Domain Drop Date Calculator
Enter a TLD or a domain and its expiry date. We project it through that registry's own post-expiry stages and show the calendar date each one ends, through to the day the name is released.
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| Stage | From | Until | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today |
What is a Drop Date Calculator?
A drop date calculator answers one question: if nobody renews this domain, on what day does it become registrable again? An expired name does not drop on its expiry date. It passes through the registry's post-expiry stages first, and each registry runs its own: a .com waits about 80 days, a .co.uk about 90, a .nl about 40.
Enter the TLD and the expiry date and the calculator lays those stages onto the calendar. The durations are the same figures our monitoring engine classifies and forecasts with, taken from each registry's published policy. If you do not know the expiry date, look it up first with the domain expiry checker.
- Enter a TLD (com, co.uk, .de) or a full domain; we read its extension.
- Enter the expiry date from the domain's WHOIS or RDAP record.
- Read the date each stage ends and the day the name is expected to be released.
Why Calculate the Drop Date?
- Every registry differs: stage lengths range from a few weeks to three months, and some registries skip stages entirely.
- Plan the catch: knowing the release day tells you when to place a backorder and when to be watching.
- Engine figures: the same durations our monitoring uses, verified against each registry's published lifecycle.
Expiry to Drop, by TLD
The same expiry date drops on very different days depending on the registry. A few examples; the full table by TLD covers every characterised registry.
| TLD | Expiry to drop | How it gets there |
|---|---|---|
| .com | About 80 days | Renewal grace to day 45, redemption to day 75, then a short pending delete before release. Most generic TLDs follow the same shape. |
| .co.uk | About 90 days | Nominet suspends and then cancels the name, with no separate pending-delete stage. |
| .de | About 30 days | DENIC has no grace period: a deleted .de goes straight into its redemption grace period, then is free to register. |
| .nl | About 40 days | SIDN quarantines a cancelled name; only the previous holder can reclaim it before release. |
| .ca | About 78 days | CIRA adds a weekly To Be Released session, so the exact day depends on the week. |
| .at | About 56 days | nic.at has no grace or redemption: the whole wait is an irreversible pending delete. |
How to Read the Result
The calculator returns a date for every stage the registry runs. Here is what each part means.
One row per stage
The pathEach stage the registry runs gets its start and end date. A stage the registry does not run is left out rather than shown as zero days, so the table is that registry's real path.
The expected release date
The answerThe day the name leaves the deletion pipeline and anyone can register it. Where the registry releases in a daily batch, the batch window is shown in UTC.
Today's stage
Where it is nowIf the expiry date has passed, the stage the name should be in today is marked, with the days left until release.
A projection, not a reading
The caveatThis is date arithmetic on the expiry date you enter. It cannot see an early deletion or a renewal. To read where a real domain is today, use the expiry checker.
Check a live domainWhen the Clock Starts
The stages are counted from the expiry date, which is the date the registration lapses. For most generic TLDs that starts up to 45 days of renewal grace, then redemption, then pending delete, and the name is released at the end.
Two things move the real date:
- Early deletion: registrars often delete before the last day of grace, which starts redemption sooner and brings the drop forward.
- A renewal or restore: the owner can still recover the name during grace and usually during redemption, and then it never drops.
Why Every Registry Differs
ICANN contracts fix the stages for generic TLDs, which is why .com, .net and most new gTLDs share one shape. Country-code registries write their own rules: some quarantine instead of redeeming, some have no pending delete, and a few release names in a weekly session.
The calculator uses each registry's published lifecycle where we have verified it, and labels the result an estimate where we have not. Every timeline is in the domain lifecycle guide.
Where Drop Dates Go Wrong
The arithmetic is simple. The surprises come from the record you read the expiry date from, and from what happens to the name along the way:
- Auto-renewed records: many registries roll the expiry date forward a year the moment it passes, even if the owner never pays. The date you see may already be next year's. Use the date the name actually lapsed.
- Auctions: a name with value is often sold by the registrar's auction partner during grace and never reaches the public drop.
- Early deletion: a registrar can delete in the first days of grace, so the real release can come weeks earlier than the full timeline.
- Time zones and batches: registries release in batches on their own clock. Where a batch window is known it is shown in UTC; otherwise the release day is approximate. Put the name on a domain watch to hear the moment it is released.
What a Drop Date Is For
Timing a backorder
Drop-catching services race at release. Knowing the day tells you when to have a backorder in place and when to be watching.
Recovering your own name
If you missed a renewal, the stage dates tell you how long you have at the normal price and when a restore fee begins.
Planning an acquisition
A name you want that is near expiry may come free at release. The date tells you how long to wait before approaching the owner instead.
Setting a reminder
Put the release day in a calendar, or better, put the name on a watchlist that reads its real registry status.
Who Uses a Drop Date Calculator
The same date answers a different question depending on who is asking.
Domain investors
Plan which expiring names to backorder this week and which are still months away.
For domain investorsStartups
Find out when the name you want could be free, and whether it is worth waiting for.
Availability monitoringAgencies
Tell a client who missed a renewal exactly how long they have before the name is gone.
For agenciesBrand teams
Know when a lapsed look-alike or old campaign domain could be picked up by someone else.
For brand protectionRelated Domain Tools
Once you have the date, here is where to go next.
Read the live record
Check the domain's real expiry date and its stage today, straight from the registry.
Domain expiry checkerWatch for the drop
Get an email the moment the name is released, with no account needed.
Domain watchCompare registries
Every characterised TLD's grace, redemption and pending-delete lengths in one table.
Drop times by TLDFollow every stage
Put names on a watchlist and get an alert at each real stage change, not just the projected one.
Domain watchlistsFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about when expired domains drop.
When does an expired domain drop?
It depends on the TLD. A .com is typically released about 80 days after expiry, after renewal grace, redemption and pending delete. Country-code registries differ: a .co.uk takes about 90 days and a .nl about 40.
How accurate is the calculated drop date?
It is exact arithmetic on the registry's published stage lengths, so it is right when the name runs the full timeline. It moves earlier if the registrar deletes early in grace, and the name never drops if the owner renews or restores it.
Where do I find the expiry date?
In the domain's WHOIS or RDAP record. Our domain expiry checker reads it from the registry and also shows the stage the name is in today.
Why is the expiry date in WHOIS already next year?
Many generic registries auto-renew a name at the registry level the moment it expires, so the record shows a date a year ahead even though the owner has not paid. If the name is in grace, use the date it actually lapsed.
What time of day do domains drop?
Each registry releases on its own schedule. Some publish a daily batch window, which the calculator shows in UTC; others release continuously or do not publish a time.
Can I register the domain on the drop date?
Once it is released, anyone can register it at the normal price on a first-come basis. Valuable names are often caught within seconds by drop-catching services, so a backorder or a watch gives you the best chance.
What if my TLD is not characterised?
The calculator falls back to the generic lifecycle most registries follow and marks the result as an estimate. The TLD timelines page lists every registry we have verified.
Does the calculator look up the domain?
No. It only does date arithmetic on the TLD and date you enter; no registry is queried and nothing is stored.
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