Domain Expiry / Hold / Pending Delete Checklist

Problem

RDAP shows that the domain is expiring soon, on hold, or pending deletion.

Symptoms

• RDAP exposes clientHold, pendingDelete, or imminent expiry.
• DNS behavior may already look abnormal or unstable.
• Registrar dashboard state and live service behavior may no longer align.

Top 3 Causes

1. Renewal or billing failed - Auto-renew or payment did not complete correctly.
2. Registrar or registry policy action - Verification, abuse, or policy issues triggered a hold state.
3. Deletion workflow is already in progress - The domain has moved into a harder-to-recover phase.

Diagnose with DechoNet

• RDAP / WHOIS to inspect the current status flags and expiry timeline.
• DNS Lookup to verify whether critical records still resolve as expected.

Resolution Checklist

• Review expiry date, auto-renew configuration, and billing state immediately.
• If the domain is on clientHold, inspect registrar notices, verification steps, and policy alerts.
• If the domain is pendingDelete, contact the registrar immediately about recovery options and deadlines.
• Check related DNS, SSL, and HTTP impact if the domain is production-critical.
• Re-run RDAP after corrective action and confirm the status flags return to normal.

When to Escalate

• Escalate immediately to the registrar because these states often cannot be fixed purely at the application layer.
• Involve operations, security, and billing owners together if the affected domain is business-critical.