Knowledge Base

What happens after the domain expires?

What is the "redemption (RGP)" period?

When the registration period of a domain expires, the domain is not deleted immediately from the database of its Registrar.

Before a .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz domain (without .eu, .bg) is deleted and re-released for free registration, the Registrar provides two grace periods. During these two periods, the customer can still renew the period and regain the domain name.
1. The domain registration period expires
First grace period (lasts 29 days)

For example, if the domain my-website.com was registered on March 1, 2014, for a period of one year, then the registration period expires on March 1, 2015.

If the domain is not renewed, from that day (March 1, 2015), the first grace period begins in anticipation of a standard renewal.

• The first waiting period for a renewal lasts 29 days.

• The renewal price during this period remains unchanged.

• The registrar "parks" the domain on its server and when it is accessed, advertising pages are loaded.

The unpleasant thing in this case is that after the expiration of the domain, when it is accessed in the web browser, in most cases, competing ads are loaded. They are determined depending on the subject of the domain (site). These ads and the lack of standard content are the main reason why the domain and its associated website fall out of search engine results (rankings). Sometimes this can only happen two days after the domain has expired.
2. The first grace period for renewal shall expire
Second grace period

This period is known as the "RGP" (Redemption Grace Period) or just "Redemption"

For the domain my-website.com, from the example above, this period will start on April 1, 2015. (29 days after the expiration of the first grace period).

• The second period (Redemption) may last for a different period of time, depending on the Registrar.

• During this period, the Registrar does not keep the domain only for the registrant and has the right to sell it at auction or otherwise.

• Renewal of the domain is still possible, but the renewal price set by the Registrar is different from the standard one.

During this period the domain can still be renewed, but for this purpose an additional (penalty) fee is paid. You can see the current prices for recovering an expired domain in the Redemption period at the bottom of the Domains page.

Sometimes the fee set by the Registrar can be considered quite high and cause a feeling of injustice. But in fact, the Registrar is not obliged to keep the domain, even one day after it has expired. She can release him for a new registration the next day, or keep it to himself. Renewal of a domain in the Redemption period is the last chance provided by the Registrar for the return of the domain.

Some customers prefer to wait for the domain to be released again, no matter how long the Redemption period lasts.
3. The redemption period ends and the domain name cannot be renewed

In theory, the period from the expiration date of the domain to the date of its re-release lasts about four months.

However, there are a number of cases where this period is extended by a few more months. This is due to speculation by some registrars, who have the right to keep the domain indefinitely. During this time, ads load in a web browser. Also during this period the Registrar may receive an offer to sell the domain at a higher (premium) price. The period is usually the longer the more popular the domain (website) was before it expires.

When you really hold the domain name, renew it before it expires, or in the worst case, no later than 29 days after the registration period has expired.