Picture this: You are sitting at your work desk, sipping a cup of coffee, as you brainstorm possible domain names for your business. After much thinking and brain-racking, you finally have that eureka moment — the perfect, catchy domain name that your business needs!

Excited, you head over to your favorite domain registrar to buy the domain, only to discover that it’s not available. Someone else is already using it. Your heart sinks, and you feel sad and disappointed.

To make matters worse, you find that the website using your dream domain is not even active. The owner last posted something over a year ago, and such an excellent domain name is just wasting away.

But there’s hope! Although it may not be a quick fix, you can still get the domain name in the future using a domain backorder service.

At this point, you might be wondering, “What is a domain backorder?”

Join me as we explore the concept of domain back ordering, how it works, and how it can help your business secure that perfect domain name.

What is a Domain Backorder 

A domain backorder allows you to place a bid for a domain that is currently active and registered to another person; with the hope that the current owner will not renew their registration if the domain expires. 

This gives you a chance to register the domain before someone else does. It’s more or less like putting your name on a reservation list so you can register the domain when it expires.

If the current owner doesn’t allow their registration to lapse, you won’t be able to take ownership. But a domain backorder puts you first in line for a domain.

How Do Domain Backorders Work?

You already know that a domain backorder service is like placing a reservation on a domain name so you get a chance of registering it if the current owner fails to do so. 

But how do domain backorders work?

Domain backorders are organized by the domain registrar managing that domain name. Usually, when a domain name expires the registrar will place it up for auction.

Once you place a backorder on a domain name, you will be notified when the domain name is about to expire. You’ll be given the first opportunity to purchase it, essentially ensuring nobody else can take ownership besides you.

To place a domain backorder, find a domain registrar that offers the service. Enter your domain, call dibs, and voila.

Does a Backorder Guarantee Domain Registration?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. The service doesn’t guarantee that you will get the domain.

If the domain expires and is available for registration, you will be the first to know. You may get a chance to purchase the domain before it goes to auction, or simply a notification that it is going to auction. If it does, your domain back-order service will guide you on how to participate. 

And if the current owner doesn’t allow the domain name registration to expire, you won’t be able to take advantage of a backorder. You might be able to contact them directly and buy it, however.

Although you aren’t guaranteed the domain name, you may be able to acquire another, similar name. If, for any reason, the domain you back-ordered is available, but the company you use is unable to secure the domain name, you can use the back-order service for another domain.

Wrapping Up 

With a domain backorder, you can still secure that perfect domain name your business desperately needs. 

However, ensure that the website the domain name is registered to has been inactive and unused. That way, there’s a higher chance that the current user will not renew the domain ownership once it expires. 

While it’s possible to still get that domain name you love, the process may be frustrating and time-consuming. Purchasing a backorder doesn’t guarantee you the domain name. But it can be worth a try for valuable and neglected domains.  

Looking for the perfect domain for your business that you can buy and start building with right away? Visit our Premium Marketplace and select from our pool of handpicked premium names with matching domains.

Frequently Asked Questions About Domain Backordering 

What is the Difference Between Domain Backorder and Domain Monitoring?

A domain backorder allows you to reserve the domain that is currently active and registered to another person with the hope that the current owner will not renew their registration if the domain expires. Domain monitoring, on the other hand, protects domains you already own. It involves tracking changes to a domain’s settings to get notified of updates like registrar, unlocking or expiration, changes to nameservers, and other cybersecurity threats.

Are Domain Backorders Public?

It depends. If you are the only person who backorders the domain name, you will acquire it from your domain registrar when it expires and the current owner fails to renew it. 

But if several people place backorders on the same domain, then it goes to a public auction. The auction usually lasts 3 days, and the highest bidder wins. 

How Much is Domain Backorder?

The amount you are paying for a domain backorder depends on the domain registrar you are using. Usually, it costs between $14 and $50, to place a domain backorder.