When a domain name expires and is not recovered by its registrant, OpenSRS may list it for sale in an online auction marketplace. This article explains how the auction process works, when registrants can still renew or redeem an expired name, and which top-level domains (TLDs) may be offered for auction.
About domain name auctions
OpenSRS has partnered with Namefind LLC to run its domain auction service. Once a domain name expires and moves through its grace and redemption periods without being renewed, it may be offered to other registrants through Tucows Auction Services rather than being deleted and released.
After a registration expires, Tucows reserves the exclusive right to offer the name to other users through its auction services, as described in the Master Services Agreement. All existing grace and redemption periods continue to apply, except for names that are considered sold at auction.
Warning: When a domain name is sold at auction, it is acquired by a third party and is no longer available for re-registration after the stated grace period. You can try to contact the new owner by looking up the WHOIS record for the domain name.
Domain renewals during the auction window
OpenSRS makes every effort to let registrants recover their expired names. During the first 40 days after a domain name expires, the original registrant can reinstate it by renewing it. Between day 40 and day 70, the original registrant can still renew or redeem the expired domain, as long as it has not been sent for auction.
Note: Once a domain name enters auction, it can no longer be redeemed by the original registrant.
Auction timeline
The table below shows what happens to an expired domain name at each stage of the auction process. Day 0 is the expiry date.
Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
Day 0 | The expiry date. The domain status is updated so the domain no longer resolves. |
Day 3 | The OpenSRS Parked Pages Program is applied to the domain name. |
Day 21 | Backorders can be placed for the domain name until the auction begins. The WHOIS record for listed domains is updated to promote the auction. At this stage the name is still within the original registrant's grace period, and renewal remains available until day 40. |
Day 40 | If a domain name has received no backorders by this date, the auction provider treats it as having no interest, and the name is not included in the auction. Once a domain name enters auction, the original registrant can no longer redeem it. |
Days 40 to 41 | Domains with backorders are renewed and placed in an auction account to be auctioned. Domains without backorders are queued for deletion. |
Days 41 to 70 | When a domain name is sold at auction, it is transferred to an authorized OpenSRS reseller, the registration records are updated, and the domain name is parked. The new expiry date is approximately one year from Day 0. |
Top-level domains offered for auction
OpenSRS may offer the following TLDs for auction:
.COM | .NET | .ORG |
.INFO | .BIZ | .TV |
.MOBI |
Next steps
- Renew or redeem an expiring domain before it reaches auction. See Renewing and redeeming expired domains.
- Review the Parked Pages Program to understand how expired names are displayed during the auction window. See Parked Pages Program.
Questions? Contact OpenSRS Support.
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