AuDA, the Australian domain authority, has recently released the Domain Drop List on their official website. The Domain Drop List will mention all domains in the .au domain that are about to be purged from the registrant system, and then put back on the market as available to be registered by anyone who so desires. The list contains both domains that have simply expired and domains that have either been deleted by the previous owner, or by auDA themselves. This, along with other policy changes, first appears daunting to current .au domain owners, but upon further review provides several benefits to those using the list to their advantage.
A Word of Caution
Being in the business of domain names, we at Digital Pacific cannot stress enough how important it is to stay on top of your domain renewals. Registering a domain name does not entitle you to that domain name forever; when a registration period ends, and the domain name has gone without renewal, the domain name is then put on the drop list. Once officially purged, the domain name is put back on the open market.
Just imagine losing a business domain name, a crucial part of your Internet business identity and online marketing endeavours, just because you forgot to make the renewal date.
Now, with the Domain Drop List, auDA also mentions the exact time that these names will be purged from the system and put back on the market. Anyone who is desperately after a certain domain name will now know exactly when they are able to attempt a registration, meaning it might be a bit more important for you to know your renewal dates.
What can you do?
Don’t worry! Simply staying on top of your renewal date is key. If you can do that, then there should be no problems with your account, and no cause to lose your domain name. Also, with the recent policy changes from auDA, you can create a common renewal date if you have more than one domain name. This keeps you from having to manage multiple domain renewal dates.
Besides the expired domain names, the drop list also mentions the domain names that have been voluntarily canceled by the domain owner. These domain names are those that the previous owner has decided he/she no longer wants. However, these previous owners are still able to forfeit their cancellation at any point up to the purge date if they should change their mind.
In some cases, auDA is the one that has decided to cancel the domain names, in which case they would also have to be the ones to overturn this decision before the purge date.
The Benefits of auDA’s New Policies
It’s not all “watch your back” with the new policy rules in place by auDA. They actually open up some doors to those willing to use them and the Domain Drop List to their advantage.
Entrepreneurs, for example, might find it useful to choose a domain name that has been previously owned, and here’s why:
- Some of the domains on the drop list may still be receiving visitors from the past owner’s efforts to build up the website. This could mean instant traffic for your newly acquired domain name.
- Some of the domains on the drop list may already have links coming in to the site. Looking at this from an SEO perspective, choosing a dropped domain can possibly give domain owners a great head start.
For entrepreneurial individuals that are either looking to diversify a business or start a new venture, the domain drop list is an excellent first place to look. You may be pleasantly surprised by what is about to be dropped and enjoy additional benefits by choosing to snatch one up.
Other Policy Features to Note
- Before the new policy changes, auDA used to run purges at random times unknown to the public. Now, the purges will take place daily at either 1:00pm AEST or 2:00pm AEDT, further adding to the exact knowledge that the public has for when to acquire a recycled domain.
- Renewals for domain names may occur up to 90 days before the expiry date. The expiry date is automatically set for 2 years after the original expiry date.
- After a domain name reaches its its expiry date, there is a 30 day period during which time the domain may be renewed by the current registrant. If the 30 days passes, the domain is put on the drop list.
If you happen to find a domain name you are interested in on auDA’s drop list, you can visit our homepage after the expiry period to start the domain registration process.
For further reading, check out Domain Name Basics and Frequently Asked Questions.
How do you feel about auDA’s new Domain Drop List and policy changes? Do you like the idea of seeing the exact purge dates for expired domains on the auDA website?
