 for a .com domain.

Think of it like a library book. You've missed the due date, but you can still return it without a fine for a little while.

The Grace Period: Your First Chance to Fix It

During the grace period (usually 30-45 days), you can renew your domain at the standard renewal rate. Your website and email won't work, but you haven't lost the domain yet.

Most registrars will send you multiple reminder emails before expiration, and a few more during the grace period. If you have auto-renewal enabled, this whole situation might never happen—the registrar just charges your card and renews it automatically.

To check when your domain expires, use our WHOIS lookup tool. Just enter your domain and look for the expiration date.

The Redemption Period: It Gets Expensive

If you don't renew during the grace period, your domain enters the redemption period. This is where things get pricey.

The redemption period typically lasts another 30 days. During this time, you can still get your domain back, but it'll cost you. Expect to pay anywhere from $80 to $200 in restoration fees, plus the normal renewal cost. That's on top of whatever your registrar charges.

Why so expensive? The registrar has to manually restore your domain from a deleted state, which involves extra work on their end. It's still cheaper than losing your domain entirely if it's important to your business, but it's definitely not ideal.

What Happens to Your Website and Email

As soon as your domain expires, everything stops working:

• Your website: Visitors see an error or "domain expired" page
• Your email: All emails bounce back to the sender
• Your DNS records: Stop resolving, so subdomains and services break too

The frustrating part? Even if you renew during the grace period, it can take 24-48 hours for everything to start working again. DNS changes need to propagate across the internet, which isn't instant.

If you're running a business, this downtime can be costly. That's why it's worth setting up auto-renewal or at least calendar reminders well before your expiration date.

How to Renew an Expired Domain

If you're in the grace period, renewing is straightforward:

1. Log into your registrar account
2. Find your expired domain in the dashboard
3. Click renew and pay the standard renewal fee
4. Wait 24-48 hours for DNS to propagate

If you're in the redemption period, the process is similar but more expensive:

1. Contact your registrar's support (you usually can't do this online)
2. Request domain restoration
3. Pay the restoration fee ($80-200) plus renewal cost
4. Wait for them to restore it (can take a few days)

After the redemption period ends, your domain enters a 5-day "pending delete" phase where nobody can register it. Then it becomes available for anyone to register on a first-come, first-served basis.

How to Prevent Domain Expiration

The best way to deal with domain expiration is to never let it happen:

Enable auto-renewal: Most registrars offer this, and it's usually free. Your domain renews automatically using your saved payment method. Just make sure your card doesn't expire.

Set calendar reminders: If you prefer manual control, set reminders 60 days, 30 days, and 7 days before expiration. That gives you plenty of time to renew.

Register for multiple years: When you register a domain, you can pay for up to 10 years upfront. This locks in current pricing and gives you a longer buffer before renewal.

Keep your contact info updated: If your email address changes and you don't update it with your registrar, you'll miss those expiration reminders.

You can check your domain's expiration date anytime using our domain checker or WHOIS lookup tool.

The Bottom Line

Domain expiration isn't the end of the world—you have multiple chances to fix it. But it's definitely a headache you want to avoid. Set up auto-renewal, keep your contact information current, and check your expiration dates regularly. Your future self will thank you.

If you're looking for a new domain or want to check availability, try our domain search tool to explore thousands of TLD extensions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have after my domain expires?

You typically have 30-45 days in the grace period (normal renewal price), followed by 30 days in the redemption period (expensive restoration fee). After that, the domain is deleted and becomes available to anyone.

Can I get my domain back after it's deleted?

Once a domain is deleted and released back to the public, anyone can register it. You'd have to register it again like a new domain—if it's still available. There's no guarantee you'll get it back.

Will my website come back automatically after I renew?

After renewing, it can take 24-48 hours for DNS changes to propagate and your website to start working again. This is normal and can't be sped up.

How much does it cost to restore an expired domain?

During the grace period, you pay the normal renewal fee ($10-25 for .com). During the redemption period, expect to pay $80-200 in restoration fees plus the renewal cost.

Can I check when my domain expires?

Yes! Use our WHOIS lookup tool to see your domain's expiration date, registration date, and other important details.