What is a "pending delete" domain?
PendingDelete is a status code assigned to expiring domain names by the domain name registry. Pending delete domain names have not been renewed by their previous owner before the expiry date, nor during the 30 day "redemption period" following the expiry date. Once a domain name is placed in PendingDelete, no modifications or updates are accepted by the registry. After 5 days in pending delete status, the domain name is released and available for anyone to register.
What is an "expired" domain name?
Expired domain names are previously owned domains that have not been renewed by their owner. Following a 30 day grace period (the "redemption period") and a 5 day "pending delete" period, the domain names are released to the general public.
Why register expired domain names?
One of the most difficult and expensive aspects of building a website is developing traffic. Traffic can come from links to your site, organic (non-paid) search engine ranking, and paid advertisements. Expired domains often have existing traffic from backlinks, as well as Google PageRank (which helps search engine placement) and pages indexed in the major search engines. By picking up an expired domain related to your website, you can save much of the time and money that would be spent on building traffic and links.
Domainers also like to register expired domains with existing traffic, and earn money by displaying ads to visitors on a domain parking page.
How do I get a "pending delete" domain?
When a domain you want is in pendingDelete, but not yet deleted, you have two choices:
How do I get an "expired" domain name?
If the deletion date has passed and the name has been released, you can just register it like any other domain name at GoDaddy or your favourite registrar (as long as nobody else has registered it first).
Where can I backorder domains?
Here's a list of some of the registrars who specialize in domain name backorders (also known as "drop catching") for the generic TLDs. If you really want to get a domain, you should backorder at as many drop catchers as possible (most only charge you if they're successful).
If more than one person backorders a domain at the winning registrar, the domain will typically be auctioned to the highest bidder.
Where can I backorder .ca TBR domains?
You can backorder Canadian .ca TBR domains at the registrars below. Again, to maximize your chances of getting a domain, you should backorder at as many drop catchers as possible, since most only charge you if they're successful.
How does the .ca TBR system work?
The domain deletion process for .ca domains is a little different. Expiring domains are called "to be released" (TBR). The expired domains are released by CIRA (the .ca registry) in batches every Wednesday at 2pm EST. For the first hour, only registrars are allowed to pick up the dropped domains (either for clients who backordered the domains, or for their own use). Then at 3pm, the remaining domains are released to the general public and can be registered as usual. For .ca backorders, each registrar has a slightly different auction system. Some have a pre-drop bidding system, with the bids determining the order in which they attempt to acquire the domains, while others have a post-drop auction system that is used when they get multiple backorders for one domain.