How to Renew Your Domain Name Before It Expires 

Ever tried opening your website only to find it’s gone? One day everything works then suddenly, your site, emails, and online shop disappear. That’s what happens when your domain name expires.

As a result, this can cost you visitors, sales, and even your brand reputation. The truth is, thousands of businesses lose their domains every year just because they forget to renew on time. But don’t panic? You don’t have to be one of them. 

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to renew your domain name before it expires, what to do if it’s already expired, and how to turn on automatic renewal step by step. Whether you use Truehost or another registrar, the process is quick, simple, and saves you from future headaches.

How to Renew an Active Domain (Quick and Reliable Steps)

Renewing your domain before it expires ensures your website stays live and avoids unnecessary fees or downtime. The process is simple and only takes a few minutes if your domain is still active. Here’s exactly how to do it:

Step 1: Check Your Domain’s Expiry Date

Log in to your Truehost Client Area and open the “Domains” or “My Services” section. Locate your domain and confirm its expiry date. Truehost will also send reminder emails before your domain expires.

If you can’t access your account, you can check your domain’s expiry details using the official ICANN WHOIS lookup tool.

Step 2: Choose the Renewal Period

Decide how long you’d like to renew your domain. Most domains can be renewed for one year, but you can also secure it for multiple years like up to 10 years for some extensions.

Ideally, a longer renewal gives you peace of mind and protects your online identity without worrying about yearly reminders.

Step 3: Start the Renewal Process

Once you’ve chosen the renewal length, go to your Truehost dashboard. Click on the domain you want to renew, then select “Renew” or “Pay Renewal.”

If you don’t see this option, visit the Billing page and look for the renewal invoice for that domain.

Step 4: Complete Payment Securely

Truehost supports multiple payment options, making it easy to renew wherever you are. You can pay using M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money, or debit/credit cards.

So, confirm your payment and keep the receipt for your records. Once payment is received, the renewal will process automatically.

Step 5: Verify Renewal and DNS Settings

After payment, your domain status should change to “Active” for the new period. Log back in to confirm that the renewal was successful. 

It’s also a good idea to check your DNS and nameserver settings to make sure nothing has changed. If your website doesn’t load or email stops working, contact Truehost Support immediately for assistance.

Pro Tips

Here are 3 tips you need to take with, to avoid your domain expiring, causing your website to go offline: 

• Renew early: Aim to renew your domain at least 30 days before expiry. This gives you a safety buffer in case of payment or technical delays.
• Go multi-year: Consider renewing for several years to secure your brand and avoid future disruptions.
• Set reminders: Enable email renewal alerts in your Truehost account to stay on top of your domain renewals.

How to Renew an Expired Domain (What to Do if You Missed the Date)

It’s easy to forget a renewal deadline! Maybe the reminder email got lost, payment failed, or you simply overlooked the date. When that happens, your website may go offline, emails stop working, and search rankings can start to drop.

However, you can still recover your domain. But first you need to understand domains usually pass through three key stages after expiry, which include:

• Grace period: When you can renew at the normal rate.
• Redemption period: When recovery is possible, but at a higher fee.
• Release: When the domain is deleted and open for anyone to buy.

So, here’s exactly what to do depending on your situation.

Step 1: Check the Domain Status

Start by confirming your domain’s current status. Log in to your Truehost Client Area and open the Domains section, or use the official ICANN WHOIS lookup tool to see your domain’s expiry details.

You’ll typically check for one of these statuses:

• Expired (Grace Period): Still recoverable with standard renewal.
• Redemption Period: Recoverable, but with an extra redemption fee.
• Released or Available: Deleted and available for public registration.

Once you know the status, you’ll know which recovery steps apply to you.

Step 2: If It’s in the Grace Period (Usually 0–30 Days After Expiry)

During the grace period, your domain has expired but is not yet deleted. Most registrars, including Truehost, allow you to renew it normally by paying the standard renewal fee with no penalties added.

Simply:

1. Log in to your Truehost account.
2. Find the expired domain.
3. Click Renew and complete payment.

Once payment is processed, your domain will reactivate, and your website and emails should return to normal within minutes.

