Give yourself the best chance of catching a name

This article is for anyone using Drop Catch to grab an expiring domain, and explains how to boost your odds depending on how contested the name is.

#Overview

• How hard a name is to catch depends almost entirely on how many other people want it.
• Every watch shows a Catchability verdict so you know what you're dealing with.
• InfraNest gives you different tools depending on whether a name is contested or not — using the right one matters more than stacking every option at once.

#Handle an uncontested name Pro

Most watched names — a lapsing domain of your own, a niche extension, anything nobody else is chasing — drop quietly and nobody is racing you for them.

1. On the watch, choose Register with my own registrar.
2. Turn on Auto-register.
3. That's it — InfraNest checks faster and faster as the drop gets close and registers the moment it's free.

NoteNothing else is needed for an uncontested name. Extra registrars or parallel racing won't make a difference here.

#Add backup registrars for coverage

Adding more registrars is mostly about reliability, not winning a contested name.

1. Go to Registrars to use on the watch (or in your settings).
2. Choose Add {registrar} as the backup for each extension you want covered.
3. Spread your backups across the extensions you actually watch — a second registrar can step in if your first one's connection hiccups at the drop, or cover a extension your main registrar doesn't support.

WarningAdding backup registrars will not help you win a contested .com or similar hot name. Don't rely on this alone for those.

#Use a backorder for a contested name Business

For a genuinely sought-after name — a short .com, a real dictionary word — no single registration beats the professional catch networks that flood the registry the instant it drops.

1. On the watch, select Use a backorder service.
2. InfraNest routes the catch through Dynadot, a specialist backorder provider, which races to catch it on your behalf ahead of the drop.
3. You're only charged if it wins — see Charged only if it wins.

This is the one reliable way to win a contested name.

#Turn on parallel racing Business

If you're auto-registering with your own registrars, parallel racing is a premium option that gives a modest extra edge.

1. Open Advanced on the watch.
2. Turn on parallel racing.
3. At the drop, InfraNest fires several of your connected registrars at once instead of one after another.

This helps a bit on a contested name without a backorder, but it still won't out-race the professional catch networks — treat it as an edge, not a guarantee.

#Respond to a name going to auction

Sometimes an expiring name is sent to a registrar auction instead of dropping for re-registration — in that case bidding is the only way to get it.

1. Check your watch list for a status of In auction.
2. Open the watch and follow the Bid at {where} link to the auction listing.
3. Place your bid there — InfraNest won't register the name for you, since it never actually drops.

#Tips

• Uncontested name → use your own registrar with Auto-register.
• Want broad coverage → add backup registrars spanning your extensions.
• Contested name → a backorder is the only reliable way to win; parallel racing adds a small edge.
• In auction → follow the bid link and bid directly.

TipCheck the Catchability verdict on each watch first — it tells you which of these approaches actually fits the name.