Domain name recovery refers to the process of regaining access to a domain name that has been lost, expired, or otherwise become inaccessible. This can happen for several reasons, such as forgetting to renew the domain, losing access to the email account associated with the domain, or mistakenly allowing the domain to be transferred or locked.

The recovery process generally involves the following steps:

1. Identify the Problem: The first step is to determine why the domain was lost. Common reasons include missed renewal, domain theft, or incorrect account details.

2. Contact the Registrar: If you’ve lost access to the domain, your domain registrar (the company where you registered the domain) is the first point of contact. They may offer solutions like retrieving account credentials or renewing an expired domain during a grace period.

3. Use a Recovery Tool: Many registrars provide a domain recovery tool or “restore” service that allows you to reactivate an expired domain or recover a domain if it was accidentally deleted.

4. Verify Ownership: To prove ownership, you might need to provide identification, answer security questions, or supply authorisation codes that were used during the domain registration process.

5. Grace Periods and Redemption: If the domain has expired, most registrars offer a grace period (typically 30–45 days) during which the domain can still be renewed without penalties. After this, the domain enters a redemption period (usually another 30 days), during which it can still be recovered, though additional fees may apply.

6. Recovering from Domain Theft: In cases where a domain has been hijacked (e.g., due to a compromised account), you’ll need to work with your registrar and possibly provide evidence of the theft to recover the domain.

7. auDA or ICANN Intervention: If the issue cannot be resolved through the registrar, domain owners can escalate the issue to the .au Domain Administration (auDA) for Australian Domains or the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for international domains if it involves a dispute or fraud.

Successful domain recovery often requires quick action, especially if the domain has expired or been stolen, as other parties may attempt to register the domain or gain control over it.

If you are having trouble with a domain name, we can help investigate the issue and work out what is needed to recover the domain.