Drop catching and domain backorders explained

The deletion cycle

A .com that is not renewed does not become free immediately. It moves through a grace period where the owner can still renew, then a redemption period with a heavy restore fee, then a short pending-delete window. Only at the end of that window does the name actually drop.

• Auto-renew grace — roughly 30–45 days, owner renews at normal price.
• Redemption — around 30 days, restore is possible but expensive.
• Pending delete — about 5 days, no restore, the drop time is predictable.
• Release — the name is available and catchers compete for it in milliseconds.

When a backorder is worth it

Place one only when the name would still be worth the fee if the catch succeeds and nothing else about it changes. Desirable names attract multiple backorders and resolve into an auction, so decide your ceiling before bidding starts, not during.

Filter first, chase second

Thousands of names drop daily and almost all of them are worthless. Start from filters — keyword, extension, authority, referring domains, age, price — so you only spend attention on the handful that pass your thresholds.

Frequently asked

Does a backorder guarantee I get the domain?

No. If several people backorder the same name, the successful catcher runs a private auction between them, and other catchers may win the drop entirely.

How early should I track a dropping domain?

As soon as it enters redemption. That gives you time to research the history before the pending-delete window opens.