Expired Domain Auction
An expired domain auction is a competitive bidding process for domain names that lapsed because their previous owner did not renew them. Registrars and specialised platforms — GoDaddy Auctions, NameJet, DropCatch, Dynadot Auctions — list these domains for 7–30 days before the final [[drop-catch|drop]], allowing buyers to bid against one another in real time. Expired domains are particularly attractive because they may retain backlinks, organic traffic, [[domain-aging|domain age]], and residual brand recognition that a freshly registered name would lack. This upside makes [[domain-due-diligence|due diligence]] — checking blacklists, trademark records, and archive history — essential before placing a bid.
Example
A technology blog shut down, letting its domain lapse. Investors spot it in GoDaddy's expired auction with 320 referring domains and bid it up to $2,800 — far above the $12 registration price.