Domain status codes are short technical labels — like pendingDelete or clientTransferProhibited — that a domain's registry attaches to it to say what can and can't happen right now. This article is for anyone using InfraNest's Domains section who wants to understand what a status actually means for their domain, or for one they're watching.
Overview
- Every domain carries one or more status codes at all times, set either by the registry or by the registrar.
- These codes decide whether a domain can be transferred, whether it still resolves, and whether it's on its way to being deleted.
- InfraNest translates them into plain words wherever possible, and this page is the full reference behind those translations.
NoteEach heading below is the code itself, so InfraNest's own status links point directly to a section on this page.
How to read a status
- Remember a domain usually carries several statuses at once — they describe the same domain from different angles, not a sequence of events. For example,
inactive, pendingDeletemeans the domain has no nameservers and is queued for deletion. - Check whether a status starts with
clientorserver— this tells you who can remove it. Aclient…status was set by your registrar and you can usually turn it off yourself in their control panel. Aserver…status was set by the registry, and only the registry can lift it. - Know that your registrar may use a friendlier name for the same status — "Transfer lock", "domain lock" and "registrar lock" all mean
clientTransferProhibited. - Don't confuse a status code with the EPP code (a password used to move a domain between registrars) or with your registrar's own account/billing status — neither of these is a registry status.
The standard codes
These come from EPP, the system all registries use, and apply to every common domain ending (.com, .net, .io, .app, and most country domains).
ok
The normal state: registered, no locks, nothing pending. Some registries call this active instead.
active
Usually the same as ok. A few country registries (see the .de section below) use it to mean something stricter.
inactive
The domain has no nameservers set at the registry, so nothing resolves — no website, no email. It's still registered and still yours. This is normal right after buying a domain, and is also often one of the first signs an abandoned domain is heading toward deletion.
addPeriod
The first few days after registration. Deleting during this window is usually refundable. Transfers are blocked for 60 days after registration regardless.
autoRenewPeriod
The domain passed its expiry date and was renewed automatically. The registrar has a window (usually 45 days) to reverse that renewal and get a refund — which is what happens when an owner has stopped paying. On a domain you're watching, this is the start of the road to a drop.
renewPeriod
A renewal just happened and can still be reversed by the registrar for a few days.
transferPeriod
A transfer between registrars just completed and can still be reversed for a few days.
redemptionPeriod
The registrar has deleted the domain, and the registry holds it for 30 days in case the owner wants it back. It doesn't resolve and can't be registered by anyone else during this time. The original owner can still recover it, usually for a hefty restore fee. If you're waiting for a domain to drop, this is the stage where you find out whether the owner really let it go.
pendingDelete
Redemption is over and nobody rescued the domain. The registry holds it for a final 5 days, then releases it. It can't be restored from here. This is the stage where a drop-catch watch matters most — the name usually becomes available within a predictable few-hour window, and competition for a good name is fierce.
pendingCreate
A registration has been requested and hasn't finished processing.
pendingRenew
A renewal has been requested and hasn't completed yet. Usually momentary.
pendingRestore
Someone has asked to rescue a domain out of redemptionPeriod, and the registry is waiting for the registrar to confirm. A watched domain that reaches this status is not going to drop — the owner has paid to get it back.
pendingTransfer
A transfer to another registrar has been requested and is waiting. Transfers usually take 5 to 7 days.
pendingUpdate
A change to the domain's registry record has been requested and hasn't been applied yet.
clientHold
Your registrar has asked the registry to stop publishing the domain — it won't resolve for anyone. Registrars use this for unpaid invoices, unverified contact details, or abuse complaints. Contact your registrar — it's almost always fixable.
serverHold
The same effect, but set by the registry. Rarer, and usually tied to a dispute or legal order. Only the registry can lift it.
clientTransferProhibited
The transfer lock, and the most common reason an inbound transfer quietly fails. Most registrars set it by default, and it's required for 60 days after a registration or transfer. Turn it off in your current registrar's control panel before starting a transfer. In InfraNest this is the Transfer lock toggle on a domain, where supported.
serverTransferProhibited
The registry is blocking transfers, usually as part of a dispute, legal hold, or deletion process. Your registrar can't lift it.
clientUpdateProhibited
Your registrar is blocking changes to the domain's record, including nameservers. Often bundled as extra security. Turn it off before changing nameservers.
serverUpdateProhibited
The registry is blocking changes. Not something you can turn off yourself.
clientDeleteProhibited
Your registrar is blocking deletion. Usually protective.
serverDeleteProhibited
The registry is blocking deletion.
clientRenewProhibited
Your registrar is blocking renewal. Rare, and worth asking about — a domain you can't renew will expire.
serverRenewProhibited
The registry is blocking renewal. Rare.
Codes you'll see on country domains
Country registries sometimes use their own words instead of the standard codes. Where InfraNest doesn't have a translation, it shows the registry's own word exactly as given — so an unfamiliar word on a .de or .nl domain is information, not an error.
connect — .de
DENIC's word for a registered .de domain that is fully set up and passes its nameserver checks — roughly ok, but stricter. DENIC also uses free for an unregistered name, and failed/invalid for domains that fail technical or data checks.
Warning
.dehas no redemption period — a deleted.dedomain can become available immediately, giving you far less warning than a.com. Some dropped.dedomains are moved into DENIC's TRANSIT service instead of being released at all.
locked — .nl
SIDN's registrant lock on a .nl domain. While it's on, the domain can't be transferred to another registrar. This is .nl's equivalent of clientTransferProhibited.
quarantine — .nl and .eu
Both SIDN (.nl) and EURid (.eu) hold a cancelled domain in quarantine for 40 days before releasing it, instead of the 30-day-plus-5-day process gTLDs use. The former owner can reclaim it during quarantine; once it ends, the name becomes available again.
What a status means for a domain you're watching
On a Drop Catch watch, the stage shown is derived from these statuses, and checks happen more often as a drop approaches. Roughly, in order:
| Status | What it tells you |
|---|---|
ok / active |
Nothing is happening. The owner still has it. |
autoRenewPeriod |
Expired and auto-renewed. The owner may or may not pay. |
inactive |
Nameservers removed — often the first real sign it's abandoned. |
redemptionPeriod |
Deleted by the registrar. The owner can still rescue it. |
pendingRestore |
The owner is rescuing it. It will not drop. |
pendingDelete |
Nobody rescued it. It drops at the end of this stage. |
TipStatuses are only part of the picture — the expiry date, whether a website still resolves, and whether the name has gone to a registrar auction all matter too when judging your chances of catching it.
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