How to Drop Catch an Expiring Domain Name
If you want to learn how to drop catch an expiring domain name then here is what you need to know. Read through the following guide to learn how to drop catch a domain name and then use our tools (like our domains dropping soon finder or or dropped domain finder) to actually find yourself some great domain names that will be dropping soon or have just dropped.
Definition of a Dropped Domain/Drop Catching
A dropped domain is a domain name that was registered and its registration has recently lapsed. Drop catching is the art of snapping up a dropped domain as soon as it becomes available. Some people will hand register a domain name when it becomes available but most people who are in the know about drop catching (and who want to give themselves a better shot at successfully grabbing the dropped domain that they have their eye on) will use some form of software or service that automatically tries to register the dropped domain name the second it becomes available to register (GoDaddy’s Domain Alert Pro is one example of a domain backordering service that is very affordable).
How the Domain Name Expiration Process Works
It can be somewhat confusing at first when trying to figure out how a the process works for grabbing an expired domain name because most people do not realize when it is that a domain name actually becomes available to register.
Almost every one understands that when you register a domain you register the domain in annual increments and pay usually around $10/year. What many people do not realize is that if someone chooses not to renew their domain name then the domain name does not become available the instant that the clock strikes midnight on day 365 if the registrant registered the domain name for only 1 year.
What actually happens is that for the first 40 days after the domain name owner chooses not to renew the domain name then the domain name is set to “expired” status by the registrar. During this 40 day grace period all services to the domain name are shut off but the domain name owner still has the option to renew the domain name for the standard renewal rate charged by the registrar. Just because a domain name enters this grace period it does not necessarily mean that the domain name owner will choose not to renew the domain name (it’s definitely a positive sign because chances are they will not but of course they may just be putting it off or simply waiting for the funds to pay for the renewal).
After the 40 day grace period is up then the status of the domain changes to “redemption period”. The redemption period lasts about 30 days. The domain name owner can still renew their domain name during the redemption period buy they must pay an additional fee to bring the domain out of this redemption status. The fee is currently somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 – not an insubstantial sum. Unless the domain name owners is just flat out not paying attention then there is a very high likelihood that the domain name owner will actually let the domain name lapse once a domain name reaches the redemption period. During this redemption period the WhoIs data will also start to disappear as well.
After the 30 day redemption period is up then the status of the domain changes to “locked”. This locked period lasts 5 days. As soon as the 5 days is up then the domain name is deleted from the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) database and officially be ready to be registered by anybody. It is important to note that once a domain name reaches this 5 day lock period then the domain name owner has lost all rights to the domain name and does not have a priority in trying to renew the domain name – they must try to register the domain name as soon as it becomes available just like everyone else. Our domains dropping soon finder tool will allow you to search thousands of domains that are in this 5 day lock period and our dropped domain finder will allow you to view domains that have just left their 5 day lock period and are available to register.
Hand Registration vs. Using Drop Catch Services
The positive to trying to hand register a dropped domain name is that it is free (except for the domain registration fees). The negative to trying to hand register a dropped domain name is that chances are if the domain name is any good then there are probably other people using a drop catch service like GoDaddy’s Domain Alert Pro or a similar service from Pool.com, SnapNames.com or Enom.
GoDaddy is by far the most affordable option at only $18.99 (and if you lose the domain then they let you just reassign the service to another domain name that you choose) but the others while more costly can sometimes brag of higher success rates at snagging domains due to their vast server resources. In a nutshell, if you see a domain name that is expiring soon and you absolutely must have the domain at any price then choose Pool.com, SnapNames.com or Enom. If you still want a decent chance of snagging dropping domain and don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for it then choose GoDaddy’s Domain Alert Pro.
Finding Great Expired Domain Names with Our Tools
Our tools can help you find great domains dropping soon and domains that have just expired. We have large databases filled with data from multiple expired domain name lists. You can search through the domains and filter by many advanced search criteria to your heart’s content. If you are a premium member then you can even set up personalized dropped domain alerts and personalized domains dropping soon alerts so that you can receive an email notification when domains meeting criteria that you specify enter the database. We port in 100,000’s of new domains into our databases on a daily basis so there are plenty of good expired domains and domains expiring soon for you to find. Get started finding great domain names with our tools now!
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