Domain Expiration Timeline and NIC Behavior
When a domain reaches its expiration date, the registry (NIC) automatically places it in the autorenewPeriod status, which lasts for 15 days. During this time, the domain is not yet renewed, but a grace period is granted to allow for deletion or transfer decisions.
Purpose of the autorenewPeriod
The autorenewPeriod is a technical transition phase set by the NIC. If no action is taken within 15 days, the domain is automatically renewed. This mechanism ensures a more flexible and secure management of domain expirations.
WHOIS lookup behavior
During the autorenewPeriod, WHOIS queries will continue to show the previous expiration date. Only after the domain is effectively renewed (at the end of the 15-day period), the new expiration date will be updated and visible in WHOIS databases.
Important notice
As stated by the NIC: “Upon reaching the expiration date shown in the expire field of the registration, the domain name enters the autoRenewPeriod, which represents the 15 (fifteen) days immediately following the domain’s expiration.”
