Losing a domain because a renewal email went to spam is more common than you'd think. For UK businesses, a lapsed .co.uk can mean a dead website, broken email, and — in the worst case — a competitor snapping up the name.

Understanding expiry dates

Every domain has a registry expiry date visible in WHOIS. For .uk domains, Nominet sets this date when the registration period ends. Your registrar sends reminders, but you are ultimately responsible for ensuring renewal before expiry.

Nominet renewal timeline

After expiry, .uk domains typically enter a grace period during which the original registrant can still renew at standard rates. If not renewed, the domain may be suspended and eventually released back for registration. Exact timings vary — don't rely on grace periods as a strategy.

Enable auto-renew in your dashboard

Domain Renewals customers can toggle auto-renew per domain in the customer dashboard. When enabled, we'll attempt renewal before expiry using your package entitlements and billing details on file.

Renew free with a package

If you're adding or renewing a hosting package, year one of the domain fee is waived. Parking at £10/yr is the lowest-cost way to qualify. Multi-year renewals charge TLD rates for years two onwards at checkout.

Check expiry now

Not sure when your domain expires? Enter it in our renewal checker — we'll show the expiry date, current registrar tag, and whether a transfer is needed to claim the free year offer.

Set a calendar reminder 60 days before expiry, enable auto-renew, and add a qualifying package. Three minutes now saves a crisis later.