How to Renew an Expired Domain Name

If your domain name has expired, you're probably wondering, "How long do I have to renew expired domain names?"

Well, the good news is that you usually have a month or two after the expiration date, during which you can still renew your account.

The amount of time you have to renew will vary depending on two factors:

  • Your domain registrar. Make sure to check the terms you agreed to in your domain registration agreement, its generally easy to recover an expired GoDaddy domain.
  • Your domain site's top-level domain or domain extension. For example, generic top-level domains like .com or .org follow different timelines than more specific domain extensions like .uk for the United Kingdom.

That said, we can give you general information about the expired domain renewal process that most registrars follow for generic domain names, as well as a few examples.

This should give you a better idea of how to renew your domain before it's too late. For more information, check out the help center of the registrar you used to register your domain.

How Long Do I Have to Renew a Domain After It Expires?

When a domain expires, most registrars follow some version of the following process.

Note that each registrar is a little different, so be sure to check your particular agreement for information about your specific account.

Grace Period: The grace period follows immediately after the expiration date and can last for up to 45 days, depending on the registrar. You can renew your domain during the grace period by paying the renewal fee.

Redemption Grace Period: The redemption grace period is usually your last chance for renewal. You'll have to pay the renewal price plus a reactivation fee to reinstate your website services.

Auction: Dome registrars put expired domains up for auction. You may be able to renew as long as no one else has placed a bid.

Deletion Period: After both grace periods have passed, domain registration renewals are impossible. The registry will delete your account.

How Do I Keep From Losing My Domain?

The best way to keep your domain name is, of course, not letting it expire in the first place.

Responsible account ownership means keeping your contact information, especially your email address and payment method, up-to-date so that you receive renewal reminders on time and keep your site services current.

The reason this is so important is that SEO's are constantly looking at all the expiring domains, so if you have expired 4 letter domains you can be sure someone else will register them very quickly.

As we noted above, each domain registrar handles domain name expiration a little differently, and non-generic top-level domains follow different timelines altogether. These examples should give you an idea of what to expect, though

How Do I Renew a Domain With GoDaddy That's Expired?

You can renew your expired GoDaddy domain by:

  • Heading to the Domain Control Center
  • Choosing the accounts you'd like to renew
  • Selecting "check out"

You have 72 days to renew after the expiration date, as long as no one bids on it at auction.

How Do I Renew a Domain Name With Hostinger That's Expired?

To renew your Hostinger domain:

  • Log in to the Hostinger control panel
  • Click on the appropriate domain
  • Select "renew now."

Then just follow the prompts to complete the renewal.

You'll have 66 days to renew after the expiration date, which includes a 30-day fee-free grace period plus a 33-day redemption period.

What Is the Namecheap Registration Renewal Process When a Domain Expires?

To renew a domain with Namecheap:

  • Sign in to your account
  • Select the domain name you want to renew from the "expired/expiring" list
  • Add it to your shopping cart and check out

You have about 60 days to renew after the expiration date (depending on the top-level domain)

Take Advantage of Expiring Domains

Thousands of websites expire every year, and many domain owners don't bother to save them. You can take advantage of this fact by buying expired domains for your own use.

Note that checking tools for expired domains, like SpamZilla, can make the process easier, sorting through and qualifying expired domains in minutes.

Check out the SpamZilla site for more info.

Have questions? Just head to the SpamZilla Help Center, and our support team will be happy to help.