It is surprisingly easy to take your eye off the ball when managing one or more domain names. In this blog post, domain name expert Joe Uddeme explains what to do if your domain name appears to be lost.
My domain is expired. My domain name is lost. I forgot to renew my domain name.
Now what? If you lost your expired domains, missed the grace period and now your website is deleted, it’s easy for panic to set in. Expired domains can wreak havoc for any brand.
A common issue is that an expired domain name has transferred to another registration – and now there is no access to search your registrar. The redemption period has lapsed and your domains cannot be renewed. Another burning question is: “Did my backlinks expire or transfer with the renewed domain name transfer?”
Let’s explore expired domains and detail the grace period for your expired domain.
Key takeaways
- All is not necessarily lost when a domain name has expired
- Just because your name has been bought by someone else, it doesn’t mean you’ll never get it back
- Discover the key issues for a business when a domain name is lost
How To Get Your Domain Back
Follow the steps below to try and secure your expired or deleted domain.
1. Contact the Domain Registrar
Most expired domains have a grace period between 20 and 30 days before domains expire at registrars. During the expiry period, you can contact the registrar to see if you can reclaim your dropped domains.
2. See If It’s Still Available On the Market
If your domain has passed the redemption period, then you’ll have no choice but to check if it’s available for sale on the aftermarket. Some domains may now have services attached or even new website.
You may have to participate in an expiry auction and bid against other people to buy back your expired domain name. If it’s a popular domain name, expect to pay a significant sum because of the bidding competition and relevance to other brands. Working with a seasoned domain name broker who is skilled in negotiation can be a huge help here.
3. Contact the New Owner
Imagine you lost your domain name, and another person succeeded in acquiring it before you could scoop it back up. Would you likely give up all hope at this point? No, all hope isn’t actually lost. Try and locate the new owner and explain your situation and work out an agreement on how to get your domain name back. This method isn’t always reliable but can work for certain domains and tlds. Plead your case, and hope to strike up some sympathy.
4. Back-order Process
If you’ve tried all the aforementioned steps and still can’t get your domains, back-ordering is a possible solution after they expire. Registrars offer a back-order service for recently expired domains with a simple filter process for various tlds.
The back-order system can log and track your preferred domains.
Back-ordering is a filter service offered by some registrars, letting you reserve the chance to acquire a domain immediately after its expiration.
Most registrars charge a fee for back-ordering domain names, and you may still have to compete against other bidders to buy back the expired tlds.
5. Hire A Broker
You can hire an expert domain name broker to help you buy back your lost domain name. The broker can handle each of these steps we mentioned for you and is more likely to be successful because of past experience in purchasing domain names.
The broker can contact the registered domain owner in the whois system to see if they would be interested in selling the domain name and at what price point without emotional attachment. NameExperts.com often helps clients recover expired domain names. We’ve negotiated over $150 million in domain name sales and protect customers’ anonymity when doing so.
An experienced broker should also understand the grace period for your domains and know the latest best practices to try and recover your previously registered domain name page.
6. File A Lawsuit
When all else fails, you may need to consult with a domain name attorney. A domain consultancy service can assist you with finding the right legal representation.
How Can You Lose Your Domain?
Expiration
Expired domains are the most common way to lose a domain. Many people forget to renew their domain names when renewal is due and only remember when they observe a problem with their website’s performance. At that point, it’s too late. The domain expires and is now pending being deleted. It is past the renewal date and will eventually be released.
Expired domain names are hard to get back, and are potentially very cost-prohibitive to secure the domain.
Hijacked Domain
Hackers and malicious actors are present in every part of the Internet, which includes domain names. You could fall victim to domain theft in various ways with phishing tactics for your domains.
Negligence
Negligence on your part may also cause you to lose your domains without knowledge of the expiration date or the last update to your domains.
Dispute
UDRP or reverse domain name hijacking techniques based on registration and function for the organization.
What Happens When You Lose A Domain?
Website Goes Down
If you run an online business, a site shutdown can cause financial loss and make your customers lose complete trust in you and your domain. They search and no longer can find you in a browser. Your org or .com name is no longer visible on the web.
Costly To Get It Back
Domain name squatters are constantly on the search for domains and tlds, waiting to grab them immediately after the expiration date. Then, they’ll hike the price to register for intended buyers to renew their domains. Everyone in the industry is mindful of the incredibly high prices that domain names can attract.
Security Issues
Cybercriminals can exploit lost or expired domains for nefarious activities. For example, they can gain access to old email and get their hands on sensitive information about the previous registrant. They can register similar domains and steal your organic traffic.
In conclusion, when a domain expires, your account and backlinks stop functioning. Remedial steps can be costly; it’s always better to be proactive and make sure your domain portfolio is properly managed and kept up-to-date.
About the author
Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains – and helping clients manage their portfolios. Contact us at: [email protected]
