If domain name licence is not renewed within the 90-day renewal period, the domain name licence expires and the name will stop functioning. Any websites or email services that use the domain name will not work.
In the registry, the name’s status will change from “Registered” to “Expired Hold”.
The name remains in the Expired Hold status for 30 calendar days. During this period the name can still be renewed by the registrant, or transferred to another registrar. Some registrars charge a fee to restore a name which is in the Expired Hold status.
At the end of the 30 calendar day period, if the name is not renewed, its status changes to Expired Pending Delete. In this status, a name can not be renewed or transferred, and it is published to the Official Domain Drop List.
Exactly one calendar day after it enters the Expired Pending Delete status, it enters Expired Pending Purge Status and is purged (deleted) from the registry at the next purge cycle. The registry purge cycle takes place every day at 13:00 AEST.
Once it is purged, the name becomes available to register on a first-come, first-served basis.
My .au domain name expired, what should I do?
If your domain name is still in the 30-day Expired Hold state, you can renew your name via your registrar.
If the name is in the Expired Pending Delete state, you will need to re-register the name after it is purged from the registry.
Depending on the name, you may be able to do this yourself, however, if the name is important to you, we recommend you engage the services of a company known as a “drop catcher” which specialises in “catching” domain names as soon as they are purged.
Drop catchers charge a fee to acquire names like this, and you may be required to bid against other interested registrants to secure it. It’s also important to note that while using a drop catcher increases your chances of catching a purged name it is not guaranteed.
My name was purged from the registry, can I get it back?
If a name is purged form the registry, it’s available to the general public on a first-come, first served basis. If it is still available, you can re-register it provided you meet the allocation and eligibility criteria. If it has been registered by someone else who is eligible to hold the name, you can attempt to negotiate a transfer with them via the contact information in the WHOIS.
How do I ensure my name doesn't expire?
To maintain you domain name you must ensure you renew it during the renewal period which is the 90-days before it expires.
Your registrar will send you reminders about your domain name renewal, so it's very important to ensure your contact details are up to date and that messages from your registrar don't go to your spam folder.
Many registrars also offer an auto-renewal service to automatically renew your name for you before it expires. Registrars cannot automatically renew your .au domain names without your consent, so you'll need to opt-in to their auto-renewal service and meet any terms and conditions they may have for it.
Category: Managing your .au domain name
