The expiration date is the day a domain registration lapses unless it is renewed.
Every domain is registered for a fixed term, from one to ten years. The expiration date is the last day of that term. If you haven't renewed by then, the domain stops working and starts moving through the steps that end with it being deleted and released to the public.
For example, if you registered a .com for one year on 1 March, its expiration date is 1 March the following year. Renew for two more years and the date moves forward by two years.
How to find a domain's expiration date
- In your registrar account, on the domain list or domain details page.
- With a WHOIS lookup, which shows the registry expiry date for most generic extensions.
- In renewal emails from your registrar, which usually quote the date.
The dates in different places can sometimes differ by a day because of time zones. Treat the earliest one as your deadline.
What happens after the expiration date
For a typical generic domain like .com, the timeline is roughly:
- Expiry day: your website and email stop working, often replaced by a parking page.
- Grace period: usually up to 30 days or more, when you can renew at the normal price.
- Redemption period: about 30 days, when you can still recover it for an extra fee.
- Pending delete: about five days when nobody can renew it.
- Deletion: the domain is released, and drop catching services often register it straight away.
Country-code extensions have their own rules, and some delete expired names much sooner.
Why the expiration date matters
Missing it can take your website and email offline without warning and, in the worst case, lose you the name for good. An expired domain with traffic and backlinks is attractive to others, and getting it back after someone registers it can be expensive or impossible.
Common expiration date mistakes
- Letting a card on file expire, so auto-renew fails.
- Using an old email address, so reminders never arrive.
- Assuming the domain renews with your hosting when they're billed separately.
- Registering a domain through a former staff member or agency account you no longer control.
Expiration date vs renewal date
They're usually the same day. Some registrars try to renew a few days or weeks before the expiration date so there's time to retry if a payment fails. Check the renewal price too, because it can be higher than the first-year price at some registrars. At AblePage, registering, renewing and transferring cost the same.