TL;DR: The domain name lifecycle is the process that a domain name goes through from the time of its registration to the time it expires. The registration and renewal process is an essential part of maintaining control over your online identity, and ensuring that your website remains accessible to customers. Keeping track of expiration date and renewing the domain name on time is key, and can be helped by using automatic renewal service offered by registrars.

The domain name lifecycle is the process that a domain name goes through from the time of its registration to the time it expires. Understanding the domain name lifecycle and renewal process is essential for businesses and individuals who want to maintain control over their online identity and ensure that their website remains accessible to customers.

Here are the different stages involved in the domain name lifecycle:

• Registration: An individual or business selects a domain name and pays a fee to register it with a domain registrar. The registrar then verifies that the domain name is available and reserves it for the registrant. Once the registration is complete, the domain name is considered “active” and is ready to be used to set up a website or email address.
• Active Period: The domain is active and can be used to set up a website or email address.
• Renewal: As the expiration date approaches, the registrant will receive a reminder from the registrar to renew the domain name. The renewal process typically involves paying an additional fee to the registrar to extend the registration for an additional year.
• Grace Period: If the domain name is not renewed before its expiration date, it enters the “grace period” where the registrant can still renew the domain but with a surcharge.
• Redemption Period: If the domain name is still not renewed during the grace period, it will enter the “redemption period” which is a short window where the registrant can again renew the domain with a much higher fee.
• Pending Delete: If the domain name is not renewed by the end of the redemption period, it enters the “pending delete” phase, where the domain name is deleted from the registry and becomes available for registration by someone else.

It’s important to keep track of your domain’s expiration date and renew it on time to avoid the potential cost and inconvenience of losing the domain. Some registrars may also offer an automatic renewal service, where the registrar automatically renews the domain name on the expiration date, to avoid the hassle of manual renewals.