Everything you need to know about domain backorders

*As of October 2016, backorders can only be placed on domains that have a set drop date. 

You have the perfect idea for a domain name. But when you gleefully head to Name.com and type it into the search bar, something terrible happens—you find out that someone has already registered your dream domain name, leaving it sadly out of your grasp.

Life is cruel.

But don’t lose hope! Just as new domains are registered every day, existing domains sometimes expire without being renewed by the original owner—leaving it free for you to snatch up the moment it hits the market once more. Name.com’s backorder process allows you to place a tentative hold on a domain name that is close to expiration and increase your chances of securing it if it is not renewed by the current owner.

How does the backorder process work?

If you search for a domain name that’s already registered, you may see the option to place a backorder on the domain. If the current owner decides not to renew the domain once its registration has expired, a 77-day expiration process begins. Even after the domain expires, the former owner still has a few last chances to reregister the domain before it goes back on the market. If the domain finishes the expiration process without being renewed once more, the backorder process can begin.

At Name.com, we only allow one backorder at a time to be placed on a domain. However, this does not guarantee that you’ll get the domain as soon as it expires. This is because all the other registrars out there have a chance to make a bid for it as well. We’ll try to snag it on your behalf the moment it becomes available—and if we manage to grab it before any other registrar does, the domain is yours!

How do I purchase a backorder?

If a domain you searched for is already registered and does not already have a backorder placed on it by another Name.com customer, you are free to backorder it yourself. Just press the blue “Backorder” button, review your cart, and proceed to checkout. The price of the backorder includes all domain costs, so all you’ll need to worry about it renewing the domain later on. That cost will be deducted right away, but will be refunded if you decide you no longer want the domain or if someone else wins the backorder bid.

You can see all of your backorders by signing into you Name.com account and choosing Deleting Domains Management under the My Account tab. There, you can view your backorders, search them by keyword, and cancel any you no longer are interested in.

I don’t want to try to secure this domain anymore. How do I cancel my backorder?

You can cancel a backorder by navigating to the Deleting Domains Management section. Press the Cancel button next to the domain you want to remove from your backorder list. Note that this must be done at least 72 hours before the domain becomes available. We will try to refund you to your original payment method, but if we cannot, you will receive Name.com account credit.

Want to learn more? Visit our Knowledge Base for more tips and tutorials.