The domain was deleted and can still be restored for a limited time.
The registrar asked the registry to delete the domain, often because it expired unpaid. During the redemption period the deletion can be reversed with a restore, usually for an extra fee. ICANN gives the period as 30 days for gTLDs; ccTLDs set their own rules.
- EPP code
- redemptionPeriod
- In RDAP
- redemption period
- Set by
- The registry (server status)
- Defined in
- RFC 3915 §3
- How serious
- Act now
- Typical length
- 30 days (ICANN, gTLDs)
Why it matters
The domain no longer works, and when the period ends it moves to pendingDelete and then becomes available to anyone.
When you’d see it
A typical path: the card on file expires, auto-renew fails, the registrar deletes the domain, and the registry places it in redemption. Restoring costs more than a renewal, but it is the last point at which the name is still recoverable.
How it shows up in a lookup
In a gTLD WHOIS lookup it appears as “Domain Status: redemptionPeriod https://icann.org/epp#redemptionPeriod”; RDAP shows it as “redemption period”. It is managed by the registry as a result of an operation (RFC 3915 §3), not a setting you or your registrar toggle directly.
What to do
Contact your registrar now and ask for a restore. Expect a restore fee on top of the renewal.
Related codes
Sources
Sources
- RFC 3915 §3 (EPP Redemption Grace Period 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