WHOIS domain name status codes play a key role in domain management since they indicate the current state of a domain. These status codes include important and relevant information regarding domain registration, renewal, modification, and other important details. Explore the details of domain name status codes here.

Domain status codes or Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) indicate the status of a domain name registration. Put simply, domain names have statuses that determine their current state and usability. While every domain has at least one status code, it can also have more than one.

These domain status codes indicate whether a domain is active, expiring, locked or pending deletion. Likewise, these domain status codes also affect the actions which you can perform on the domain.

In this post, we will discuss domain name status codes in more detail and discuss the top domain status codes that every business owner needs to know about.

Also Read: How to Choose the Right Domain Name for Your Small Business

Importance of  Domain Status Codes

Domain name status codes are crucial for domain security and overall management. Apart from acting as a unique identifier and authorisation key, they also prevent unauthorised access and domain hijacking. 

Some of the benefits of domain status codes are described below-

  • Easy Management

    Domain status codes make it easier to manage a domain by offering crucial information about a domain’s registration, renewal, and transfer status.

  • Security

    There are several  domain status codes, like those indicating locks, that you can use to prevent unauthorised changes or deletions.

  • Transparency

    The domain status code also ensures that only the domain owner, who has access to the code, can control the domain’s settings and transfer status.

Top Domain Name Status Codes

In this section, we will discuss the most common domain name status codes, including their definition and effects.

Active Status Code

The active domain status code indicates that the domain name is fully functioning and follows all standard registration criteria.

The registry set this status code and the registrar can modify or edit the same. Domain owners and other administrators continuously try to keep their status codes active so that users can access their webpages and online services samlessly.

These domains can be used for your emails and website, and can also be updated by your domain registrar.

Inactive Status Code

As the name suggests, inactive domain name status codes indicate that there may be issues, problems or limitations impacting the domain’s operation. Among the key inactive domain status codes are-

a. Registry-Lock Status

This domain code indicates that the domain is locked or imposed at the registry level. It represents a status that prevents the domain from being deleted or changed by the registrar.

Also Read: A Beginner’s Guide to Domain Registration

b. Registrar-Lock Status

Registrar lock is a domain status code that is set by the domain registrar. While you cannot modify or delete  the domain name during this status, you can renew the same. Registrar can only edit the domain after this status code is removed.

c. Registry-Hold Status

Registry hold is a domain status code set by the domain registry. The registrar cannot modify or delete the domain during this code, but can renew it.

d. Registrar-Hold Status

As the name suggests, this domain status code is imposed by the sponsoring registrar and prohibits domain modification or deletion. To make changes to this domain status, the registrar needs to remove the status.

Redemption Period

This is the domain status code that’s set by the registry when the registrar sends a request for a specific domain deletion. The code indicates that the domain has expired and is now under a Redemption Period, which usually lasts 30 days, after which the domain name will be scheduled for deletion.

Pending Restore

The registry sets this domain status as soon as the registrar puts a request for the restoration of a domain. If the registrar puts any request to modify or otherwise update this domain status code, the same will be rejected.

Pending Delete

The domain status is set by the registry after the Redemption Period status has been set for the domain, and the registrar has not restored it.

Also Read: How To Choose The Perfect Domain Name

To Wrap

Every domain has a specific status associated with it. In this post, we have covered all the important status codes that you need to know about. You can find what status a domain is in by running a simple WHOIS search. If your domain name is not working, checking your domain name status is a great starting point.

Further, if you want to keep your website active and accessible from start to finish, transfer your domain with BigRock and experience a range of tools and support that ensure every step goes smoothly.

Contact BigRock today and keep your visitors engaged and your website fully functional.