Why check whether a domain has expired
When a site dies, the links pointing at it do not. If you found a dead domain through the Broken Link Finder, or you are looking at a competitor's old site, it is worth knowing whether the name is free. A domain that nobody renewed can still have strong links pointing to it, and some people register such names to rebuild the site or to redirect it.
The states a domain goes through
- Registered. In use and not close to expiring.
- Expires soon. Within 30 days. Most owners renew, so it is a watch-list entry.
- Past expiry. The date has passed but it is usually still held in a renewal grace period, and the owner can renew.
- In redemption. The owner missed the grace period and can only recover it by paying a fee. If they do not, it moves on, about a month later.
- Pending delete. Queued for deletion and normally released within about five days. This is when drop-catching services compete for it.
- Available. The registry has no record. You can register it at any registrar.
What the Domain Rating tells you
For names you could take, we also show the Domain Rating by Ahrefs. A free name with a rating of 0 had nothing worth buying. A rating can be a ghost of links that have since broken, though, so before you spend money, check what the domain used to be on the Wayback Machine and look at its backlinks in a tool that shows them.
Know the risks
- Domains are dropped for a reason. Some were penalised or used for spam, and a good-looking rating does not show that.
- Google does not transfer rankings to a new owner just because the name is the same. A site that is rebuilt on a very different subject usually loses the benefit.
- Popular dropping names go to whoever has a drop-catching service, so a name you can see on a list is rarely one you will win by waiting.
What it cannot see
We ask the domain's registry directly, over RDAP, so the answer is live. Some country domains do not publish RDAP, and for those we say we could not tell instead of guessing. A registry can also be a few minutes behind a registrar. Confirm at a registrar before you plan around a name.