Domain status codes
Every domain registration carries at least one status code, and most carry several. Set by the registrar, the registry, or the lifecycle itself, they explain why a domain resolves, what it cannot do, and where it sits on the path from registration to deletion.
To see the codes on a live domain, use the lookup below. The domain abuse contacts tool reads the same RDAP record and adds the registrar and hosting abuse channels.
When a lookalike keeps reappearing under new names, domain monitoring checks new registrations across every covered TLD each day.
The domain lifecycle
The sequence below follows a name from registration to deletion. The add, renew, auto-renew and transfer grace periods mark windows where the registrar can still delete the name for a registry credit; redemptionPeriod, pendingRestore and pendingDelete belong to the deletion path itself.
- 1.addPeriodRegistration. the refundable first days of a new name
- 2.okLive. active with no pending operations or prohibitions
- 3.autoRenewPeriodExpiry. the registry renewed the lapsed name
- 4.redemptionPeriodDeletion requested. 30-day window where a restore still works
- 5.pendingRestoreRescue attempt. restore documentation in flight, or back to redemption
- 6.pendingDeleteFinal queue. about five days, no restore possible
- 7.droppedpurged from the registry, open to register
Expiry and deletion
Holds and locks
Everyday operation
Frequently asked questions
Standardized EPP status values carried on every domain registration. Client codes are set by the registrar, server codes by the registry operator, and the registry grace period codes mark the lifecycle windows around renewal and deletion. A domain always has at least one, and most carry several.
Client codes such as clientHold are set and lifted by the registrar the registrant chose. Server codes such as serverHold are set by the registry operator that runs the TLD and take precedence over client codes, so removing them takes longer and goes through the registry.
RDAP renders each EPP code in a mapped lowercase form under RFC 8056: ok becomes active, clientHold becomes client hold, redemptionPeriod becomes redemption period. Most codes keep their meaning exactly. The exception is active: registries read it loosely and show it next to other statuses, while EPP ok never combines with another code.
clientHold or serverHold. Both keep the domain out of DNS so it stops resolving. clientHold is set by the registrar and is the typical visible outcome of a successful abuse report; serverHold comes from the registry itself, and the code alone does not say why.
RFC 5731 defines three more transitional codes that rarely appear in lookups: pendingCreate, pendingRenew and pendingUpdate. They mark a create, renew or update command that has been processed but not completed, and they clear as soon as the action finishes.
Ongoing brand monitoring
notolens checks daily registrations across 1,570 TLDs, trademark registers, and app stores. When a lookalike domain, conflicting mark, or copycat app appears, notolens checks it, explains the risk, and hands you the records and possible next steps.