What Happens After Domain Names Expire at GoDaddy?

Have you ever been so busy that you forget to renew your domain name? If you find yourself in this situation, you may be wondering what happens to your domain if you fail to renew it. According to the law, after 45 days, the domain name will not be immediately revoked. Instead, it goes through a process of recovery organized by ICANN. 

During these 45 days, the domain name still remains with your provider. However, each provider has a different lifecycle for expired domains within this period. At GoDaddy, the lifecycle of a domain is as follows:

Day 1

GoDaddy sends you the first email, reminding you to renew your domain at no extra cost.

Day 5

GoDaddy sends you a second email, informing you that your domain name remains in parking and can still be renewed at no extra cost.

Day 12

GoDaddy sends you a third and final email as a notice. Your domain name can still be renewed at no extra cost.

Day 19

Your domain name can be renewed, but with the cost of a one-year renewal plus an $80.00 redemption fee.

Day 26

If you have not renewed your domain by this day, GoDaddy will revoke it and put it into a Domain Name Auction. Unfortunately, you will no longer be able to renew your domain at this point.

Day 36

If there are no backorders or bidders in the expired domain name auction, your domain will be listed in a closeout auction.

Day 41

The closeout auction ends on this day.

Day 43

If there is a winner for your domain in the closeout auction, you will have to say goodbye to your domain. However, if there are no bidders, your domain will be returned to ICANN and will soon be available for new registration.

It's important to note that you can renew an expired domain at no extra cost up to day 18. If you renew it between day 19 and day 42, you will have to pay an $80.00 redemption fee. After day 42, you will no longer be able to renew your domain. So, if your domain name is set to expire this month, don't forget to use a GoDaddy Renewal Coupon to get a discount on the renewal price.

Please keep in mind that these timelines do not apply to ccTLD domain names.