To check domain expiry date for one site or many, enter the domains in the Domain Expiry Checker. It asks the registry through RDAP and shows the expiry date, the days left, the registrar, the status codes and the nameservers. When the end date is close, the tool warns you, so you can renew before your site and email stop working.
Why do domains expire?
You never buy a domain for good. You register it for a set time, often one year, and then renew it. If the renewal does not happen, the domain expires. Your site goes offline, your email stops, and after a while someone else can register the name.
Most expiries are accidents, not choices. A payment card runs out, auto-renew is switched off, or the reminder emails go to an old address. Sometimes the domain sits at another company than the hosting. Then paying the host does not renew the domain. Our guide on domain name vs web hosting explains why these are two separate bills.
One of my old sites, a blog built around insurance keywords, ran for about a year until its domain expired. When you run several sites, a renewal is an easy thing to lose track of.
What is RDAP?
RDAP stands for Registration Data Access Protocol. It is the official successor of WHOIS, the old way to look up who holds a domain and when it ends. Registries run RDAP servers. A registry is the group that runs an ending such as .com or .org. The answers come in a fixed, structured format, so the tool can read the dates without guessing.
ICANN manages generic endings such as .com. It no longer requires most of their registries and registrars to keep WHOIS running. Some country endings, called ccTLDs, do not offer RDAP yet. When that happens, the tool says so. You can then look up the date in your registrar account or on the registry's own website.
What the Domain Expiry Checker shows
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Registration date | When the domain was first registered |
| Expiry date and days left | When the current term ends, with a warning when it is close |
| Last update | When the registry record last changed |
| Registrar | The company you pay to keep the domain |
| Status codes | Locks, holds and deletion stages, in plain words |
| Nameservers | The servers that answer DNS for the domain |
| DNSSEC | On or off |
You can check several domains at once, one per line. The results can be exported as a CSV file, which makes a handy renewal list.
How to check domain expiry date for your sites
- Type the domain without https:// or www, for example
example.com. - Add every domain you own, one per line, including old names that only redirect.
- Run the check and sort by days left.
- Read the status codes for any domain with a warning.
- Note the registrar for each domain, so you know where to log in and renew.
- Export the CSV and keep it with your other site records.
What do domain status codes mean?
Registries and registrars use status codes to manage domains. Codes that start with "client" are set by your registrar. Codes that start with "server" are set by the registry.
| Code | Plain meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| ok | Normal, no locks or holds | Nothing |
| clientTransferProhibited | Registrar lock that blocks moves to another registrar | Keep it on, unless you plan to move |
| clientUpdateProhibited, clientDeleteProhibited | Locks against changes or deletion | Keep them on for safety |
| clientHold, serverHold | The domain was taken out of DNS, so it does not work | Contact your registrar now |
| autoRenewPeriod, renewPeriod | The domain was just renewed | Check you wanted the renewal |
| pendingTransfer | A move to another registrar is under way | If you did not ask for it, call your registrar |
| redemptionPeriod | Deleted after expiry, but you can still restore it | Contact your registrar right away |
| pendingDelete | The last stage before the name is released | Usually too late to save it |
Auto-renew, grace and redemption periods
Most registrars offer auto-renew. It charges your saved card before the end date and renews the domain for you. It only works if the card is still valid and the setting is on, so check both.
When a domain expires, there is usually a grace period first. During it the domain may stop working, but you can still renew it the normal way. After that comes the redemption period, when the registry has deleted the domain. You can often restore it, though most registrars charge an extra fee. Last comes pendingDelete, and then anyone can register the name. ICANN's guide to status codes says redemption lasts at most 30 days and pendingDelete lasts 5 days. The other periods vary by registry and registrar. Many ccTLDs follow their own rules, so check your registrar's terms.
A few habits keep you safe:
- Turn on auto-renew and keep your payment details current.
- Use a contact email that is not on the same domain, so reminders still reach you if the domain stops.
- Renew for more than one year if your registrar allows it.
- If DNSSEC is on, turn it off at your registrar before you move to new nameservers, then turn it on again with the new provider. Otherwise the domain can stop working.
After a renewal or a nameserver change, run the DNS & Email Checker to confirm your records and mail still work. If you moved the domain to a new host, the guide on pointing a domain to hosting walks you through it. The SSL Checker then confirms the certificate renewed as well.
Put a reminder in your calendar for every few months. Check domain expiry date for all your domains in one go, renew anything with a warning, and you will not lose a name you care about.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the checker say RDAP is not available for my domain?
Some country endings do not run an RDAP server yet, so there is nothing for the tool to ask. Your registrar account still shows the expiry date. The registry for that ending often has its own lookup page too.
Does a future expiry date mean I have paid?
Not always. For some endings the registry renews the domain at the end date and the registrar settles the bill later. If you have not paid, the registrar can still delete the domain. Your registrar account is the final word on whether the renewal went through.
Can someone take my domain the moment it expires?
Usually not straight away. Grace and redemption periods give the owner time to renew or restore it first. Once the domain passes pendingDelete and is released, anyone can register it, and people do watch for expired names.
