When a domain expires and drops
Backorder (drop catching)
A backorder is a request to a service to try to register a domain the instant it is deleted. Drop catching is the practice of doing this at scale.
What Backorder means in practice
Backorder services keep fast, direct connections to registries and try to register every name their customers asked for when it drops. When several customers want the same name, it usually goes to an auction among them.
A backorder only makes sense for a name that is about to drop, which is in pending delete. Services charge only if they win the name, with the details varying by company.
Why it matters
If a name matters to you, a backorder is far more likely to succeed than refreshing a registrar page. A link that goes to a backorder service may be an affiliate link.
Try it
- Drop Calendar Expiring names by estimated drop date, with filters and a live check.
- Deleted Domains Names that appeared in, or left, the .com zone since the last snapshot, filtered by a keyword.
Related terms
- Domain drop A domain drop is the moment an expired name is finally deleted by the registry and becomes available for anyone to register again.
- Pending delete Pending delete is the last stage before a domain is released: a period of about five days when the owner can no longer restore it and it is about to be deleted.
- Domain aftermarket The domain aftermarket is the resale market for names that are already registered: marketplaces, brokers, auctions and direct sales between owners.