An expired .com becomes available roughly 35 to 80 days after its expiry date. The registrar can keep it for up to 45 days, then the deleted name spends 30 days in redemption and 5 days in pending delete before the registry releases it. If the holder renews at any point before pending delete, it never becomes available.
The expiry date in a WHOIS record is the date people tend to write in their calendar. It is also the least useful date in the whole process. On that day, nothing becomes free. Depending on the registrar and the ending, the name may stay unavailable for another month or two, and if the holder pays at the last minute, it never comes back at all.
When does an expired domain become available?
For .com, .net, .org and other generic endings, the timeline is set by ICANN rules and the registry, with one variable: when the registrar decides to delete the name.
| Day | What happens | Status you’ll see |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Registration expires | Often still active or clientHold |
| 0 to 45 | Registry auto-renews, registrar decides whether to delete | autoRenewPeriod |
| Deletion day (D) | Registrar deletes the name | redemptionPeriod |
| D to D+30 | Only the previous holder can restore it | redemptionPeriod |
| D+30 to D+35 | No one can restore or register it | pendingDelete |
| D+35 | Registry releases the name | Not found |
The earliest release is roughly 35 days after expiry, if the registrar deletes immediately. The latest is around day 80, if the registrar uses the full 45-day window. Most names land somewhere in between.
A worked example: a .com expires on 1 March. The registrar’s policy is to delete 35 days after expiry, so on 5 April it goes into redemption. Thirty days later, on 5 May, it enters pending delete. Five days after that, around 10 May, it drops. That is ten weeks from the date in your calendar.
How long until a domain is released: reading the status
The RDAP or WHOIS status is the best predictor you have. Look the name up and match the status:
| Status | Meaning | Rough time to release |
|---|---|---|
active, ok, transfer prohibited | Normal registration | Unknown, possibly never |
autoRenewPeriod | Expired, registrar hasn’t deleted | 35 to 80 days |
redemptionPeriod | Deleted, restorable by holder | 5 to 35 days |
pendingDelete | Final countdown | About 5 days |
clientHold | Taken out of DNS by registrar | Depends on why |
How to run these lookups is covered in check domain availability. Note that a status of clientHold alone doesn’t mean the name is expiring. Registrars also use it for unpaid invoices or unverified contacts.
Domain pending delete: how long does it take?
Pending delete always lasts five days for gTLDs. It is the one phase without exceptions: the name can’t be renewed, restored or transferred. At the end, the registry deletes it in its daily processing run, and from that moment it is available.
The exact minute isn’t published per name. Registries handle deletions in batches at a time of their choosing, and the order within that batch isn’t announced. If you want the name and expect competition, this is the window where catching services are active. See domain drop catching.
Country-code domains: different clocks
ccTLD registries aren’t bound by ICANN’s lifecycle. A few common ones:
| Ending | Trigger | When it becomes available |
|---|---|---|
| .de | Registrar or holder deletes the name (no registry expiry) | 30 days after deletion, after DENIC’s redemption grace period |
| .eu | Deletion | After a 40-day quarantine |
| .uk | Expiry without renewal | Cancelled around day 90 after expiry, then released |
.de is the outlier. DENIC doesn’t store an expiry date, so you can’t predict a release from the public record. The signal comes late: when a name is deleted, DENIC’s domain query shows it as being in its cooling-off phase, and 30 days later it’s free unless the previous holder re-registered it. Other country codes have their own policies. If you’re watching one, read the registry’s lifecycle page.
Why some domains never become available
Waiting for a drop fails more often than it succeeds, for a few reasons:
- Auto-renew. The holder’s card is on file and the name renews quietly.
- Late renewal. The holder notices the dead website or a reminder and renews during grace or redemption.
- Registrar auctions. Some registrars sell expired names before deletion, with terms that allow it. The name changes hands without ever dropping.
- Registry decisions. Rarely, a registry takes a deleted name onto its reserved or premium list instead of releasing it at the standard price.
For names that matter to you, don’t rely on one route. A domain backorder covers the drop while you look at alternatives in parallel.
What to do while you wait
Set reminders for the transition points: the expected deletion, the start of pending delete and the drop. Prepare a fallback name in case the holder renews. The phases are explained in more detail in expired domains.
When the drop is due, check the name with a live registry lookup. If it’s free, register it straight away. Standard renewal prices apply from then on: a .com registration costs €14.99 a year, a .de €2.99, and the price table for all endings lists the rest.
Found your domain? You can check and register it directly at domain registration without teaser pricing – yearly price from €2.99.
FAQ
Can I see the exact date a domain will drop?
Only roughly. Once a name enters pending delete, the drop is about five days away, and that is the most precise signal you get from public data. Before deletion, the date depends on when the registrar decides to delete.
Why is a domain still taken months after its expiry date?
Most likely it was renewed, and the lookup you saw was outdated, or the registrar auto-renewed it and is still deciding. Some registrars also keep expired names to sell them in their own auctions. Check the current RDAP record rather than an old WHOIS snapshot.
Does a domain drop at midnight?
Not necessarily. Registries process deletions on their own schedule, typically in a daily batch at a fixed time of their choosing. Midnight in your time zone has nothing to do with it.
When does a deleted .de domain become available?
After the 30-day redemption grace period that DENIC applies to every deleted .de name. During that period only the last holder can re-register it. .de domains have no registry expiry date, so the clock only starts when the registrar actually deletes the name.