Article · Guide

Renewing Domain Names

ICANN · icann.org Free Beginner

ICANN's guide to renewal: if you do not renew before the domain expires you risk losing it for a short time or for good, and ICANN cannot give it back.

  • Renew before expiry; ICANN cannot transfer an expired domain back to you.
  • Turn on auto-renew with a card that will not lapse.
  • Keep your registrar contact email current so renewal notices reach you.

The question it answers

  1. How do I buy a domain name, and can I own it permanently?

Read with it

  1. Before you get attached to a name, you want one screen that tells you if the handle is free everywhere at once. Namechk checks... namechk.com Tool Namechk: Username and Domain Availability Checker Namechk
  2. Most registrars hook you with a cheap first year and quietly triple the renewal, which is exactly the trap a bootstrapped... Cloudflare Tool Cloudflare Registrar Cloudflare
  3. ICANN's own answer to whether you can own a domain forever: registrars sell registrations in one-year increments and the... icann.org Article · FAQ FAQs: How long does a domain registration last? ICANN
  4. Cloudflare's registrar charges only what the registry and ICANN charge, with no markup, and redacts WHOIS details by default. developers.cloudflare.com Tool · Docs Cloudflare Registrar (developer docs) Cloudflare
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