What happens to a domain after its registration period ends, how to find the expiry date and how not to lose your domain.
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A domain is registered for a set period, and you need to renew it before that period ends. If you don’t renew it in time, your website and email stop working first, and after that anyone can register the domain.
How to find out when your domain expires
Use the domain lookup — look at the paid-till or Expiry Date field. If the domain is registered with us, you can also see the date in your control panel, in the list of your domains.
What happens after the domain expires
The rules differ between registries and registrars. Typically, once the registration period ends, the domain stops working and your website and email on it stop opening. The registrar then has its own grace period, after which the domain can usually be restored for about another month — but for an extra fee — and only after that is it released for anyone to register. The exact periods depend on the registrar and the top-level domain. If the domain is registered with us and has already expired, contact our support team through the contact form and we will sort it out.
If someone else has already registered the domain
Look up the domain in WHOIS to see who owns it now. You can contact the new owner through their registrar — how to do this. Without the new owner’s agreement, you can get the domain back only through a formal dispute procedure or the courts, and only if the name matches your registered trademark.
How not to lose your domain
- Make sure the contact email addresses on your account are working: we will send you a reminder there well in advance.
- Pay in good time. A bank transfer takes longer than a card payment, so don’t leave it until the last day.
Didn’t find the answer? Ask our support team — we’ll help.