Why renewing your domain name on time matters

A domain name doesn't feel like a big deal. You register it, point it at your website and email, and then it quietly does its job. That's exactly why renewals get missed: the reminder lands in an old inbox, the card on file has expired, or the person who set it up has moved on.

Here's what actually happens when a domain expires, and some simple ways to make sure it never happens to you.

What happens when a domain expires

Your domain is the address that tells the internet where to find your website and where to deliver your email. When it expires, that address stops working.

Your website goes offline

Visitors who type in your address will get an error or a holding page instead of your site. Your website files are usually still sitting safely on your hosting, but nobody can reach them. From the outside, it looks like your business has disappeared.

Your email stops

This is the part that catches people out. If your email addresses use your domain (like you@yourbusiness.co.nz), they rely on the domain to work. When it lapses, incoming email can bounce or simply go missing, and you may not realise until a customer rings to ask why you're not replying.

Other things quietly break

Online forms, booking systems, logins to services that send codes to your email, and anything that links to your site can all be affected.

Grace periods: don't count on them

Most domain types have some kind of grace or redemption period after expiry, where the original owner can still renew. But the rules vary depending on the domain ending (.co.nz, .nz, .com and so on), and they can change. Some periods are short, and restoring a domain late can cost more than a normal renewal.

Rather than relying on a grace period, treat your renewal date as a real deadline. If you're unsure how it works for your domain, ask your registrar.

Someone else can register it

Once a domain is fully released, it's available to anyone. That might be a competitor, someone who wants to sell it back to you at a premium, or someone who wants to use your old name's reputation for spam or scams.

There are also drop catchers: automated services that watch for valuable domains coming free and try to register them the moment they're released. If your domain has been around a while and gets regular traffic, it may be more attractive to them than you'd think.

Getting a domain back once someone else owns it can be slow, expensive or impossible. Renewing on time is far easier.

Keep your contact details up to date

Renewal reminders are only useful if they reach you. Check that:

• the email address on your domain and client account is one you actually read
• it isn't an address on the same domain that's about to expire (if the domain lapses, you won't get the warnings)
• a former staff member, web designer or IT contractor isn't the only contact
• the domain is registered in your name or your business's name

For .nz domains, keeping your registrant details accurate is also part of the rules set by the Domain Name Commission.

Turn on auto-renew

Auto-renew does what it says: your domain renews automatically before it expires, using the payment method on file. It's the simplest way to avoid a lapse. Just make sure the card on file is current, because an auto-renew that fails is no better than no auto-renew at all.

You can check your domains, renewal dates and invoices any time in our client area at my.slightlydifferent.co.nz.

Consider registering for more than one year

If you know you'll want your domain for the long haul (and most businesses do), registering or renewing for several years at once means fewer renewal dates to manage and less chance of one slipping through.

Watch out for fake renewal notices

Unfortunately, domain renewals are a favourite topic for scammers. Common tricks include:

• letters or emails from a company you've never dealt with, styled to look like an invoice, that actually sign you up to transfer your domain to them
• emails warning that your domain is about to be "suspended" unless you pay now through a link
• offers to register your business name in other countries or under other domain endings, with pressure to act fast

A good rule: only pay renewals through the company you actually registered with. Our emails and invoices come from @slightlydifferent.co.nz addresses and our client area at my.slightlydifferent.co.nz, and we never ask for passwords, full card numbers or two factor codes by email, phone or text. If you get something that looks off, read how to tell if an email is really from us, or forward it to support@slightlydifferent.co.nz and we'll check it for you.

Keep domain and hosting renewals in one place

When your domain is with one company and your hosting is with another, you've got two sets of renewal dates, two logins and two lots of reminder emails to keep track of. It's easy for one to fall through the cracks.

Keeping them together means one client area, one set of invoices and one team who can see if something's about to lapse. We explain the benefits in more detail in why it helps to keep your domain and hosting together.

A quick renewal checklist

1. Find out where each of your domains is registered and when it expires.
2. Check the domain is in your name or your business's name.
3. Make sure the contact email is current and not on the same domain.
4. Turn on auto-renew and check the card on file.
5. Consider renewing for several years.
6. Only pay renewal invoices from the company you registered with.

We can help

If you're not sure where your domain is registered, when it's due or whether your details are right, give us a call on +64 3 541 9468 or get in touch. We register and transfer .co.nz, .nz, .com and more, and you can search for a new name on our domains page.