How to back-order a domain name that is about to expire

Quick answer

To back-order an expiring domain, check its real status and expiry date, learn the extension’s grace and redemption periods, place a back-order with one or two registrars or drop-catching services, and consider approaching the owner directly or through a broker. A back-order is never guaranteed, so have a variation you can register today.

The perfect domain for your business is taken, but the website on it has not changed in years and the lookup says it expires next month. It is tempting to wait for the expiry date and register it the next morning. That rarely works. Expired domains do not become available on their expiry date; they pass through periods in which the owner can still renew, and popular names are caught by automated services the moment they drop. Here is how the process actually works and how to give yourself the best chance.

Step 1: check the domain’s real status

Look the domain up in a registration data service such as ICANN’s lookup tool for .com and other generic names. For .uk names, Nominet’s domain support pages explain how to check status. Note the expiry date, the registrar and the status codes. Then look at how the domain is used: a live business website means the owner is likely to renew; a parked page or nothing at all is more promising.

Step 2: understand the timeline

The length of each stage depends on the extension and the registrar. Some registrars also auction expired names during the grace period rather than letting them drop. The result is that a name can take weeks or longer after its expiry date to become available, if it does at all.

Step 3: place back-orders

A back-order asks a service to try to register the name for you the moment it is released. Drop-catching services run automated systems to do this faster than any person can. Some only charge if they succeed. If more than one person back-orders the same name with the same service, it typically goes to a private auction between them. Placing back-orders with more than one service can improve your chances, but read each service’s terms on fees and auctions first.

Step 4: try the owner

Many owners renew automatically, sometimes for names they never use. A direct approach may be your best route. Look for contact details on any website at the domain, or use the registrar’s contact service where one exists. Be polite, explain that you are a small business interested in the name, and make a realistic offer. A domain broker can approach owners anonymously and negotiate for you, which helps if the owner might raise the price on seeing a business name.

Step 5: check you are not stepping on a trade mark

Registering a name that matches someone else’s trade mark or business name in bad faith can lead to a dispute and the loss of the domain. Search the UK trade mark register before bidding, and read about domain disputes through WIPO’s domain name dispute service for generic extensions. Our guide to logo copyright and trade marks covers the brand side.

Step 6: have a plan B

• A variation with your town or trade on .co.uk.
• The .uk or .com version if only one is taken.
• A short, memorable alternative you can register today.
• A premium name bought on the aftermarket.

Our business name checker helps you test alternatives, and our guide to domain names for UK businesses covers choosing well.

Once you have it

When the name is yours, protect it: register it in your business’s name, turn on auto-renew, keep the payment card current and switch on two-factor login. Letting a domain lapse is one of the most common ways businesses lose their own names, and if a developer registered it for you, our guide to a developer who owns your domain explains how to get it back into your name.

What it costs

Costs vary by route. A standard registration, if the name drops and you catch it, costs the normal price for the extension. Drop-catching services often charge a fee only on success, which can be much higher than a normal registration, and contested names go to auction where the price depends on how many people want it. Buying from the current owner costs whatever you agree, plus any broker’s fee or escrow charges. Set a maximum before you start, based on what the name is worth to your business, and stick to it. A slightly longer name you own today often beats a perfect one you chase for months.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for the expiry date and trying to register it by hand the next day.
• Assuming an unused name will not be renewed.
• Placing back-orders with many services and ending up in several auctions.
• Revealing too much about your business when approaching the owner directly.
• Paying through an unknown seller without an escrow service.
• Forgetting to check trade marks before bidding.

A worked example

A garden design business in Bristol wanted a short .co.uk name held by a company that had closed two years earlier. The lookup showed the name expiring in five weeks with a parked page. The owner placed back-orders with two drop-catching services and, in parallel, a broker contacted the former director, who no longer wanted the name but had auto-renew switched on. The broker agreed a modest price before the renewal date, the director transferred it, and the back-orders were cancelled. Without the direct approach, the name would simply have renewed again.

Getting help

Our premium domain sourcing starts from £99 and covers finding and acquiring short, memorable .co.uk and .com names on the aftermarket, including approaching owners. All our prices are on the pricing page.