redemptionPeriod status

The domain was deleted and no longer resolves, but its owner can restore it for a fee during the redemption period (30 days for gTLDs).

redemptionPeriod at a glance
EPP status coderedemptionPeriod
RDAP statusredemption period (per RFC 8056)
Set byRegistry (grace period)
CategoryGrace period status (RGP)
Defined inRFC 3915
ICANN referenceicann.org/epp#redemptionPeriod

What redemptionPeriod means

redemptionPeriod means the registrar has deleted the domain and it is now in the redemption grace period, which lasts 30 days for gTLDs. The domain is taken out of DNS, so it no longer resolves, but it has not been released yet. In RDAP it appears as redemption period.

During this period the registrar can restore the domain for its previous owner. The restore process, defined by the Registry Grace Period extension in RFC 3915, involves a restore request and a restore report, and the registry charges a restore fee that registrars pass on to the owner, usually on top of the renewal fee.

Registries often show pendingDelete next to redemptionPeriod. If the domain is not restored in time, pendingDelete remains on its own and, for gTLDs, the domain is released for registration about 5 days later.

Official definition: ICANN, EPP Status Codes: What Do They Mean, and Why Should I Know? (redemptionPeriod)

Why a domain has this status

  • The registration expired and was not renewed during the auto-renew grace period, so the registrar deleted it.
  • The owner or the registrar deleted the domain deliberately after its add grace period.

What you should do

  • If you want to keep the domain, contact your registrar immediately and ask for a restore (sometimes called redemption). Settle whatever led to the deletion, usually an unpaid renewal, and pay the restore fee.
  • Act early: the restore has to be completed before the redemption period ends.
  • If you want to register the domain yourself, you have to wait. Only the previous owner can get it back during this period; after the redemption period and about 5 days of pendingDelete it is released, or you can use a backorder service.
  • Read our domain expiration guide for the complete timeline.

Check a domain's status

Look up any domain to see its current status codes, registrar, expiration date and name servers from the registry's RDAP or WHOIS service.

  • pendingRestore: The registrar has asked the registry to restore the domain from its redemption period, and the registry is waiting for the restore report.
  • pendingDelete: The domain is being deleted. After the redemption period it can't be restored, and gTLD domains are released about 5 days later.
  • autoRenewPeriod: The domain has expired and the registry renewed it automatically; for gTLDs the registrar has up to 45 days to keep or delete it.
  • serverHold: The registry has removed the domain from DNS, so it does not resolve and its website and email stop working until the hold is lifted.
  • clientDeleteProhibited: The registrar has locked the domain against deletion, protecting it from being deleted by mistake or by an attacker.

Frequently asked questions

How do I restore a domain in redemptionPeriod?

Contact the registrar the domain was registered with and ask for a restore, sometimes called redemption. You will usually pay a restore fee plus a renewal. Once the registrar completes the restore, the domain returns to normal and starts resolving again.

How long is the redemption period?

30 days for gTLDs such as .com, .net and .org, followed by about 5 days of pendingDelete before the domain is released. Many country-code TLDs use different periods or have no redemption period at all.

Can someone else register a domain in redemptionPeriod?

No. During the redemption period only the registrar can restore the domain for its previous owner. It becomes available to others only after it has been deleted at the end of pendingDelete.

Further reading