What happens when a domain expires?

If a domain isn’t renewed, it stops working — even though your hosting is paid up and your site is still sitting on the server.

What stops

When a domain expires, the registrar usually changes its nameservers to a parking page. Visitors stop reaching your Traxio site, and email to your domain stops arriving, because the world can no longer look up your MX records.

The stages

Exact timings depend on the registrar and the domain ending, but the pattern is:

1. Expiry. Services stop, often within a day or two.
2. Grace or renewal period. You can usually still renew at the normal price.
3. Redemption period. Renewal may still be possible, often with an extra fee.
4. Release. The domain becomes available for anyone to register.

Recovering

1. Renew the domain wherever it’s registered: in the Traxio client area if you registered it through Traxio, otherwise at your registrar.
2. Check the nameservers are still ns1.traxio.co.uk, ns2.traxio.co.uk and ns3.traxio.co.uk, and set them back if they changed. How to point your domain to Traxio (change nameservers)
3. Wait for DNS to update. Why DNS changes take time (DNS propagation)
4. Check the site and send a test email.

Your hosting account, files and mailboxes are unaffected as long as the hosting itself is paid.

Preventing it

• Pay renewal invoices before the expiry date (for domains registered through Traxio, they appear in the client area)
• If the domain is with another registrar, turn on auto-renew there and keep the card on that account current
• Make sure renewal reminders go to an address that isn’t on the domain itself, or you won’t receive them once it has expired