SHORT ANSWER: An expired domain is a domain name that was once registered to an individual or a company whose registration has expired.

LONG ANSWER: When a domain name is purchased, it must be registered in either your name as an individual or in the name of your business. Your domain name registration is good for one year, at which time you can renew ownership. Then, every year you renew ownership of that domain name. Domain name renewal costs anywhere from $5 to $15, depending on which domain name registrar you use.

Most domain name registrars give you the option of a multi-year renewal, which saves a few dollars and the headache of renewing every year. Multi-year renewals are a good idea if you have a domain name you are pretty certain you will want for the foreseeable future.

Even if you decide to let go of the website attached to the name, you can always use it for PPC and affiliate ads like the big guys do!

A domain name with an expired registration, meaning no one owns the name at the moment, is known as an “expired” domain name. If you don’t renew at the end of the year, that domain name becomes available for purchase by someone else.

Who in the world would let a good domain name expire?

• Maybe the domain name wasn’t so good after all!
• Absentminded website owners who simply neglected to renew their domain names;
• Webmasters who got tied up in other ventures or interests;
• Webmasters who discontinued a site due to time constraints;
• Webmasters who ran out of money to continue to operate.

Prior to your domain name expiring, your domain name registrar should send you several renewal notices. Make sure you have a working email address on file with your registrar so you don’t miss a renewal notice!

When a domain name expires nowadays, domain name registrars assume control for up to 6 months afterwards before putting it back on the market. Domain name registrars park that page with PPC ads on it so they can rake in the profits - no matter how small - from any continuing traffic you’ve built up. The domain name will now point to a parked page with PPC ads, with all monies going to the registrar. Smart!

Here’s the rub: if you decide you want the name back after it’s expired and the registrar has assumed control of it, the registrar will charge you anywhere from $50 to $150 (those are the prices I’ve seen) to pull that domain name out of limbo and reinstate it to you! (Proof that even a domain name with little traffic is worth something!)

The lesson here is, if there is any chance you can use that domain name, make sure your email address is good so you don’t miss your renewal!