How to Deal with Accidental Domain Deletion
Published: 20 Oct, 2025

Accidentally deleting a domain is one of the most underestimated risks in domain management—especially when working with large portfolios, automation scripts, or unfamiliar registrar interfaces.

It’s a scenario that catches even experienced users off guard: the domain is live, DNS is fine, and then… gone. The site goes down, email stops working, and worse: someone else might register the domain within minutes.

Let’s dissect what really happens behind the scenes—and what options you have.

❌ What Counts as “Accidental Deletion”?

Mistakenly clicking “delete” instead of “renew” in a registrar panel
Domain expired and auto-renew failed due to outdated payment method
Using registrar APIs/scripts with destructive operations (e.g., bulk deletion)
Deleting a domain thinking it's unused, only to realize it's connected to DNS, email, or redirects

Redemption Grace Period (RGP): Your Window of Recovery

Most TLDs under ICANN (like .com, .net, .org) implement a 30-day Redemption Grace Period after deletion. During this time, the domain is:

Not available to the public
Recoverable by the previous owner (but usually with a fee)
Still listed under WHOIS with a status like REDEMPTIONPERIOD

Use the WHOIS Lookup Tool to check the status of a recently deleted domain.

Not All Domains Behave the Same

Some ccTLDs (country-code domains) like .uk, .de, .es may:

Have shorter redemption periods
Offer no recovery at all
Release domains directly to the public upon deletion

Others like .xyz, .top, .club may have silent auctions before public availability—meaning someone could snatch your domain even before it "drops".

✅ What to Do Immediately

Check WHOIS: Confirm the domain status (e.g., pendingDelete, clientHold, redemptionPeriod).
Contact the Registrar: Request restoration. Be ready to pay a reactivation fee ($40–$120 is common).
Lock Your Domains: Always enable clientTransferProhibited to prevent unauthorized changes.
Enable Auto-Renew: And keep your payment methods up to date.
Monitor Expiry Logs: Use external alerts or your own scripts to detect domains nearing expiration.

Pro Tip

If a domain is already in pendingDelete, there’s no way to recover it. It will drop in 5 calendar days, and domain drop catchers will be watching.