Your domain has lapsed and is in its last stage before deletion. Unless it’s restored quickly, anyone can register it, including people who buy expired domains to resell or misuse them.
What it means
The registry lists the domain as redemptionPeriod or pendingDelete. During redemption, usually about 30 days, only you can restore it through your registrar, normally for a fee. Once it’s pendingDelete it usually can’t be saved and is released within days.
What triggers it
Domain monitoring reads the domain’s status from its registry once a week, and daily within 30 days of expiry. Either status raises a Critical issue in place of the expiry warning, and owners and admins are alerted as soon as it’s found, then weekly while it lasts.
Common causes
- The registration expired and wasn’t renewed during the registrar’s grace period.
- Auto-renew is off, or the card on the registrar account has expired.
- The domain was cancelled in the registrar account, on purpose or by mistake.
How to fix it
- Contact your registrar straight away and ask them to restore the domain. Expect a restore fee on top of the renewal.
- If you can’t sign in to the registrar account, contact their support with proof that the domain is yours.
- Once it’s restored, turn on auto-renew, and check the payment details and contact email are up to date.
When it clears
It clears at the next lookup once the domain is restored and its status is back to normal.