Technical Glossary - Expired Domain Cycle

If you are planning to get into the domain reselling business, then you may have considered the use of a technical glossary for the expired domain cycle. Understanding how domains become expired and what you can do if you want to purchase them is important if you plan to be successful in the reselling business. You can find information about expired domain names at a number of places on the internet. Virtually everyone has heard of this lucrative opportunity. However not everyone understands how the domain reselling business works.

The expired domain cycle will be different depending on which registrar you plan to use. Generally, once a domain name has passed its expiration date it is normally put on hold. This is when the name service information is erased or changed so that that specific domain will not longer point to the website which it once represented. Next the expired domain will be put on the deletion queue for the registrar who holds it.

Keep in mind that many registrars delete domains within ten days of when they expire, although some may hold them for up to forty-five days after the expiration date to give the owner a chance to re-register the name. You must also understand the complete life cycle of a domain name in order to fully understand the business of reselling these domains.

When a domain name first becomes active it is registered, typically for a period of one to ten years. Shortly before the expiration date, the registrar will sent out a reminder to the owner of the domain, to let them know that they must re-register that name in order to keep it. If the owner then chooses to re-register the domain, then they will keep that name. If however, the owner does not choose to register the name, or they simply forget or can not afford the registration, then the domain name will be put on hold for a period of time decided by the registrar. The domain name’s name server information will then be deleted or modified to inform visitors that the name has expired.
Typically, registrars offer a grace period in which time the original owner can pay the fee to renew the domain name. At the end of the required grace period, the original owner can not renew their domain name and will lose all control of that name. Many registrars will then delete the name, although some may hold it for a small period of time before releasing it.

When a domain name reaches this last stage, it is then ready to be returned to the domain name market and will once again be available for registration. Many expired domains are considered to be very valuable and may have numerous buyers ready to purchase it once it becomes available. In order to catch these valuable domain names before someone else does, it is important that you first understand the cycle in which domain names exist and how to keep track of any domains that you may be interested in purchasing.