If a domain renewal got missed and the domain has expired, don't panic — there's usually still a window to get it back. This article explains what happens after a domain expires, how long you have to recover it, and what the fees look like.
What happens to an expired domain
When a domain isn't renewed by its expiry date, it moves through a predictable series of stages. The exact timing depends on the TLD (.ca, .com, .net, etc.), but the pattern is similar everywhere.
Stage 1 — Grace period (normal renewal possible)
For the first 15 days after expiry, the domain enters a registry-specific grace period. During this window:
- The website and email associated with the domain stop working immediately after the expiry date (for .ca domains, often the same day; for .com, usually within 24 hours of expiry).
- The domain can still be renewed at the normal renewal price, with no penalty fee.
- Simply renew it via your client area under Domains → My Domains — the same process as renewing before expiry. See How do I renew my domain?.
Stage 2 — Redemption period (recovery fee applies)
If the grace period passes without a renewal, the domain enters the redemption period at the registry. During this stage:
- The domain is no longer available to be renewed in the normal way — it has to be "redeemed" by the registry.
- Redemption typically runs for another 15-30 days.
- A redemption fee applies on top of the renewal cost. This fee is set by the registry, not by CanSpace, and is typically around $150 CAD.
- To redeem a domain in this period, open a ticket — redemption isn't a self-serve process, and we'll quote you the exact fee based on the TLD and confirm timing before proceeding.
Stage 3 — Released (domain is gone)
After redemption ends, the registry releases the domain and it becomes available for anyone to register. At this point there's nothing we — or anyone else — can do to get it back specifically. You'd have to re-register it from scratch, competing with any automated drop-catchers watching for the release. In some cases popular expired domains are picked up and auctioned. For most domains, though, once released they're just freely available again.
Typical timelines by TLD
Exact timings vary, but here's what to expect:
| TLD | Grace period | Redemption period | Typical total before release |
|---|---|---|---|
| .ca | ~15 days after expiry | ~15 days redemption | ~60–72 days |
| .com / .net | ~15 days after expiry | ~30 days redemption | ~70–75 days |
| .org | ~15 days after expiry | ~30 days redemption | ~75 days |
| Other gTLDs (.io, .dev, .xyz, etc.) | Varies, often 15 days | Usually 30 days | ~60–90 days |
These are typical registry behaviours — individual registries can change their policies. If your domain has already expired, get in touch as soon as you can so we can confirm exactly where it is in the cycle.
How to recover an expired domain
Within the grace period
- Log in to your client area.
- Go to Domains → My Domains and click the expired domain.
- Click Renew in the sidebar and complete the payment. The domain will be re-activated within minutes, and your website and email will start working again as soon as DNS caches refresh (usually within an hour).
In the redemption period
Redemption requires manual work at the registry, so open a support ticket with:
- The domain name
- Confirmation that you understand a redemption fee applies (we'll quote the exact amount in the ticket)
We'll initiate the redemption, take payment, and once the registry processes it (usually within 24–72 hours), the domain is restored to your account and you can re-enable services.
After release
If the domain has already been released and is now available to anyone, your best move is to try to re-register it as quickly as possible. If someone else has already picked it up, there's unfortunately no way to reclaim it short of negotiating with the new registrant.
Get services working again after recovery
Once a domain is renewed or redeemed, the registration itself is active again — but your website and email may still take a short time to come back:
- Website: should resolve within an hour for most visitors. Some caching may keep it unreachable for up to a few hours for specific networks. A quick
dig yourdomain.cafrom a different network will confirm DNS is working. - Email: messages sent to your domain during the expired window were bounced back to the sender — those won't be re-delivered. Messages sent after recovery will flow normally once DNS has propagated.
- SSL certificates: should re-issue automatically on our shared servers once the domain is resolving again. If the site still shows a certificate error after a day, Activate SSL and fix Not Secure warnings covers the troubleshooting steps.
Prevention: auto-renewal and reminders
Because losing a domain is so much worse than the small inconvenience of an automatic charge, we strongly recommend turning on auto-renewal for any domain you care about. You can enable it per-domain in the client area under Domains → My Domains. See How do I set my domain to renew automatically?
Also worth doing:
- Keep the email address on your account current. We send renewal reminders 60, 30, and 7 days before expiry. If the address on file is an old mailbox no one checks, the reminders go unseen. See Change your client area login email.
- Register for multiple years at once. .ca domains can be registered for up to 10 years at once, .com for up to 10 years. Long-term registrations insulate you against a single missed renewal.
- Keep a valid card on file. A failed auto-renewal charge is almost always a recently expired card. See Update your credit card information.
Related articles
- How do I renew my domain?
- How do I set my domain to renew automatically?
- Update your credit card information
- Change your client area login email
Need help recovering a domain? Open a support ticket
