How backordering works

When an expired domain finally drops, it becomes available to anyone on a first come, first served basis. For names with any obvious value, "first" is measured in fractions of a second. A person refreshing a registrar's search page almost never wins. Backordering is how most people try to get a dropping name instead.

What a backorder is

A backorder is a request to a drop-catching service: "if this name drops, try to register it for me." You place it while the name is still on its way out, usually in redemption or pending delete. The service then does the fast part for you on the day of the drop.

Backorders are different from expired domain auctions, where a registrar sells a name during its grace period before it ever reaches redemption. They are also different from buying on the aftermarket, where you pay the current owner of a registered name.

How drop-catching works

Registries delete expired names in batches, and the order and exact second each name is deleted aren't published in advance. Drop-catching services handle that uncertainty with scale:

• They hold accounts at many registrars, each of which has its own connection to the registry.
• As the deletion batch runs, they send registration requests for their customers' names through all of those connections, over and over, until one succeeds or someone else gets the name.
• Registries limit how fast each registrar can send requests, which is why more connections give a better chance.

The name is first registered at whichever registrar connection succeeded. After that the service moves it to your account, which may involve a short wait or a transfer.

What happens when several people backorder the same name

If only one customer backordered a name at the service that catches it, that customer normally gets it at the service's standard backorder price.

If two or more customers backordered it at the same service, most services hold a private auction among those customers after the catch. The auction is usually open only to people who placed a backorder before the drop, runs for a set period and goes to the highest bidder. Popular names can sell for much more than the standard price this way. Each service sets its own auction rules, so read them before you bid.

Backorders placed at different services don't compete in one auction. Each service tries to catch the name for its own customers, and only one service can win.

What a backorder costs

Prices vary between services and change over time, so check each service's current terms. In general:

• Many services charge only if they catch the name, so a failed backorder costs nothing. Others take a fee up front, which may or may not be refunded.
• The price usually includes the first year of registration. After that, the name renews at the normal price for that registrar.
• If there's an auction, you pay what you bid, not the standard price.
• If you place backorders at several services to raise your chances, check whether each one charges up front, and whether winning at one cancels the others.

What a backorder does not guarantee

A backorder is a best-effort attempt. It can fail for several reasons that no service controls:

• The owner restores the name. During redemption, the previous owner can still pay to get it back. Your backorder then simply doesn't run.
• The name is sold before it drops. A registrar may auction or transfer an expired name during its grace period, so it never reaches redemption.
• Another service catches it. Several services may be trying for the same popular name, and only one can succeed.
• The registry timing changes. A name can drop a day early or late, or be held for a reason that has nothing to do with expiry.

A backorder also doesn't check whether the name is safe to use. Before you backorder, check for trademark conflicts and look at the name's history; the guide to finding a good expiring domain lists what to check.

When to place a backorder

You can usually backorder a name at any time before it drops. Placing it early does no harm at services that charge only on success, and it means you won't miss a name that drops sooner than expected. Once a name is in pending delete, the drop is about 5 days away at most and very unlikely to be stopped, so if you're only going to place one backorder, that is the safest time.

If you're not too worried about competition, you can also wait for the drop and try to register the name yourself through any registrar. That works well for names few other people want. DropTicker's Recently Dropped list shows names that have already been released; some will since have been registered by someone else.

Backordering from DropTicker

Every name on Pending Delete has a Backorder link, and every name on Recently Dropped has a Register link. These open a registrar or backorder service in a new tab. Some are affiliate links, which cost you nothing and don't change which names are listed or their order: see the affiliate disclosure. DropTicker doesn't sell domains or run backorders itself.