Few things are as avoidable, or as damaging, as losing a domain because nobody noticed it expiring. Checking the date takes a minute. Here is how, and how to make sure you do not need to remember.

The quick way

Use our free domain expiry checker. Enter the domain and it shows the registrar, the expiry date, the days left and the registry status.

The registrar's dashboard

The most reliable place for your own domains is the account where you registered them. Look for "domains", "renewal" or "expiry date". Check that:

  • Auto-renew is on, and the payment method on file is valid and not about to expire.
  • The contact email is current and reaches a person, not a former employee or a dead mailbox.
  • The domain is registered under your name or your company's, not under a freelancer's or an agency's.

Looking up any domain yourself

Anyone can look up the public registration data of a domain:

  • ICANN Lookup (lookup.icann.org) shows registration data for generic domains such as .com, .net and .org.
  • Country domains are run by their own registries, and many have their own lookup page.
  • Technically the data comes from a system called RDAP, the modern successor to WHOIS. Many registrars also offer a WHOIS lookup on their site.

Be aware that many registries now hide personal data such as the owner's name and email for privacy, but the dates and the status stay public.

What the status means

A lookup shows one or more "status" codes. These are the most useful to know:

  • ok or active: a normal, working domain.
  • clientTransferProhibited: the registrar lock is on, which protects you from unauthorised transfers. It is a good sign.
  • clientHold or serverHold: the domain is switched off in DNS, so the site and email do not work. This can be caused by an expired domain, a billing problem or an abuse complaint, and needs urgent attention.
  • redemptionPeriod and pendingDelete: the domain has expired and is on its way to being released. See what happens when a domain expires.

Set reminders that actually reach you

  1. Calendar reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before the date, shared with a colleague.
  2. Auto-renew on, with a card that is not about to expire.
  3. Multi-year renewals for domains you cannot lose.
  4. A second contact at the registrar, if they allow it.
  5. Monitoring. ServerMonitor tracks the expiry date and the registry status of your domains, and alerts you by email, Telegram, Slack or webhook well before it matters, and if the registry status turns critical.

A short checklist

  • Is the date more than 60 days away?
  • Is auto-renew on, with a valid card?
  • Does the contact email reach someone who will act on it?
  • Is the domain registered in your name?
  • Is the registrar lock on?
  • Will someone notice if a renewal fails?

If you can answer "yes" to all six, your domain is in good shape. If not, fix the weakest answer today. It takes minutes, and losing a domain takes weeks to undo, if it can be undone at all.