What are Domain Backorders?
Domain Backorders is a service that helps you attempt to acquire a domain name when it becomes available for registration.
Placing a backorder does not guarantee that you will acquire the domain name. The current registrant might renew the domain name, or an attempt might be unsuccessful to register that domain.
Many variables affect the Domain Backorders process. For instance, you might have to participate in an auction to win your backordered domain name, and the auction might be public or private.
| Event | Details | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Domain Registration | Domain Name is registered to a registrant. A domain name can be registered by a registrant for up to 10 years as specified by ICANN. Every domain name has an expiration date. This expiration date is public information and indicates when the domain name will expire. If a registrant does not renew the domain name before its expiration date, it is considered expired. However, the registrant will still have the opportunity to renew the domain name. | 1 to 10 Years |
| Domain Expires | Domain Name expires and is not renewed. | - - |
| Auto-Renew Grace Period | Domain enters Auto-Renew Grace Period (AGP). Once a domain name "expires" it is technically auto-renewed by the registry. The registrar of the domain name then has anywhere from 0 to 45 days to transmit the delete command on the domain. If a delete command is not issued the domain name will be kept per the registry-registrar auto-renew process. | 0 to 45 Days |
| Redemption Grace Period | Registrar sends the "delete" command to the registry. The day after a domain name is deleted by the registrar it enters a 30 day Redemption Grace Period. During this time the original registrant can still "redeem" a domain typically for a fee between $60 and $250. If the domain is not redeemed it will move into Pending Delete status. The registrant can still "redeem" a domain in RGP, meaning it is not guaranteed to go through Pending Delete. | 30 days |
| Pending Delete | Domain enters Pending Delete status. Pending Delete is the last status before a domain name will be released by the registry. All domains that go into Pending Delete will expire within 5-days. A domain that hits "Pending Delete" status will drop 5 days later and be picked up by the registrar that best understands the drop catch process. | 5 Days |
| Drop Catch | Domain is released from registry and caught by the fastest drop catching registrar. | - - |
| Auction | Domain is auctioned to the highest bidder. Once a domain name leaves Pending Delete it is made "available" to the world. The registrar with the smartest programs will typically pick up the domain within a millisecond of its becoming publicly available. | 5 Days |
| New Registration | New Registration created by the auction winner. The Auction winner may transfer the domain to the Registrar of their choice as soon as the auction is over and payment is verified. |
