Domain Backordering: How to Get Expiring Domains

## Domain Backordering: How to Get Expiring Domains Every day, tens of thousands of domain names expire and become available for registration. Some expire because their owners forgot to renew. Others are intentionally let go. A small percentage are genuinely valuable — keyword-rich names, short brandable names, or domains with existing backlinks and traffic history. Domain backordering is the mechanism for competing to register these domains the moment they become available. This guide explains how backordering works, which services are most effective, what success rates to realistically expect, and how to build a strategy for acquiring expired domains you want. ## The Domain Expiration Timeline To understand backordering, you need to understand what happens between when a domain stops being renewed and when it becomes registrable by the public. **Registration period ends**: The domain's paid registration period expires. At this point, most registrars disable DNS service and start a grace period. **Add Grace Period** (0-45 days, varies by TLD): The registrant can still renew at the standard renewal price. DNS service may or may not be active depending on the registrar. The general public cannot register the domain. **Redemption Grace Period** (30 days for most gTLDs): If the registrant doesn't renew during the add grace period, the domain enters redemption. It can still be recovered, but at a premium restore fee typically ranging from $50 to $200+. The domain is no longer functional. **Pending Delete** (5 days): The domain is queued for deletion. No renewals are possible. The domain will drop at some point during this window. **Drop / Release**: The domain becomes available for registration. Exactly when during the pending delete window a domain drops is not published — registries release domains at unpredictable intervals to prevent gaming. The entire process from expiration to drop typically takes 70-80 days for .com domains. Other TLDs have different timelines; some ccTLDs have much shorter or longer cycles. ## How Backorder Services Work Backorder services maintain technical infrastructure designed to monitor and attempt to register expiring domains at the precise moment they drop from the registry. Here's the process: 1. You submit a backorder for a specific domain name 2. The service monitors the domain's registry status 3. When the domain enters the pending delete window, the service queues automated registration attempts 4. At the moment the registry releases the domain, the service fires rapid registration requests 5. If successful, the domain is transferred to your registrar account The challenge is that multiple people may want the same domain. If multiple backorder services each have an active backorder on the same domain, they compete to register it first at the moment of drop. Registry systems process these requests in some order, and only one registrant can win. ## Major Backorder Services ### SnapNames One of the oldest domain backorder services, SnapNames (now owned by Newfold Digital, same parent as Network Solutions) maintains a large network of registrar connections for fast drop registration. Success rate for non-contested drops is generally high. **Pricing**: Around $19-$25 per backorder. If multiple people have backorders on the same domain, it goes to auction among SnapNames bidders. ### DropCatch DropCatch specializes in catching dropped .com domains with a focus on speed and reliability. They have strong technical infrastructure for gTLDs and run an auction system for contested domains. **Pricing**: Backorders start around $19. Auctions can run significantly higher for desirable domains. ### GoDaddy Backorder GoDaddy's backorder service benefits from GoDaddy being one of the world's largest registrars — they have direct registry connections that reduce latency. Their backorder volume is enormous, which also means more competition on popular domains. **Pricing**: GoDaddy offers free backorders for domains dropping at GoDaddy registrar. For other drops, standard pricing applies around $19-$25. ### Namecheap Backorder Namecheap provides a straightforward backordering service with competitive pricing. For users already on Namecheap, the integration is seamless — won domains land directly in your account. **Pricing**: Generally $10-$15 per backorder, with auctions for contested drops. ### Pool.com Pool.com is another established service with a large drop monitoring network. They offer backorders across a wide range of TLDs and have a good reputation for catching contested drops. ## Success Rates: What to Realistically Expect Backorder success rates depend heavily on the desirability of the domain: **Uncontested drops** (only one backorder placed): Success rates are typically 90%+ for major backorder services on .com domains. The main failure mode is technical — the service misses the exact drop window. **Contested drops with a single competitor**: Roughly 50/50, depending on whose infrastructure is faster at that moment and which registrar has a faster connection to the registry. **Highly contested drops** (dozens of backorders): If a domain has significant value, dozens or hundreds of backordering services may compete. The outcome is essentially unpredictable. Winning requires either being lucky or placing backorders with multiple services simultaneously. **ccTLD and niche TLD drops**: Success rates vary widely depending on whether the backorder service has direct connections to that TLD's registry. Services focused on .com may have poor performance on .io or .co domains. ## Strategies for Maximizing Backorder Success ### Place Backorders with Multiple Services For a domain you really want, place backorders with several competing services simultaneously. SnapNames, DropCatch, and GoDaddy all operate independent technical infrastructure — having all three