Guides & Domain Blog

Short, practical write-ups on the things people ask us: DNS records, .htaccess rules, Cloudflare settings and what actually happens to a domain when it expires.

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68 guides on DNS, .htaccess, Cloudflare and expired domains.

9 results for “domain life cycle”

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Understanding The Life Cycle of a Domain Name

From the day a domain is registered to the day it is released again, every domain follows the same stages. Here is what happens at each one, how long it lasts, and what you…

Blogs 18. January 2024 7 min read

The Full Top Level Domain List as of 2024

Welcome to the definitive guide to the full Top Level Domain (TLD) list as of 2024. As the digital landscape evolves, so does the variety of TLDs available to users worldwide. This blog post…

Blogs 10. February 2024 6 min read

How to Redirect an expired domain using the htaccess file

When your domain expires, don't lose the valuable SEO equity you've built up. Our latest blog post guides you through the process of redirecting an expired domain using the .htaccess file, ensuring that the…

Guides 20. January 2024 4 min read

Is it Possible to Transfer Expired Domain Ownership?

If you're eyeing a domain that's on the cusp of expiring, knowing the domain's life cycle is like having an insider's tip on the best time to make an offer. Be quick to get…

Blogs 18. January 2024 4 min read

What Happens When a Domain Expires?

When a domain expires, it doesn't immediately disappear but enters a redemption period, offering the original owner a last chance to reclaim it - typically at a higher cost. If unclaimed, the domain status…

Blogs 13. January 2024 7 min read

Your Complete Guide to Dropped Domains

A dropped domain is a name that expired, went through the grace periods and was deleted, so anyone can register it. Here is how they drop, what to check and how to buy.

Blogs 16. December 2023 7 min read

Expired Domains, everything you should know

Expired domains are names that someone stopped renewing and that anyone can register again. Here is why people want them, what can go wrong, and how to check one before you buy.

Blogs 8. December 2023 7 min read

About Guides & Domain Blog

What is in the guides and where to start.

What do the guides cover?

Two broad areas. First, domains: how the domain lifecycle works, what happens when a name expires, whether expired domains are worth buying and where to buy them. Second, the practical work that follows: reading a WHOIS record, adding DNS records at common registrars, redirecting an old domain, and configuring .htaccess, caching and Cloudflare.

Who are these guides for?

People registering or buying a domain and then having to make it work. That covers first-time buyers who want to know what a nameserver is, domain investors sizing up expired names, and site owners doing their own DNS, redirects and caching. The guides assume no prior knowledge and show the actual steps rather than describing them in the abstract.

Do I need an account to read them?

No. The guides, the expired domain lists and the lookup tools are open to everyone. An account is only needed for the parts that have to remember something for you: saving favourites and setting up match rules that alert you when a name you want becomes available.

How current is the information?

Every guide carries its publication date, so check it before following a walkthrough. The domain concepts — expiry, redemption, DNS record types — barely change. Registrar and control panel screens change often, so a screenshot from an older guide may no longer match what you see, even when the steps are still right.

Where should I start?

If domains are new to you, start with the lifecycle of a domain name and what happens when one expires — almost everything else here builds on those two. If you already know the ground and want names, go straight to the expired domains list or the WHOIS lookup.