When a domain name expires, your website becomes inaccessible and your email services are disrupted. If a third party registers your expired domain name, it can cause irreversible damage to your brand and business. This topic describes how to manage your domain name's renewal lifecycle.
Domain name lifecycle and renewal policy
A domain name goes through several stages from registration to deletion, each with a distinct renewal window and costs. To avoid service disruption and additional fees, renew your domain name before it expires.
Before expiration
Active period: Renew your active domain name before it expires. This is a safe and low-cost practice.
After expiration
Grace period: After expiration, the domain name enters a grace period. During this period, DNS resolution for the domain name may be suspended, but you can still renew it at the standard price. This is typically a 30-day period, beginning on the date of expiration. For .hk domain names, the grace period is 28 days, after which they are immediately deleted.
Redemption period: After the grace period, the domain name enters a redemption period. To restore the domain name, you must pay a redemption fee, which is much higher than the standard renewal price. The redemption window typically runs from day 31 to day 60 after expiration. For domain names managed by China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), such as .cn, this window is from day 31 to day 44 after expiration.
Pending deletion period: After the redemption period, the domain name enters a brief pending deletion period. Then, the registry deletes the domain name and releases it for public registration. During this period, you cannot renew the domain name.
Per ICANN policy, transferring a domain name out of Alibaba Cloud within 45 days of a successful renewal or redemption will void the renewal year. The fee for that renewal is non-refundable. To avoid this, please wait at least 45 days after renewing or redeeming your domain name before initiating a transfer. For more information, see Transfer out from Alibaba Cloud.
Renewal procedure
Log on to the Domain Names console and go to Domain Names page.
This operation must be performed by either the Alibaba Cloud account that owns the domain name or a RAM user who has been granted domain management permissions.
To renew a single domain name: Find the domain name and click Renew in the Actions column.
To renew multiple domain names: Select all domain names that you want to renew and click Renew Domain Names at the bottom of the list.
On the order confirmation page, select a renewal period for each domain name and click Buy Now.
DNS resolution recovery time
After you renew a domain name during its grace period, the DNS resolution recovery time depends on DNS propagation.
For domain names that use Alibaba Cloud DNS: Resolution typically resumes within 10 minutes, but can take up to 24 hours after renewal.
For domain names that use a third-party DNS service: Resolution resumes within 24 to 48 hours after renewal.
Troubleshoot renewal failures
Payment issues:
Check if your account balance is sufficient.
Verify that your linked payment method (such as a credit card) is valid.
Check if your account has any overdue payments.
Domain name status issues:
For a
.cndomain name, check if it has passed identify verification.