DomCopLosing track of a domain renewal can be a major headache for any website owner. If you are looking to snag a valuable web address or trying to save your own, understanding the lifecycle of GoDaddy expired domains is essential.
GoDaddy follows a strict 72-day schedule before a domain is fully deleted. During this window, the domain moves through grace periods, redemption phases, and public auctions.
This no-nonsense guide explains exactly when GoDaddy releases these domains to the public, helping you stay ahead of the competition and protect your online presence from the risks of expiration.
The 72-Day GoDaddy Expired Domains Timeline
GoDaddy uses a clear, step-by-step process when a domain expires. This process gives the current owner several opportunities to renew the domain before it’s released to new buyers. Most expired domains at GoDaddy go through the following stages:
Phase 1: The Auto-Renew & Parking Period (Days 1–18)
As soon as the expiration date passes, the domain enters a grace period. During this time, the original owner can still renew the domain at the standard price without additional penalties.
- Day 1: GoDaddy makes its first attempt to bill your card for auto-renewal. If this fails, the domain is technically expired, but it remains active in your account.
- Day 5: This is a major milestone. GoDaddy parks the domain. This means your website goes offline and your professional email stops working.
- Day 12: GoDaddy makes a final automated attempt to renew the domain using your on-file payment method.
Phase 2: The Redemption Period (Days 19–25)
By day 19, the grace of standard pricing ends. The domain enters the Redemption Period.
- Redemption Fees: To get the domain back now, you must pay the standard renewal fee plus a redemption fee (usually around $80).
- Account Status: The domain is no longer active and has been moved to a hold status. You can still manually renew it from your Domain Portfolio, but the cost is significantly higher.
Phase 3: The Public Auction Release (Days 26–35)
This is when the domain is first released to the public, but only through GoDaddy’s internal marketplace.
- Listing on GoDaddy Auctions: On Day 26, the domain is listed for a 10-day public auction.
- The Bid Lock: Between Day 26 and Day 30, the original owner can still renew the domain. However, after Day 30, if there is an active bid on the domain, the original owner loses the right to renew it. At this point, the high bidder effectively “claims” the domain.
Phase 4: Closeout Auction (Days 36–41)
If the domain receives no bids during the 10-day auction, it moves to the final closeout stage.
- Reverse Auction: This is a 5-day period where the price drops daily (sometimes as low as $5 plus renewal fees).
- Final Call: If no one buys the domain during closeout, it remains in a limbo state in the owner’s account for a few more weeks, though it is essentially unrecoverable without customer service intervention.
Phase 5: Removal & Registry Release (Day 72)
On Day 72, GoDaddy officially gives up.
- Deletion: The domain is removed from the GoDaddy account entirely.
- Registry Release: The domain is returned to the central registry (e.g., Verisign for .com). The registry then holds it for a final “Pending Delete” period (usually 5 days) before it becomes available for anyone to register at standard prices anywhere on the web.
When Does GoDaddy Release Expired Domains?
Now, answering the most popular question, “When does GoDaddy release expired domains?”
If you are looking to acquire a domain that someone else has let go, timing is everything. There are two distinct moments when GoDaddy expired domains are released to the public: the Auction Release and the Registry Release.
The Auction Release
The first and most common way to catch a domain is through GoDaddy’s internal marketplace. Exactly 26 days after the official expiration date, GoDaddy releases the domain into its public auction system. This is a 10-day window where anyone with a GoDaddy Auctions membership can bid on the name.
It is very important to note that the original owner can still reclaim the domain during the first few days of this auction. However, once the clock hits 30 days post-expiration, if there is at least one active bid, the original owner will be officially locked out. The domain will belong to the highest bidder at the end of the auction.
The Closeout Release
If a domain passes through the initial 10-day auction without receiving any bids, it enters a secondary phase, the Closeout Auction, on Day 36. This is a fast-paced, 5-day “Buy It Now” period where the price drops every 24 hours.
This stage is often the best opportunity for bargain hunters to snag a domain for a very low fee before it leaves GoDaddy’s ecosystem entirely. If the domain remains unsold after these five days, it sits in a brief limbo period before the final handover.
The Registry Release
If the domain doesn’t sell during the auction or closeout stages, GoDaddy fully lets it go.
Around day 72, the domain is removed from GoDaddy’s system and sent back to the central registry. It then enters a “Pending Delete” status at the registry level, which typically lasts about five days.
After that period ends, the domain is back into the open market. At this point, it becomes a brand-new domain again and can be registered by anyone at standard pricing through any registrar….not just GoDaddy.
Why the GoDaddy Domain Expiration Timeline Matters for Buyers
Understanding the schedule of GoDaddy expired domains is a strategic advantage for anyone looking to build a website with a head start. Most professional buyers do not wait for a domain to become available for general registration because the best names are usually snapped up much earlier in the process.
The Advantage of the Auction Phase
By the time a domain reaches the 26-day mark, it has already survived the initial grace period, where the original owner could have renewed it easily. Bidding during the auction phase is the most reliable way to secure a domain that has high SEO value.
