Domain Auto-Renewal
Table of Contents
Most auto-renewals will begin a few days before a domain’s expiration date. We deliver auto-renewal and expiration notices starting two months before a domain’s expiration date, even if auto-renewal is turned on.
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.
When does auto-renewal happen?
Auto-renewals are processed automatically and usually occur days before the domain’s expiration date. The exact timeline may vary for each domain.
Your domain has two key dates related to its auto-renewal lifecycle: the expiration date and the renew by date. For most TLDs (like .COM, .NET, and .ORG), the renew by date falls after the expiration date. This means that even if the domain is past it’s expiration date, it can still be renewed, and if auto-renewal is enabled, the renewal will happen automatically on the renew by date. During this time, the domain remains fully functional and continues to resolve normally. The domain is not at risk, and renewal will complete as scheduled by the renew by date.
For some other TLDs (like .EU), domains are renewed before they expire, so the renew by date will be before the expiration date.
Refunds are not possible if a domain has already auto-renewed.
ICANN expiration warning
ICANN domains where the renew by date falls after the expiration date will receive a notification email that may state the domain has expired. However, if your domain has auto-renewal enabled, there is no cause for concern — the domain will automatically renew as scheduled, and it will remain active and fully functional in the meantime.
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. If you turned off auto-renewal and want to re-enable it for your domain, follow these steps:
To enable auto-renewal for a domain
- If you have more than one account, select the relevant one from the account switcher in the top-right corner of the screen.
- On the header click the tab. Click the relevant domain name to access the domain page.
- In the Overview tab, check on the Registration status card.
Auto-renewal is now enabled on your domain.
Disabling auto-renewal
Auto-renewal cannot be turned off if the auto-renewal has already started. If you need assistance stopping or preventing auto-renewal for your domains, just contact our support team.
Some registries require that domains renew through auto-renewal. If you disable auto-renewal for a domain that requires auto-renewal to renew, you risk losing the domain.
To turn off auto-renewal for a domain, follow these steps:
To disable auto-renewal for a domain
- If you have more than one account, select the relevant one from the account switcher in the top-right corner of the screen.
- On the header, click the tab. Click the relevant domain name to access the domain page.
- In the Overview tab, uncheck on the Registration status card.
Auto-renewal is now disabled on your domain.
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.