How to Never Lose a Domain Again

Losing a domain to expiration is like locking yourself out of your own house - except a stranger might move in before you find your keys. This guide shows you exactly how to prevent it.

The Setup That Actually Works

Most domain management advice is useless. "Use a spreadsheet." "Set calendar reminders." "Enable auto-renewal." These half-measures fail constantly.

Here's what actually works: automated monitoring with redundant alerts. Let's build it.

Step 1: Inventory Your Domains

Before you can protect your domains, you need to know what you have.

Where to Look

Registrar accounts: The obvious place. Check GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, Cloudflare, Route53, and any other registrar you've ever used.

DNS providers: Your DNS might be separate from your registrar. Cloudflare, Route53, DNSimple - check where your domains are actually pointing.

Finance records: Search for "domain" in your company's expenses. You'll find registrars you forgot about.

Browser bookmarks: Check password managers and saved logins for registrar accounts.

Email archives: Search for "domain registration" or "renewal" in old emails.

Build Your Domain List

For each domain, document:

Domain	Registrar	Expiry Date	Auto-Renew	Payment Method	Owner
example.com	Cloudflare	2025-06-15	Yes	Corp Visa ending 4242	IT Team
api.example.com	AWS Route53	2025-08-22	Yes	AWS billing	DevOps

This is your baseline. Now let's automate it.

Step 2: Set Up Automatic Monitoring

Manual tracking fails. Automatic monitoring doesn't.

What to Look For in Domain Monitoring

Integration with existing tools: Another dashboard you won't check is worthless. Domain monitoring should be part of your uptime monitoring.

Automatic domain detection: Enter a URL once, have the domain extracted and monitored automatically.

Smart check frequency: Daily checks for domains expiring next year waste resources. Twice-daily checks for domains expiring tomorrow make sense.

RDAP support: Modern protocol, not legacy WHOIS. More reliable, more accurate.

Setting Up Domain Intelligence in exit1.dev

1. Navigate to Domain Intelligence in your dashboard
2. Click "Enable for checks"
3. Select which uptime checks should have domain monitoring
4. System automatically extracts domains and starts monitoring

That's it. No manual domain entry. No separate configurations. Your uptime checks now include domain expiration monitoring.

What You'll See in the Dashboard

• Days until expiry: The big number that matters
• Status indicators: Color-coded urgency (green = fine, yellow = attention, red = urgent)
• Registrar info: Where to go to renew
• Nameservers: Useful for troubleshooting
• Last checked: Proof the system is working

Step 3: Configure Alerts That Work

The goal: get warned before expiration, through channels you actually check.

Alert Timing

Default alerts fire at:

• 30 days: Planning time. Log into registrar, verify payment method.
• 14 days: Action time. Renew now if you haven't.
• 7 days: Urgent. This should be escalated.
• 1 day: Emergency. Drop everything.

Customize these per domain if needed. A domain you own outright might only need 7-day alerts. A critical business domain should start at 60 days.

Alert Channels

Email: Good for the 30-day warning. Easy to forward to teammates.

Webhooks: Slack or Discord alerts hit team channels. Good for 14-day warnings.

SMS: Reserve for 7-day and 1-day alerts. Phone buzzes cut through noise.

Webhook Example for Slack

{
  "channel": "#ops-alerts",
  "username": "Domain Bot",
  "text": "Domain example.com expires in 7 days. Renew now at Cloudflare.",
  "icon_emoji": ":warning:"
}

Escalation Path

Build a clear escalation:

1. 30 days: Alert goes to domain-owners@company.com
2. 14 days: Slack message to #operations
3. 7 days: SMS to on-call
4. 1 day: SMS to CTO

Document this. When alerts fire at 3am, you want automation, not confusion.

Step 4: Fix Your Auto-Renewal Setup

Auto-renewal is good, but it's not foolproof. Here's how to make it reliable.

