Domain Expiry Checker
See exactly when any domain expires, who the registrar is, and whether it is locked. Live registry data over RDAP, no signup.
Enter a bare domain like example.com (no https://, paths, or subdomains).
An expired domain takes down everything at once.
When a domain registration lapses, DNS is suspended within hours: the website, email, APIs, and every subdomain stop resolving at the same time. Unlike a server outage, nothing on your infrastructure can fix it, and recovery fees after the grace period commonly run 70 to 200 US dollars. This checker reads the registry record over RDAP (the structured successor to WHOIS) and shows the exact expiry date, registrar, and lock status for any generic top-level domain.
The 50 day rule
Transfers started inside roughly 45 days of expiry can forfeit the renewal year at the losing registrar, and many registrars auto-renew around day 30. Decide by day 50: renew where you are, or move while leaving is still free. Visual Sentinel alerts at exactly that point on every plan, including Free.
Domain expiry questions, answered.
When does my domain expire?
Enter your domain in the checker above. Visual Sentinel queries the registry directly over RDAP (the successor to WHOIS) and shows the exact expiry date, the registrar of record, the registration date, and any status locks. No signup, no account, and the data comes from the registry itself rather than a cached database.
What happens when a domain expires?
The site and its email stop working almost immediately: DNS for the domain is suspended, browsers cannot resolve it, and mail bounces. Most registrars offer a grace period (often 0 to 45 days) where the original owner can renew at the normal price, followed by a redemption period with a steep recovery fee (typically 70 to 200 US dollars). After that the domain can drop and be registered by anyone, including domain squatters.
Why should I renew or transfer more than 45 days before expiry?
Domain transfers started inside roughly 45 days of expiry can forfeit a renewal year at the losing registrar under ICANN transfer rules, and many registrars trigger auto-renewal around 30 days out. Deciding at least 50 days before expiry keeps both options fully open: renew where you are, or transfer somewhere cheaper without losing paid time.
How do I check a domain expiry date without logging into my registrar?
Use an RDAP or WHOIS lookup. RDAP is the modern, structured protocol that every generic top-level domain registry (.com, .net, .org, .io, .dev and the rest) is required to serve, and it returns the expiration date as machine-readable data. This page performs that RDAP query for you and shows the result in plain language.
What does "client transfer prohibited" mean?
It is a registrar lock, and it is usually good news: the domain cannot be transferred to another registrar until the lock is removed, which protects against domain hijacking. You only need to unlock it (in your registrar dashboard) when you intentionally move the domain.
Can I get alerts before my domain expires?
Yes. Visual Sentinel monitors domain registration expiry on every plan, including Free: alerts at 50, 30, 20, 13, 6, 3, and 1 days before expiry on email, WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, Teams, Telegram, or webhooks. The 50 day alert lands while you can still transfer registrars without losing the renewal year.
Why does the checker say expiry tracking is not available for my domain?
A small number of country-code domains (ccTLDs) do not publish RDAP data, so no tool can read their expiry over the open protocol. Generic domains like .com, .net, .org, .io, .dev, and .app always work. For unsupported ccTLDs, check directly with your registrar.