India English
Kenya English
United Kingdom English
South Africa English
Nigeria English
United States English
United States Español
Indonesia English
Bangladesh English
Egypt العربية
Tanzania English
Ethiopia English
Uganda English
Congo - Kinshasa English
Ghana English
Côte d’Ivoire English
Zambia English
Cameroon English
Rwanda English
Germany Deutsch
France Français
Spain Català
Spain Español
Italy Italiano
Russia Русский
Japan English
Brazil Português
Brazil Português
Mexico Español
Philippines English
Pakistan English
Turkey Türkçe
Vietnam English
Thailand English
South Korea English
Australia English
China 中文
Canada English
Canada Français
Somalia English
Netherlands Nederlands

The Life Cycle of a Domain Name

Last updated on September 15th, 2022 at 12:31 pm

What is a domain life cycle?

When you register a domain name, you are actually leasing it from a registrar for a set period of time. 

The length of time can vary but is typically one to ten years. At the end of the lease, you have the option to renew the domain for another term or let it expire. 

If you choose not to renew, the domain will enter what’s called the redemption grace period. During this time (usually 30 days), you can still renew the domain name by paying an additional fee to the registrar. 

After that period expires, the domain name will be deleted from the registry and will become available for anyone to register. 

So, in summary, the life cycle of a domain name goes like this: 

1. Register 

2. Renew or let expire 

3. Redemption grace period 

4. Pending Delete from the registry

Let us look at what happens at each stage.

Stage 1). Register

You register a domain name with a registrar. The registrar will then add the domain name to their registry. This is the first stage of the domain life cycle.

Stage 2). Renewal

You can renew your domain name with the same registrar or with a new registrar. If you renew your domain name with a new registrar, they will update their records and become the new sponsor of your domain name. 

This is the second stage of the domain life cycle.  

If you do not renew your domains before they expire, they will enter into Stage 3 below…

Stage 3). Redemption grace period  (only for some TLDs)

After a domain name expires, there is usually a redemption grace period during which you can still renew your domain name. This period varies depending on the TLD but is typically around 30 days

If you do not renew your domain name during this period, it will enter Stage 4 below.

Stage 4). Pending Delete from the registry

If you do not renew your domain name during the redemption grace period, it will be deleted from the registry and made available for anyone to register. 

This is the final stage of the domain life cycle.

As such, if you don’t wish to lose your domain name, ensure to keep renewing it yearly (or after your chosen billing cycle).

Related:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *