Explore the basics of domain registration, renewal and what happens when a domain expires
Domain names are often registered and used for company websites, specific product websites and for e-mail addresses. However, registering a domain name can be complex, due to the rules and regulations surrounding who can buy them, when, and for how long. There are also rules that determine when domains can be renewed after they expire as well as if additional fees apply. Let’s explore the basics of website domain registration, renewal and expiration.
How Does Domain Registration Work?
Domain names start life as an idea. Once a search is done to confirm the domain name is available, it can be registered for the desired number of years, up to a maximum of 10 years. Each time the domain approaches its expiry date, it can be renewed. The expiry date can never be more than 10 years in the future, so a domain can only be renewed up to a maximum of 9 years at one time.
What Happens if the Domain is not Renewed and Expires?
If a domain is not renewed before the expiry date is reached, it enters what is commonly referred to as the Grace Period. The Grace Period typically lasts between 0 and 30 days and often does not have any additional costs associated with it allowing a domain name to still be renewed at the normal rate.
When the grace period elapses, most domains then enter a status of Redemption. Redemption is the last chance to renew a domain before it becomes available for registration again and often coincides with registries putting the domain up for auction. Domains can still be renewed while in the redemption status (providing it hasn't been auctioned off) by paying a redemption fee plus the regular renewal cost for the domain.
If a domain is still not renewed after this time, then the domain is "released" and becomes available for new purchases again.
How Does Pen Publishing Interactive Help with Domain Registration and Management?
At Pen Publishing Interactive we’ve put a lot of work into trying to make domain registration and management easy for our partners. In our partner portal, we took that a step further with full automation for domain management.
Our portal provides our partners the tools to register domain names and manage existing domain names through a simple interface. For example, partners have the option to turn on Auto Renewal, this feature will automatically charge the credit card on record 30 days before the domain name expires.
You never have to worry about your domain expiring again. Our domain management feature also allows our partners to edit the domain contact information, manage name servers and manually renew domains for up to nine years.
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