These domains often come with existing backlink profiles and established authority. If you wait until the domain is fully deleted on day 72, you risk losing it to a competitor who was willing to participate in the auction.
Catching Deals in the Closeout Phase
For those on a tighter budget, the closeout phase starting on day 36 is a golden opportunity. This is essentially a clearance sale for domains that did not receive any bids during the initial auction.
Since prices drop every day during this five-day window, you can often pick up a brandable domain for a very low price. This phase lets you skip competitive bidding while still acquiring the domain before it returns to the general registry.
Avoiding the Risks of the Open Market
Waiting for a domain to drop back to the general registry after 72 days is a high-stakes gamble. High-traffic or keyword-rich domains are often targeted by drop-catching services the second they become available.
By using the GoDaddy expired domains auction or closeout system, you are literally buying a ticket to the front of the line. This confirms you get the name you want without having to compete with automated bots on the open market.
Consequences of Letting a Domain Expire
Letting a domain lapse is more than just a technical oversight. It can have lasting effects on your digital presence and your wallet.
When GoDaddy expired domains move through the 72-day lifecycle, all these negative consequences begin to stack up for the original owner:
Loss of Website and Email Functionality
The first noticeable impact usually happens around day five, when GoDaddy parks the domain. Once this happens, your website goes offline, and any professional email addresses tied to the domain stop working. Overnight, this can cut off communication between you and your customers.
People trying to email you may get bounce-back messages, and anyone visiting your site will land on a parked page instead of your actual content. Imagine how frustrating it will be for your customers.
Even a short period of downtime can lead to missed sales and disrupted business operations.
Negative Impact on SEO and Branding
Search engines, especially Google, value stability and consistency. When a domain expires, and your content disappears, search engine crawlers will eventually remove your pages from their index. That means years of SEO progress can be undone in just weeks.
Even if you recover the domain later, regaining your previous rankings often takes time and effort. From a branding standpoint, seeing a “this domain has expired” notice looks unprofessional and can weaken the trust you’ve worked hard to build with your audience.
The Risk of Domain Squatting
Once a domain enters the auction stage around day 26, it becomes visible to everyone. This is when domain squatters often step in. These buyers purchase expired domains with the sole intention of reselling them to the original owner at a steep price.
If a squatter wins your domain, they may demand thousands of dollars to return it. In some cases, they might even use your old domain for ads or malicious content, which can further damage your brand’s reputation.
How to Prevent Accidental Domain Expiration
Preventing your domain from reaching the expiration stage is much easier and cheaper than trying to recover it from an auction. GoDaddy provides several tools to help you manage your GoDaddy expired domains risks before they become a problem.
Enable Auto-Renew
The easiest way to protect your domain is by enabling auto-renewal in your Domain Portfolio. When it’s turned on, GoDaddy will automatically try to charge your payment method on the expiration date.
For auto-renew to work properly, your billing details need to be current. Many domains expire simply because the credit card on file has expired or was replaced. A quick annual check of your payment settings can save you from unnecessary stress and keep your domain active with zero manual effort.
Use Ultimate Domain Protection
If your website is business-critical, GoDaddy’s Ultimate Domain Protection adds an extra layer of security. This service is designed to prevent accidental domain loss caused by billing issues.
If auto-renewal fails due to an invalid card, GoDaddy will hold your domain for an additional 90 days. During that time, you can renew it manually at the standard price without paying the $80 redemption fee. This safety net keeps your domain out of public auctions, even if you miss the initial 18-day grace period.
Keep Your Contact Information Up to Date
GoDaddy starts sending reminder emails about 30 days before a domain expires. These alerts go to the email address linked to your account, which may not be the one you use every day.
If you’ve changed your email address or if GoDaddy’s messages are landing in spam, it’s easy to miss these warnings. Regularly reviewing and updating your contact details guarantees you don’t miss important notifications before any expiration deadlines pass.
Conclusion
Understanding how the GoDaddy domain expiration timeline works is one of the best ways to protect the work you have put into your site. Missing key dates can get expensive quickly, and in some cases, you could lose your brand name for good.
Whether you are trying to keep your own domain safe or looking to secure a good deal at auction, timing really does matter.
It is a good idea to save or bookmark this guide now. Having these dates on hand can save you a lot of stress if you ever run into a renewal issue later on.
GoDaddy Expired Domains: FAQs
What happens when my GoDaddy domain expires?
Once a domain expires, your website and email services will stop working immediately. GoDaddy holds the domain in your account for a short window, giving you a final chance to renew it before it is auctioned or deleted.
How long after a domain expires does it become available for others to buy?
The domain is first released to public bidders through GoDaddy Auctions 26 days after expiration. If no one buys it at auction or closeout, it is released back to the general registry around Day 72 for anyone to register.
Can I renew my domain after it has already expired?
Yes, you can typically renew at the standard price for the first 18 days. After that, you enter a redemption period where you must pay the renewal fee plus an additional redemption fee (usually $80) to get it back.
How long does GoDaddy hold expired domains before deleting them?
GoDaddy keeps the domain in its system for a total of 72 days. During this cycle, it moves through a grace period, a redemption phase, and several auction stages before being permanently removed from your account.