FAQs

What is the domain expiry process?
Nominet is the organisation that runs the .uk domain extension. It defines the process by which a domain that is not renewed becomes available to register again. Today the process is:

• 30 days after the expiry of a domain it becomes ‘detagged’ and is no longer hosted on two valid name servers. This stops any services associated with the domain name, for example email or a website, from working.
• 90 days after the expiry of a domain it can no longer be renewed.
• 5 days after that, at a time specified by Nominet, the domain becomes available to register.

This changes on 9 February 2027, when Nominet moves .uk onto the same lifecycle as most other domain extensions. After that date, an expired domain normally has a renewal grace period set by its registrar (up to 45 days), followed by a 30-day redemption period and a 5-day pending-delete period, so most domains will drop sooner after expiry than they do today. We will update this page when the change takes effect.

When can I book a catching slot with Drop Catcher?
You can book a catching slot at any stage of the expiry process, up to 1 hour before the domain's drop time. Book as early as you can: it costs nothing to book, and you pay £35 only if we catch the domain. We also watch booked domains outside the normal drop cycle, so we can register a domain if it is cancelled early.

Can I just register the domain myself after it drops?
This is called manual registration and only works if nobody else wants the domain. Drop catchers register domains within milliseconds of the drop, sending many registration requests in the first second from servers close to Nominet's systems.

What happens if you don't catch my domain?
Nothing is charged. The booking closes and we email you to let you know.

Why should I use Drop Catcher?
DropCatcher.co.uk has specialised in catching dropping .uk domains for over 20 years. Booking is free and you pay £35 only if we catch your domain, including the first year's registration and moving it to your own registrar if you want to. We keep monitoring your domain for as long as it takes to drop, with no time limit on a booking. We are proud to have a client list that includes The Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays Bank, British Telecom, Rolex, Sainsbury's, Rolls Royce, Deutsche Telekom, Sony and Columbia Tristar Pictures.