Allowing your domain to expire, DNS and other services will cease to function but is still available to renew.
When most domains expire (there are some notable exceptions listed below) they become immediately inactive and all the services attached to it, such as a website or email will cease to function. It is also not possible to make any updates to the domain while it has expired. The domain will then enter a non-guaranteed redemption grace period (RGP) for up to 30 days. Each registry has different rules for their redemption grace periods (RGP) but this gives the registrant the opportunity to renew the domain name at the cost of the normal renewal fee. To reactivate an expired domain, please see the article How do I renew my domain name?. However this is not guaranteed and the registry may dispose of the domain name at any time according to the registration agreement. Only the previous registrant can recover the domain during this time, and it can only be retrieved through the previous registrar.
If the domain enters the extended redemption grace period, registrars can charge an additional fee to renew.
After the redemption grace period (RGP) has passed most domains then enter into a non guaranteed extended redemption grace period (ERGP). The length of the extended redemption grace period (ERGP) varies depending on the registry but can last for up to 90 days. The cost of recovering a domain whilst in the extended redemption grace period (ERGP) is £250+VAT plus the normal renewal fee. During the extended redemption grace period (ERGP) only the previous registrant can recover the domain during this time, and it can only be retrieved through the previous registrar.
When the domain is deleted it is available to register as new.
After the extended redemption grace period (ERGP) has passed the domain’s status will change to “Pending Delete”. This will last for up to 5 days during which the registry holds the domain and it cannot be recovered. Once the registry deletes the domain it becomes available for anyone to purchase as a new domain and is available on a first-come first-served basis.
We highly recommend that you Enable Auto Renew for your domains. We also suggest you keep track of your domain expiration dates and renew well in advance to avoid unintentional down time or loss of the name.
Notable exceptions to the above rules are .uk domains (including .co.uk, .ltd.uk, .me.uk, .org.uk & .uk). When a .uk domain expires it still continues to function for 30 days and you can renew it at any time. After 30 days it will then be suspended and will become immediately inactive and all the services attached to it, such as a website or email will cease to function. Throughout both periods only the previous registrant can recover the domain, and it can only be retrieved through the previous registrar and the fee to recover the domain is just the normal renewal fee. Please see the article How do I renew my domain name?. When the domain has been suspended for 90 days (120 days after the expiry date) without being renewed it will then be cancelled and the domain name will become instantly available to others who may wish to re-register it on a first-come first-served basis. Another notable exception are .eu domains which no longer has any grace period and must be renewed 3 days prior to their expiry date. If they are not renewed renewed 3 days prior to expiry they will immediately become inactive and enter an extended redemption grace period (ERGP) and to recover the domain name from the .eu registry during this period will cost £250+VAT plus the normal renewal fee. Rules can differ for different registrars and extensions, contact support or see the knowledgebase for more info.
