Domain Age and Expiration Checker

What this domain age checker reads

The tool asks the registry that runs the domain's extension for its registration record over RDAP, the structured successor to WHOIS, found through IANA's official directory of registry servers. From that record it takes the registration date, the expiration date, the date of the last change, the registrar and the status codes, then works out the exact age in years and days and the number of days until expiry. Nothing comes from a third-party database; answers are cached for at most an hour, so a renewal shows up shortly after the registry records it.

Why domain age matters

For email, age is a reputation signal: many spam filters treat mail from a domain registered days ago with suspicion, which is why a new sending domain needs to build a history gradually. For security, the reverse applies: phishing domains are typically registered shortly before use, so a link to a brand-new domain that claims to be your bank deserves a second look. Buyers check age before acquiring a domain, and the registration date shows whether a domain has been held continuously. Google representatives have said that domain age on its own is not a ranking factor.

Domain expiration: what happens when a domain expires

When the expiration date passes without a renewal, the domain does not disappear at once. Registrars usually keep it for a grace period in which the owner can still renew at the normal price, often with the website and email switched off. For most generic TLDs it then enters a redemption period of 30 days, where it can still be restored for an extra fee, followed by a few days of pending deletion. After that anyone can register it, including people who watch for expiring names to resell them or to catch the email still sent to them. Country-code registries set their own rules.

How to read the result

The facts show the registration and expiration dates, the age and the days left. The status table explains each registry status code: transfer, update and delete prohibitions are protective locks, while hold, redemption and pending-delete states mean the domain may not resolve or is on its way out. Some country-code registries leave the expiration or creation date out of their RDAP record; the result then says so instead of guessing, and your registrar's control panel has the date. A subdomain has no registration record of its own; check the domain it belongs to.

Keeping a domain from expiring

Turn on auto-renew and keep the payment method at the registrar current. Register important domains for several years at a time. Make sure the registrar's renewal notices go to an address that does not depend on the domain itself: if the domain expires, mail to admin@ that domain stops arriving, and so do the warnings about it. And ask the registrar to set the transfer lock, so the domain cannot be moved away without your approval.

Primary sources

• RFC 9083: JSON responses for RDAP
• ICANN: EPP status codes, what they mean and why you should know