What is a domain backorder?
A backorder is a standing order on a domain name that someone else currently owns. You cannot buy a registered name from the registry while it is registered, and you cannot register it the moment it expires, because an expired name is not deleted straight away. It moves through several phases first, and in most of them the current owner can still renew or restore it. A backorder is your instruction to try to register the name for you when it is finally deleted, which is called the drop.
A backorder is different from buying a name from its owner. If the owner is willing to sell, a direct purchase or an offer through a domain marketplace is usually the quicker route. A backorder is for names whose owners let them lapse. It is also different from registering an available name: if a name is already free, you simply register it.
The general process of attempting names at the moment they drop is called drop catching. This article explains the steps from the buyer's side: when to place an order, how to read its status, what you pay and what happens when you are not the only one who wants the name.
When should you place a backorder?
The best time to place a backorder is as soon as you know you want the name and it is in the expiry cycle, or even before, if you are watching it. A typical sequence for many generic extensions looks like this, though exact lengths and even the phases themselves vary by registry and registrar:
- Expiry. The registration period ends. The name usually keeps resolving for a short time and the owner can renew at the normal price.
- Grace period. For roughly 30 to 45 days after expiry, the owner can still renew. Some registrars park the name or take it to their own auction during this phase.
- Redemption period. The name is marked for deletion, and the owner can restore it for roughly 30 days by paying a restore fee. Details are in domain redemption period.
- Pending delete. For about 5 days, the name can no longer be restored and is scheduled for deletion.
- Drop. The registry deletes the name and it becomes available for registration.
Country code extensions often follow their own rules, and some do not have a pending delete phase at all. The full timeline, with what happens on each day, is in domain lifecycle. Placing the backorder early costs you nothing extra and means you do not miss a name because you noticed it a day too late.
To follow specific names before they expire, add them to a watchlist and use a domain expiry check so you get an alert when a name changes status.
How do you find domains worth backordering?
There are two ways in. You either know the exact name you want, or you are looking for good names among everything that is about to drop.
- Specific names. Names you have wanted for a while, names that match a project, or names whose owners have stopped using them. Put them on a watchlist and backorder when they enter the expiry cycle.
- Discovery. Review the daily list of expired domain names, sorted and filtered by extension, length, words, hyphens, digits, age, drop date, value score and category, and pick the names that pass your criteria.
- Rules. If you backorder regularly, turn your criteria into a rule that runs every day. The rule backorders names that meet your conditions within a budget you set, as described in find domains that are expiring.
Before backordering, judge the name on its own merits. A domain appraisal gives a value score and an estimated value range with the drivers behind it, and the domain value estimator lets you check up to 20 names in the demo. For the method, see how to value a domain name. Also check trademarks: a name that contains a brand is a legal risk, not an opportunity.
How to backorder a domain, step by step
- Check that the name is really heading toward deletion. Look at its status and expiry date. A name in its normal registration period can be renewed at any time, so a backorder only matters if it lapses.
- Place the backorder. Enter the name, confirm the extension is supported and set your maximum for an auction, in case other members want the same name.
- Watch the status. The backorder moves through statuses as the name moves through its lifecycle, and you get notified about changes.
- Act on the result. If you win the name, it is registered to your account and you pay its registration fee. If not, the backorder closes and nothing is charged for the name.
- Decide what to do with the name. Develop it, hold it, or list it for sale. Our guide to domain flipping covers holding and selling.
Placing the order early does not change your position against other members who want the same name. If several people backorder it, the result is decided in a private auction, not by who clicked first.
What do backorder statuses mean?
Each backorder has one status at a time. Knowing what they mean tells you what to expect next and whether you need to do anything.
| Status | What it means | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Watching | The name is on your watchlist and no backorder is placed yet | Place a backorder when you decide you want it |
| Scheduled | The name is in the expiry cycle and the backorder is set for its drop | Review your auction maximum, or cancel before the drop |
| Pending drop | The name is in pending delete and its drop date is close | Nothing, the attempt happens at the drop |
| In auction | Several members backordered the name and a private auction is running | Bid up to your maximum |
| Won | The name is registered to your account | Pay the registration fee or the closing bid, then manage the name |
| Lost | Another member won the auction, or the name was not obtained | Nothing is charged for the name |
| Released | The owner renewed or restored the name, so it did not drop | Keep watching if you still want it |
A backorder that ends as Released is common. Owners often renew during the grace period or restore during redemption. That is why a backorder is never a promise that you will get the name: it is an attempt that only happens if the name actually drops.
What does a domain backorder cost?
Costs are split into two parts: the service and the name. Your plan covers the service. When a backorder succeeds you pay the domain's registration fee, the price of the name itself. When several members backorder the same name, it goes to a private auction between them and the winner pays the closing bid.
- The registration fee depends on the extension, so it is shown with the backorder before you place it.
- There is no per-catch fee on top of the registration fee or the closing bid.
- If the backorder ends as Lost or Released, nothing is charged for the name.
- Payments for names that change hands go through domain escrow.
The number of backorders you can place each month depends on your plan: 25 on Starter, 150 on Pro and 750 on Portfolio, with custom limits on Enterprise. See domaining pricing for details, or backorder domain for the full description of the feature.
What happens when several people backorder the same domain?
When more than one member backorders the same name, the name does not go to whoever placed the order first. Instead, if the name is obtained, it goes to a private auction open only to the members who backordered it. Each member can bid up to the maximum they choose. The highest bidder wins, and the winner pays the closing bid.
- Set a written maximum before the auction starts, based on your own valuation of the name.
- Bid only what the name is worth to you, including the renewals you will pay while you hold it.
- If you lose, the backorder closes as Lost and nothing is charged.
The rules for bidding and auction statuses are covered on domain auctions.
Common backorder mistakes to avoid
- Backordering a name because it expired, not because it is a good name.
- Forgetting to set an auction maximum and bidding emotionally.
- Assuming a backorder guarantees the name. Owners renew and restore names regularly.
- Placing orders on names that contain trademarks.
- Tracking dozens of backorders in a spreadsheet instead of reading their statuses in one place.
- Winning a name and never listing it, so it only costs renewals.
What should you do after winning a backordered domain?
Once the status shows Won and the payment is settled, the name is yours to manage. Set it to renew according to your holding plan, point it where you need it, and if you bought it to sell, list it on a domain marketplace and put it on domain parking with a for-sale page. If you manage many names, read domain investing for budgets, renewal forecasts and exit channels.