Payment Method Hygiene

• Use a card that won't expire: Corporate cards with 5+ year expiration
• Set reminders for card changes: When you get a new card, update all registrars
• Consider ACH/direct debit: No expiration dates to manage
• Keep backup payment method: Some registrars allow this

Account Access

• Use a shared login or team account: Not the founder's personal email from 2015
• Document credentials: Password manager with appropriate sharing
• Enable MFA: But ensure multiple people have access to recovery
• Test access quarterly: Try logging in to each registrar

Auto-Renewal Verification

After enabling auto-renewal:

1. Check the registrar dashboard shows it's active
2. Verify the payment method is current
3. Ensure renewal emails go somewhere monitored
4. Look for "renewal failed" email filters in case auto-renewal breaks

Step 5: Handle Multi-Registrar Chaos

Most organizations have domains scattered across multiple registrars. This creates risk.

Consolidation Strategy

Pick one primary registrar. Move domains to it over time.

Good criteria for your primary registrar:

• DNSSEC support: If you need it
• API access: For automation
• Team management: Multiple users with proper permissions
• Reasonable pricing: Domain renewal costs add up
• Good reputation: They'll be around in 10 years

Popular choices: Cloudflare (free with their DNS), Google Domains, Namecheap.

Transfer Process

Domain transfers are straightforward:

1. Unlock domain at current registrar
2. Get authorization/EPP code
3. Initiate transfer at new registrar
4. Approve transfer via email
5. Wait 5-7 days for completion

Important: Don't transfer domains that expire within 30 days. The transfer might fail or extend the confusion.

Keeping Track During Transition

Until consolidation is complete:

• Keep all domains in your monitoring system
• Document which registrar has which domain
• Set extra alerts for domains at registrars you rarely check

Step 6: Build Organizational Process

Technology alone isn't enough. You need process.

Domain Ownership Policy

Every domain needs:

• Technical owner: Person who can make changes
• Business owner: Person who approves renewals
• Finance contact: Person who handles payment issues

Document this in a living document. Update when people change roles.

Renewal Workflow

When alerts fire:

1. Verify renewal is needed: Is this domain still in use?
2. Check payment method: Still valid?
3. Execute renewal: In registrar dashboard or via API
4. Confirm renewal: Check new expiry date
5. Close alert: Mark as resolved in monitoring

Quarterly Review

Every quarter:

• Audit domain inventory against monitoring
• Review upcoming expirations (next 6 months)
• Check payment methods are current
• Verify auto-renewal is enabled where appropriate
• Remove monitoring for domains you've intentionally let go

Step 7: Emergency Response Plan

Despite best efforts, emergencies happen. Have a plan.

If a Domain Expires

First 0-30 days (Redemption Grace Period):

1. Log into registrar immediately
2. Renew - there will be a late fee
3. DNS usually restores within hours
4. Monitor for full propagation

30-60 days (Redemption Period):

1. Contact registrar support
2. Pay redemption fee ($100-300 typically)
3. May take longer to restore
4. Have legal review terms

60+ days (Released):

1. Domain may be auctioned or available for registration
2. Consider purchasing from new owner (expensive)
3. UDRP dispute if trademark applies (slow, costly)
4. May need to rebrand to new domain

Prevention > Recovery

Every step of recovery is worse than prevention. A $3/year domain can cost $3,000+ to recover. The monitoring that prevents this costs less than one recovery.

The Complete Checklist

Print this. Use it.

Initial Setup:

• Inventory all domains
• Document registrar, expiry, payment method for each
• Set up automatic domain monitoring
• Configure alerts at 30, 14, 7, 1 day

Alert Configuration:

• Email alerts for 30-day warning
• Slack/Discord for 14-day warning
• SMS for 7-day and 1-day warnings
• Escalation path documented

Auto-Renewal:

• Enabled on all domains
• Payment methods verified
• Card expiration dates tracked
• Backup payment method set

Process:

• Ownership documented for each domain
• Renewal workflow defined
• Quarterly review scheduled
• Emergency response plan documented

Ongoing:

• Monthly review of monitoring dashboard
• Quarterly audit of domain inventory
• Annual review of registrar consolidation progress

The Result

With this system in place:

• You'll know about expiring domains 30+ days in advance
• Alerts will reach you through multiple channels
• Auto-renewal will work because you maintain it
• When expiration approaches, you'll have time and process to handle it
• Emergencies become non-events

Never lose a domain again. It's that simple.

---

Recommended Resources

• Domain Intelligence - Automatic domain expiration monitoring for exit1.dev
• SSL Certificate Monitoring - The other expiration that kills websites
• Smart Alerting - Multi-channel notification setup
• API & Webhooks - Automate your monitoring workflows