Posted on May 10, 2009 by Brett

SHORT ANSWER: An expired domain is a domain name that was once registered to an individual or a company whose registration has expired.

LONG ANSWER: In order to own a domain name, it must be registered to you personally or to your company, you choose. Once your domain name is registered, it’s yours for one year, then you have an option to renew. Once your domain is registered, each year you get to renew that registration. Domain name renewal costs anywhere from $5 to $15, depending on which domain name registrar you use.

Most domain name registrars give you the option of a multi-year renewal, which saves a few dollars and the headache of renewing every year. Multi-year renewals are a good idea if you have a domain name you are pretty certain you will want for the foreseeable future.

Even if you decide to let go of the website attached to the name, you can always use it for PPC and affiliate ads like the big guys do!

An expired domain name is one with an expired registration – no one can claim ownership. If you don’t renew your domain names at the end of each year, they become available for purchase on the open market.

Why would someone let go of a good domain name?

• Perhaps the domain name turned out to be not so good!
• Absentminded website owners who simply neglected to renew their domain names;
• Webmasters who got tied up in other ventures or interests;
• Webmasters who discontinued a site due to time constraints;
• Webmasters who ran out of money to continue to operate.

Domain name registrars know how valuable your domain names can be, so the good ones send out several renewal notices. If your email address on file with your domain name registrar is invalid, you will miss your renewal notice!

When a domain name expires nowadays, domain name registrars assume control for up to 6 months afterwards before putting it back on the market. Domain name registrars park that page with PPC ads on it so they can rake in the profits – no matter how small – from any continuing traffic you’ve built up. The domain name will now point to a parked page with PPC ads, with all monies going to the registrar. Smart!

Here’s the rub: if you decide you want the name back after it’s expired and the registrar has assumed control of it, the registrar will charge you anywhere from $50 to $150 (those are the prices I’ve seen) to pull that domain name out of limbo and reinstate it to you! (Even a domain name without much traffic might cough up a few pennies over time… even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then!)

The lesson here is, if there is any chance you can use that domain name, make sure your email address is good so you don’t miss your renewal!