When a domain expires, the website and every mailbox on it stop working. After a grace period it can be lost for good, or bought by someone else. Most lapses come from a handful of avoidable causes.
Once a year
- Look up the domain's expiry date (a WHOIS lookup shows it).
- Auto-renew is on at the registrar.
- The payment method on the account is valid and will not expire before the renewal date.
- The account email belongs to a mailbox someone reads, and is not on the same domain that could expire.
- Registrant contact details are current; some registries can suspend domains with false or outdated data.
- More than one person in the company can log in to the registrar account.
Protection
- Registrar (transfer) lock is on.
- Two-factor login is on for the registrar account if offered.
- The transfer (EPP) code is not shared in email threads or tickets.
- Consider renewing important domains for several years at once.
Domains people forget
- Country versions of your name (for example
.com.egalongside.com). - Old brand or campaign domains that still redirect somewhere.
- Domains used only for email, APIs or internal tools.
If a domain has already expired, act at once: in the first days it can usually be renewed at the normal price; later, a restore fee may apply, and after that the name may be released.