Recovery
Get your web address back
A business can lose its name in three common ways. The steps to get it back are different for each. Find yours below, or send us the name and we check it for you.
Three common causes
How did you lose the name?
The renewal lapsed
The reminder went to an old email address, or the card on file expired. Time matters most here.
Expired .com.au: what to do →The web designer holds it
Your old designer registered the name. Now they do not answer, or they want a fee to release it.
Web designer holds my domain →A drop-catcher caught it
The name was released and someone registered it straight away. It shows a parking page or a for-sale sign.
A drop-catcher took my name →The .au expiry clock
- Day 0Expiry
The licence period ends. The website and email on the name can stop working.
- Days 1 to 30Expired hold
Only the current holder can renew the name. Act here and recovery is simple.
- After day 30Drop list, 24 hours
The name goes on the public drop list for 24 hours. Drop-catchers watch this list.
- ThenPurged and released
The name is released. Any eligible person or business can register it. The first application wins.
If your name expired in the last 30 days, send us an enquiry today. We check its status and who can renew it.
Questions
Recovery questions
How long do I have after my .com.au expires?
For 30 days after expiry, only the current holder can renew the name. After that, the name goes on the public drop list for 24 hours. Then it is released, and any eligible person or business can register it.
Is my name lost if someone else registered it?
Not always. The new holder may sell it. For a .com.au name, the new holder must also meet the eligibility rules for that name (rule 2.4.4). auDA takes complaints about a holder who does not meet the rules.
Do you give legal advice?
No. We tell you what the auDA Licensing Rules say and what the registry record shows. For legal advice, talk to a lawyer.
Enquiries
Send us the name you lost
Type the web address and tell us what happened. We check the registry record and reply by email with your options.
- A person reads your enquiry. No bot replies.
- We check the name on the registry record.
- We reply by email with what we found and your options.