attempt to catch the drop triples your chances. The downside: if multiple services catch the domain and each runs an internal auction, you may end up bidding against yourself. Read each service's multi-backorder policies before committing. ### Use Backorder Marketplaces Some services aggregate availability from multiple backorder providers, letting you place a single order that distributes attempts across multiple catching networks. This simplifies the process but may not cover all major services. ### Monitor Redemption Period Manually For truly valuable domains, track the domain through its redemption period manually. If the original registrant is still able to recover the domain during redemption (at a high restore fee), very valuable domains sometimes get renewed at this stage. If a domain is still live in redemption, the owner may be willing to sell at a lower price than letting it expire and potentially losing it to backordering. ### Assess Domain Value Before Bidding Before submitting a backorder, evaluate whether the domain is worth the potential auction price: **Existing backlinks**: Use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to check whether the domain has valuable inbound links. A domain with strong backlinks to authoritative sites has SEO value beyond just the name itself. **Traffic history**: Some backorder platforms show estimated traffic history for expiring domains. Domains with existing organic traffic can be immediately monetized. **Keyword value**: Use Google's Keyword Planner to assess whether the domain contains high-value search terms. **Comparable sales**: Check domain marketplace sales records for similar names to estimate potential resale value if you're acquiring for investment rather than use. ### Set a Maximum Bid and Stick to It Auction psychology can cause rational people to overbid on domains. Before entering any auction for a domain backorder, decide your maximum price based on objective value assessment. Write it down. Honor it. The domain aftermarket has plenty of inventory. Almost any domain has alternatives at lower prices — don't overpay because of sunk cost from the backorder process. ## Alternatives to Backordering ### Direct Outreach to Current Owner If a domain hasn't expired yet but you want it, contact the current owner directly. WHOIS data (where not privacy-protected) or the registrar's contact forms can reach the owner. Many domain owners will sell at a reasonable price if they're not actively using the domain. This is often more effective and cheaper than competing in a drop-catch auction for a desirable name. ### Expired Domain Marketplaces Rather than backordering specific drops, browse marketplaces of already-expired domains that backorder services caught and are offering for sale: - **GoDaddy Auctions**: Large inventory of expired and expiring domains - **Sedo**: Strong marketplace for domain sales and auctions - **Afternic**: High volume, particularly strong for .com domains - **Dan.com**: Clean interface, competitive fees ### Wait for the Drop to Public Registration For low-demand domains, simply wait. Once the domain completes its full expiration cycle and drops from the registry, it may become available for standard registration. Check availability periodically with TLD Finder until it becomes registrable. ## Evaluating Expired Domain Quality Not every expiring domain is worth pursuing. Before committing to a backorder or auction bid, evaluate the domain against these quality signals: **Domain age**: Older domains (10+ years) often have accumulated link equity that newer domains lack. Check the registration date in WHOIS or through archive services. **Backlink profile**: Use Ahrefs, Majestic, or Moz to assess the domain's link profile. High-quality backlinks from authoritative domains (government, educational, established media) are valuable. Low-quality or spammy backlinks can be a liability that requires a disavow effort. **Traffic history**: Wayback Machine and traffic estimation tools can show whether the domain historically served real content and attracted real traffic. A domain with documented organic traffic history may recover search visibility faster when reactivated. **Spam history**: Check the domain against major email blacklists (Spamhaus, MXToolbox). Domains that were used for spam campaigns can be difficult to use for email — recovering inbox reputation is slow and unpredictable. **Brand clarity**: Generic keyword domains have broad appeal. Branded domains tied to defunct businesses may cause confusion or carry reputational baggage. **Price ceiling discipline**: Establish your maximum price before entering any auction. Backorder auctions can trigger competitive bidding that pushes prices well above the domain's objective value. Define your ceiling, calculate the expected ROI at that price, and walk away if bidding exceeds it. ## Backorder Services for Non-.com TLDs Most backorder service infrastructure is optimized for .com — the largest TLD by registration volume. For country-code TLDs and newer gTLDs: **ccTLD-specific services**: Some ccTLD registries operate their own drop-catching queues or have partnerships with specific registrars. For .uk, .de, .fr, and other major ccTLDs, check the registry's official documentation for how expiring domains are handled. **New gTLD drops**: New gTLDs often use a different expiration process than legacy gTLDs. Some have "Early Access Programs" where premium pricing applies in the first days after a name becomes available. Check the specific registry's lifecycle documentation. **Manual registration after drop**: For ccTLDs not well-served by backorder platforms, monitoring the registry's expiration queue (where available) and attempting manual registration at the moment of drop can be effective for low-competition names. TLD Finder Domain Grace Periods Explained How to Register a Domain: Complete Walkthrough