Track Every Phase of the Domain Lifecycle
Domain status monitoring reads EPP codes from the registry and alerts you when a domain enters a new lifecycle stage.
- Active through grace, redemption and pending delete
- Registry codes translated, not shown raw
- You choose which transitions are worth an alert
Expired
Waiting for owner renewal...
Grace Period
Owner can still renew.
Redemption Period
High-fee recovery possible.
Pending Deletion
Registry drop is imminent...
Available!
Alert dispatched immediately.
Automated Lifecycle & Status Monitoring
Checking WHOIS by hand is reactive. By the time you notice a domain has entered a penalty phase, the cheapest way to recover it may already have passed.
- Grace period: an alert when a domain passes its expiry date and enters the grace period, the last stretch where it renews at the normal price.
- Redemption: an alert when it enters the redemption period, while it can still be restored for a fee.
- Pending delete: an alert when it enters pending delete, which also starts the drop forecast for anyone waiting to register it.
Each domain chooses which of these stages is worth an alert, so an owner can hear about grace and redemption while a buyer watching the same name hears only about pending delete and release. The full ladder is explained on the domain lifecycle page.
client-portal.net
Lifecycle Audit TrailDomain registered and healthy.
Domain expired. Registrar grace period initiated.
Entered registry redemption phase. High recovery fees apply.
Professional Intelligence & Delivery
A status alert is only useful if the reading behind it is right and it reaches someone who can act.
Whether an owner lets a renewal slip or a name you want enters pending delete, the transition is delivered by email on every plan, and to Slack, Discord or a signed webhook on Pro and Business.
See Alert Delivery ChannelsRDAP First, WHOIS as Fallback
Each check reads the registry over RDAP, the structured successor to WHOIS, and falls back to WHOIS for the extensions where RDAP is missing or unreliable.
Per-Extension Lifecycles
Registries spell the same state differently and run different phase lengths. Hundreds of raw status spellings are mapped to one set of stages, and each extension’s own durations drive the forecast.
A Timestamped History
Every check that saw a change is kept with its time and what moved, so you can show when a domain entered each stage. Routine checks that saw nothing new age out after 90 days.
Nine EPP Status Codes, and What Each Means
EPP status codes are the registry’s own labels for a domain’s state. Domainyze records every code a registry reports and rolls them up into plain lifecycle stages, which are what alerts are sent on. Here is what happens with the nine you will meet most.
clientHold
Registrar Suspension
Set by the registrar, often after expiry or a billing or verification problem. The domain is removed from DNS, so its website and email stop resolving.
In Domainyze: read as the Grace period stage, and alerted when a domain enters it.
serverHold
Registry Suspension
Set by the registry itself, usually over a legal dispute or an abuse report. The domain is removed from DNS until the registry lifts it.
In Domainyze: read as the Grace period stage, and alerted when a domain enters it.
pendingTransfer
Transfer Initiated
A request to move the domain to a new registrar has been received and is waiting to complete or be rejected.
In Domainyze: recorded and shown on the domain. A completed transfer is alerted as a registrar change on paid plans.
redemptionPeriod
Penalty Phase
The registrar has deleted the expired domain, and the registry holds it for a fixed period (30 days on .com) during which the owner can still restore it for a fee.
In Domainyze: read as the Redemption stage, and alerted when a domain enters it.
pendingDelete
Terminal Phase
The final countdown before release (5 days on .com). The domain can no longer be renewed or restored by its owner.
In Domainyze: read as the Pending delete stage, alerted, and the start of the drop forecast.
autoRenewPeriod
Registrar Grace
The window just after expiry when the registry has auto-renewed the domain and the registrar can still reverse or keep that renewal.
In Domainyze: read as the Grace period stage, the last chance to renew at the normal price.
clientTransferPro
Registrar Lock
The standard transfer lock set by your registrar. Transfer requests are refused while it is on.
In Domainyze: recorded and shown on the domain, not alerted on its own.
serverTransferPro
Registry Lock
A transfer lock set at the registry, often as part of a paid registry-lock service that needs manual verification to remove.
In Domainyze: recorded and shown on the domain, not alerted on its own.
ok
Standard Active
The domain is registered and active, with no holds, locks or pending operations.
In Domainyze: read as the Active stage.
Every status and EPP code above is defined in full in the domain status glossary. To read a domain’s current codes once, use the free WHOIS lookup.
Who Watches Domain Status
Three kinds of owner read the same status codes for different reasons. Each links to the page for that kind of owner.
Domain Investors
Follow a name you want through grace, redemption and pending delete. Each stage it enters is an alert, and the last one starts the drop forecast.
Domain monitoring for investors Use CaseIT Teams & MSPs
A registrar hold takes a client’s site and mail off DNS without warning. The stage change reaches you before the support tickets do.
Domain monitoring for IT teams and MSPs Use CaseLegal & Trademark Teams
Watch the domain a matter turns on. Every stage it passes through is recorded with its time, and you are alerted the day it becomes available.
Domain monitoring for legal and trademark teamsThis is one capability of Domain monitoring, the lane it runs in. That page covers everything else the lane watches and what each plan includes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is alerted, what is only recorded, and how it is read.
What is domain status monitoring?
Domain status monitoring tracks the EPP status codes a registry reports for a domain and alerts you when they show it has moved to a new stage of its lifecycle, such as grace, redemption, pending delete or available. Domainyze reads the codes from the registry over RDAP or WHOIS and translates hundreds of registry spellings into one set of plain stages.
Which status changes send an alert?
Entering a new lifecycle stage: grace period, redemption, pending delete, available or blocked, on every plan. You choose per domain which stages are worth an alert. On Pro and Business, a name listed at auction and a change of registrar or nameservers are alerted as well. Every plan hears the same stage alerts; what paid plans add is delivery channels and the drop forecast.
Will I be alerted if a transfer lock is removed?
Not on its own. Lock codes such as clientTransferProhibited are recorded and shown on the domain, but adding or removing one does not change its lifecycle stage, so it does not send an alert. If the domain is then transferred, the change of registrar is alerted on Pro and Business.
What is the difference between client and server status codes?
Client codes, such as clientTransferProhibited or clientHold, are set by the registrar and can usually be changed from your registrar account. Server codes, such as serverTransferProhibited or serverHold, are set by the registry and need the registry or a registry-lock service to change. Both are recorded the same way in Domainyze.
Why does my domain show clientTransferProhibited?
Most registrars set a transfer lock automatically when a domain is registered or updated, to stop it being moved to another registrar without your say. It is normal and protective. Turn it off in your registrar account only when you intend to transfer the domain.
Can status monitoring help me recover my own domain?
Yes, by telling you which recovery window you are in. A domain in the grace period renews at the normal price, one in redemption can be restored for a fee, and one in pending delete can no longer be recovered by you. See expiry monitoring to be reminded before any of this starts.
How often is a domain’s status checked?
A domain you watch is checked every 12 hours on free and every 6 hours on paid while nothing is happening, more often as it approaches release, and on paid plans every 2 minutes or faster inside an observed drop window. A domain in your portfolio is checked on its own fixed schedule, at least once a day.
Does it work for country-code domains?
Yes, for any extension whose registry publishes registration data over RDAP or WHOIS, which includes most gTLDs and many ccTLDs. Some country registries publish little or no status detail, and those domains show fewer stages. The TLD pages describe the lifecycle of each extension we characterise.