How it works

Search for a .uk domain and we will tell you whether it is available to register now or, if it is currently registered, when it is due to expire and when it is expected to drop. You can then book a catching slot for it. From that moment we monitor the domain around the clock, in case it is cancelled before its scheduled drop time, and at the drop time our catching system sends registration requests to Nominet in your name, within milliseconds of the domain becoming available.

Booking is free. You pay £35 only if we catch your domain. The £35 includes the Nominet registration fee for the first year and moving the domain to another registrar if you want to. When you book, your card is saved securely with our payment provider, Stripe. Nothing is charged unless we register the domain for you.

Nobody can guarantee to catch a particular domain: popular names attract many drop catchers and competition is often heavy. If we don't catch your domain, the booking simply closes and there is nothing to pay. You can cancel a booking at any time before the domain drops, from your dashboard, at no cost.

The .uk drop cycle

When a .uk domain isn't renewed, it doesn't become available straight away. Nominet, which runs .uk, takes it through a fixed series of stages before releasing it at a published time: the “drop”. That is the moment we try to register it for you.

Today

Days are counted from the expiry date.

From 9 February 2027

On 9 February 2027 Nominet moves .uk onto the same lifecycle as most other domain extensions, so most domains will drop sooner after expiry than they do today. We are updating our systems for the change.

What we do at each stage

• Before the drop: you can book at any stage, up to 1 hour before the drop time. Book early: it costs nothing, and we watch the domain around the clock in case it is cancelled outside the normal cycle.
• Pending delete: once Nominet publishes the drop time, our system plans exactly when each registration request will be sent.
• The drop: Drop Catcher and any independent drop catchers you have selected send registration requests in the first fraction of a second. If we register the domain, it is yours for £35. If more than one of our customers booked it, it goes to a private auction between them.

If you still hold booking credits bought before 9 November 2026, our Terms & Conditions explain how they are used.