The domain is being deleted and will soon be released.
With redemptionPeriod or pendingRestore it describes the stages of a deletion that can still be reversed. On its own, it means the 30-day redemption period passed without a restore and the domain is in its final purge window; ICANN describes that window as five calendar days for gTLDs, after which anyone can register it.
- EPP code
- pendingDelete
- In RDAP
- pending delete
- Set by
- The registry (server status)
- Defined in
- RFC 5731 §2.3
- How serious
- Act now
- Typical length
- About 5 days after the redemption period (ICANN, gTLDs)
Why it matters
Once purged, the name is gone. Someone else can register it and receive your email.
When you’d see it
After the 30-day redemption period lapses, the domain enters this final stage and is then released. Drop-catching services watch for names in this state, so a valuable name rarely stays free for long after it is purged.
How it shows up in a lookup
In a gTLD WHOIS lookup it appears as “Domain Status: pendingDelete https://icann.org/epp#pendingDelete”; RDAP shows it as “pending delete”. It is managed by the registry as a result of an operation (RFC 5731 §2.3), not a setting you or your registrar toggle directly.
What to do
If you want the domain, contact your registrar immediately. On its own pendingDelete usually can no longer be reversed.
Combination rules
Must not be combined with clientDeleteProhibited or serverDeleteProhibited (RFC 5731 §2.3).
Related codes
Sources
Sources
- RFC 5731 §2.3 (EPP Domain Name Mapping) · checked 5 Oct 2026
- ICANN: EPP Status Codes, What do they mean, and why should I know? · checked 5 Oct 2026
- RFC 8056: EPP and RDAP status mapping · checked 5 Oct 2026