When a domain expires, it stops working on the expiry date: your website goes offline and email to the domain stops arriving. For a limited time you can still renew it at the normal price. After that, the only way back is a restore, which costs much more, and if nobody restores it the registry deletes the domain and anyone can register it.
Every stage of a domain's life, from registration to deletion, is covered in Domain lifecycle explained. Why restoring costs so much more than renewing is explained in Why is the redemption fee so high?
On the expiry date the domain stops resolving, so your website and email stop. At Domain India a .in domain can still be renewed at the normal price up to day 36 after expiry; from day 37 it can only be restored, for ₹4,000, which includes GST and the renewal. A .com restored after its grace period costs ₹8,000, including GST and one year. For other extensions the windows vary, so ask support for your domain's exact dates.
1. What stops working on the expiry date
An expired domain stops resolving on the day it expires, not at the end of any grace period: your website and subdomains go offline, email to the domain stops arriving, and any login that sends codes to an address at that domain stops reaching you.
2. The stages after expiry
- Expired, still renewable.The domain has stopped working, but you can renew it at the normal renewal price for a limited time.
- Redemption.The late-renewal window has closed. The registry has marked the domain for deletion, and the only way back is a restore, which carries a restoration fee.
- Pending delete, then released.If nobody restores it, the registry deletes the domain. It can no longer be restored at any price, and whoever registers it first gets it.
The names and lengths of these stages differ between extensions. What you pay at Domain India:
| Extension | Time since expiry | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| .in family (.in, .co.in and others) | Up to day 36 | The normal renewal price |
| .in family | From day 37 | Restoration, ₹4,000 (includes GST and the renewal) |
| .com | During the grace period | The normal renewal price |
| .com | After the grace period | Restoration, ₹8,000 (includes GST and one year) |
| Other extensions | Varies | Ask support for the dates and price |
The grace period for .com and other generic extensions varies, so ask support for your domain's exact dates rather than relying on a general figure.
3. What to do if your domain has just expired
- Open the domain.Sign in and open your domains, then click the domain.
- Renew or pay the invoice.Click Renew, or pay the waiting renewal invoice in your invoices.
- Wait for DNS.Once payment is recorded, the domain resolves again; cached DNS answers can take a few hours to refresh.
- If there is no renew option,the domain may already be past the normal renewal window. Open a ticket straight away with the domain name, and support will confirm whether it can be restored and what it costs.
Once a .in domain passes day 36, restoring it costs ₹4,000. Once any domain is deleted, it may be gone for good.
4. How to make sure it never happens
Domain India never charges a saved card automatically. A renewal invoice is emailed up to 30 days before the expiry date, and the domain renews only when you pay it. So:
- keep the email address on your account current, and check spam for renewal invoices;
- leave the renewal switch on the domain's page on, so invoices are sent;
- renew important domains for several years.
How auto-renewal works and Domain renewal explain the invoice process in full.
Frequently asked questions
What happens when my domain expires?
On the expiry date the domain stops resolving, so your website goes offline and email to the domain stops arriving. You can still renew it at the normal price for a limited time; after that it can only be restored for a higher fee, and if nobody restores it the registry deletes it.
How long do I have to renew an expired .in domain?
At Domain India a .in domain can be renewed at the normal price up to day 36 after expiry. From day 37 it can only be restored, for ₹4,000, which includes GST and the renewal.
How much does it cost to restore an expired .com domain?
After the grace period, restoring a .com at Domain India costs ₹8,000, which includes GST and one year. The grace period varies by extension, so ask support for your domain's exact dates.
Can I get my domain back after it has been deleted?
Not by restoring it. Once the registry deletes a domain, it is released and whoever registers it first gets it. You can try to register it again on the Register a domain page if it is still free.
Ready to check your domains? See every expiry date in your domains, pay any waiting renewal in your invoices, or open a support ticket if a domain has already expired.
Tell us the domain name. We will check which stage it is in and tell you the cheapest way to get it back.
Open a ticket