Redemption vs pending delete
Redemption (EPP status redemptionPeriod) is a 30-day window after a domain is deleted by its registrar, during which the previous owner can still restore it, usually for a restore fee. Pending delete (pendingDelete) is the final 5 days: the name can no longer be restored or renewed by anyone, and at the end of it the registry releases the name for new registration.
Redemption and pending delete are the last two stages in the life of an expired generic domain, before it drops and becomes free to register. They look alike from the outside: in both, the name has no working website or email and doesn't appear in the TLD's zone file. The difference is who can still do something about it. If you own an expired name, or you're waiting for one, that difference is what matters.
| Comparison | Redemption | Pending delete |
|---|---|---|
| EPP status | redemptionPeriod | pendingDelete |
| Length | 30 days | 5 days |
| Resolves? | No | No |
| Owner can get it back? | Yes, by restoring it (usually for a fee) | No |
| Others can register it? | No | No, until it drops |
| What happens next | Restored, or moves to pending delete | Dropped and released |
What redemption means
A name enters the redemption grace period when its registrar deletes it after the auto-renew grace period. For the gTLDs DropTicker covers (.com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and .xyz), it lasts 30 days. The registry marks it redemptionPeriod and usually serverHold, which takes it out of the zone file. From then on, the domain doesn't resolve at all: visitors get an error, and email sent to it bounces.
Redemption exists as a safety net. ICANN introduced it so that owners who miss a renewal, perhaps because a card expired or reminders went to an old email address, have one last chance to recover the name before someone else can take it.
What the owner can do during redemption
- Ask their registrar to restore the domain. Only the registrar the name was registered with can do this.
- Expect to pay a restore fee as well as the renewal. The fee is set by the registrar and is often much more than a normal renewal, so restoring is worth doing only for names the owner really needs.
- Allow some time. A restore is a manual process at some registrars, and the name may take a little while to start working again once it's back in the zone.
What everyone else can do during redemption
- Nothing that gets them the name directly: it can't be registered, bought from the registry or transferred to another registrar.
- Place a backorder, so a drop-catching service is ready if the name drops. See how backordering works.
- Contact the owner, if their details are public, and offer to buy the name. If they agree, they would restore it and then transfer it to you, which is a private deal at your own risk.
Many names in redemption are never restored, but some are, often valuable ones. A name being in redemption doesn't mean it will drop.
What pending delete means
If 30 days pass without a restore, the registry moves the name to pending delete (pendingDelete) for 5 days. This is a locked waiting period at the registry: the name is scheduled for deletion and nothing can change that.
What the owner can do during pending delete
Nothing. The previous owner can't renew or restore it, and their registrar can't either. If they want the name back, they have to try to register it again after it drops, competing with everyone else.
What everyone else can do during pending delete
- Backorder it. This is the most common time to place a backorder, because the drop is now almost certain and its date is known to within about a day.
- Wait for the drop and try to register it yourself through any registrar. For names with any obvious value, a drop-catching service will usually get there first, so registering by hand works best for less contested names.
Why the difference matters when you're looking for names
A name in pending delete is close to certain to drop within 5 days. A name in redemption might still be restored, and its drop is at least 5 days and as much as 35 days away. When you browse Pending Delete on DropTicker, the Status column shows which stage each name is in, and the estimated drop date reflects it.
Those dates are estimates. DropTicker sees a name leave the zone, checks it with RDAP and works out the drop date from the standard stage lengths. A name that is restored, or a registry that runs a little early or late, can make the estimate wrong. The methodology page explains how the estimate is made. For the full lifecycle, including the grace period before redemption, read how domain drops work.
Checking a domain's stage yourself
Any RDAP or WHOIS lookup shows a domain's EPP status codes. Look for redemptionPeriod or pendingDelete. If you see clientHold with an expiry date in the recent past, the name is most likely still in the registrar's grace period, and redemption hasn't started yet.