Domain Renewal: Don't Lose Your Web Address

Domain names expire. If you don't renew, someone else can register your domain - often within days of expiration.

This happens to businesses, personal sites, and email addresses. It's always preventable.

What Happens When a Domain Expires

Day 1-30 (Grace period): Domain stops working but you can still renew at normal price.

Day 30-60 (Redemption period): Domain can be recovered but with significant fees ($80-200+).

Day 60-75 (Pending delete): Domain queued for release. Recovery may still be possible.

After release: Anyone can register it. Domain squatters monitor expiring domains and grab valuable ones instantly.

Email: If your domain expires, your email stops working. Password resets, 2FA codes, important correspondence - all gone.

Website: Your site goes offline. Links break. SEO rankings disappear.

Brand: Someone else can register your domain and put anything there. Competitors, scammers, or just domain squatters demanding payment.

Most registrars offer auto-renewal. It fails when:

Check your renewal settings annually. Don't assume it's working.

Register for multiple years: Less chance of forgetting. Often cheaper per year.

Enable auto-renewal: But verify it's working.

Keep contact info current: Registrars send warnings to the email on file.

Use a dedicated email: Not one that depends on the domain you're renewing.

Set calendar reminders: 60 days, 30 days, and 7 days before expiration.

Lock your domain: Prevents unauthorized transfers.

Reputable registrars: Cloudflare, Namecheap, Porkbun, Google Domains (now Squarespace).

Avoid: Registrars with aggressive upselling, hidden fees, or difficult transfer processes.

Transfer lock: Most registrars lock domains for 60 days after registration or transfer. Plan accordingly.

Add domain renewal to your tasks. Confirm it when renewed, and we'll remind you when it's time to check again.