Domain Auto-Renewal

Table of Contents

• Why auto-renewal exists
• When does auto-renewal happen?
• What happens if payment fails
• Enabling auto-renewal
• Disabling auto-renewal
• Have more questions?

Auto-renewal reduces the risk of a domain expiring by renewing the domain automatically days before expiration. When auto-renewal is turned on for a domain, we’ll attempt to renew it automatically prior to expiration. We’ll bill your credit card if the renewal is successful.

Why auto-renewal exists

Auto-renewal protects against accidental domain loss by handling renewals automatically. Without auto-renewal, domains require manual renewal before expiration, which can be forgotten or missed due to outdated contact information, payment method issues, or oversight. Auto-renewal ensures continuity of service for critical domains by processing renewals proactively, before expiration occurs. This is especially important for domains that host active websites, email services, or business-critical applications.

When does auto-renewal happen?

When you enable the automatic renewal of your domains at DNSimple, our system will process them days before the domain’s expiration date.

The timing of auto-renewal varies because different registries have different requirements and processing windows. Some registries require renewals to be initiated well in advance, while others can process renewals closer to the expiration date. This variation ensures that renewals complete successfully before expiration, accounting for potential delays in registry processing or payment authorization.

Depending on the particular rules set by registries, your domains may fall into one of two scenarios:

The registry handles the auto-renewal

Certain domain names require auto-renewal and cannot be renewed manually. For these domains, it’s important to have the auto-renewal feature turned on.

The domain auto-renewal process when registries require domains to be auto-renewed:

• Our system charges the domain’s renewal fees days before the domain expires.
• The registry will renew the domain. This could happen before or after the expiration date. Our system will monitor and notify you upon successful renewal.
• Your domain resolution services won’t be interrupted during this period.

Auto-renewal cannot be turned off once the auto-renew process has started, up until the registry has finished renewing the domain. This may take several days to complete.

Our system displays all critical deadlines clearly and provides actionable information through the domain’s lifecycle.

Once the auto-renewal process begins, it cannot be stopped because the renewal transaction has been initiated with the registry. This prevents situations where a renewal is partially processed, which could leave the domain in an uncertain state. The process must complete fully before any changes can be made to the auto-renewal setting.

What happens if payment fails

If the payment method on file cannot be charged when auto-renewal is attempted, the renewal will fail and the domain will not be renewed. You will receive notifications about the payment failure, but the domain will proceed toward expiration if payment is not updated and the renewal is not completed manually. This is why it’s important to keep payment methods current and monitor expiration notifications even when auto-renewal is enabled.

DNSimple handles the auto-renewal

The domain auto-renewal process when our system can renew domains on your behalf:

• Our system charges the domain’s renewal fees days before the domain expiration date.
• Our system renews the domain for another year and notifies you of the successful renewal.

Enabling auto-renewal

You can enable auto-renewal when you first register a domain or any time after the domain has been registered. Newly registered domains are set to auto-renew by default to protect against accidental expiration. Auto-renewal can be enabled or disabled for each domain individually, giving you control over which domains should renew automatically and which should require manual renewal.

Disabling auto-renewal

Auto-renewal can be disabled for any domain at any time, except when the auto-renewal process is currently in progress. Once disabled, the domain will require manual renewal before expiration. This gives you flexibility to manage renewals manually for domains where you want more control over the renewal timing or payment method.

Have more questions?

If you have any questions about or need assistance with auto-renewal for your domains, just contact our support team — we’re here to help.