Renewing at this stage is the easiest and most affordable option. So act quickly before the grace period ends.

Step 3: If It’s in the Redemption Period (Usually 30–90 Days After Expiry)

If you miss the grace period, the domain often moves into the redemption period. This stage exists to give domain owners one last chance to recover their names before they’re permanently deleted.

However, renewal during this period is more expensive because the registry applies a redemption fee in addition to the normal renewal cost.

To recover a domain in redemption:

• Contact Truehost Support.
• Request domain redemption and renewal.
• Pay both the redemption and renewal fees.

Truehost will then submit a request to the domain registry to restore your domain. This process can take a few days, so it’s important to start immediately.

For more details, you can review ICANN’s official explanation of the domain life cycle.

Step 4: If the Domain Has Been Released

If your domain has passed the redemption stage, it’s released back into the public pool. That means anyone can now register it, including competitors or domain resellers.

If the domain is valuable to your business, consider setting up a backorder or monitoring service that alerts you the moment it becomes available again.

Unfortunately, once another person registers it, you lose ownership rights. At that point, your only option is to choose a new domain and update your website, links, and emails accordingly.

This is why early renewal is always cheaper and safer than recovery.

Step 5: Restore Services and Check DNS

After renewing or recovering your domain, confirm that all your online services are working properly. Check your website and email delivery, and ensure your DNS records are intact.

Sometimes DNS changes may take a few hours to propagate worldwide. You can use WhatsMyDNS to verify that your records are updating correctly.

However, if your website or emails still don’t load, reach out to Truehost Support for quick troubleshooting.

How to Renew a Domain Automatically (The Set-and-Forget Method)

Manually renewing your domain every year can be risky. This is because a single missed reminder can take your website offline, interrupt your business emails, or even cause you to lose your domain name entirely.

To prevent this, Truehost offers an automatic renewal feature, which renews your domain before it expires using your saved payment method. It’s a simple “set-and-forget” approach that ensures your online presence stays protected even if you’re busy or traveling.

Plus, the automatic renewal is especially useful for business or professional websites, where downtime can mean lost visitors, leads, or revenue. Here’s how it works.

Step 1: Add a Payment Method to Your Truehost Account

Start by logging in to your Truehost Client Area. Go to Billing or Account Settings, and add a valid payment method. This can be a debit or credit card, or a supported mobile money option such as M-Pesa.

Also, make sure the payment method you choose has sufficient funds or credit available when the renewal date arrives. Without this, the auto-renewal will fail, and your domain could still expire.

Step 2: Turn On Auto-Renew for Your Domain

Next, open the domains section of your Truehost dashboard. Then, locate the domain you want to secure and enable the Auto-Renew option, sometimes shown as a checkbox or toggle.

Once enabled, Truehost will automatically attempt to renew your domain a few days before it expires by charging your saved payment method. You’ll receive confirmation once payment succeeds.

Step 3: Confirm Renewal Notification Settings

It’s important to stay informed when automatic renewals happen. In your account settings, enable both email and SMS notifications. Once done, Truehost will send renewal receipts, invoices, or alerts if a payment fails.

These records give you proof of payment and help you quickly act if something goes wrong.

Step 4: Keep Payment Details Current

Your auto-renewal is only as reliable as the payment method linked to it. Cards expire, mobile wallets change, and billing addresses can be updated, all of which can cause renewals to fail.

Therefore, set a reminder to review your billing details every few months. If you change banks or cards, update the information immediately. But, for added security, use a long-term card or wallet you plan to keep active for years.

Step 5: Consider Multi-Year Automatic Renewal

If possible, enable multi-year auto-renewal for your domain. This means your domain will renew automatically for two or more years at a time, minimizing administrative tasks and ensuring long-term stability.

Keep in mind that some country-specific extensions (ccTLDs) have different limits. However, if you’re unsure, contact Truehost Support to confirm renewal rules for your domain extension.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is a domain renewal?

A domain renewal is the process of extending your domain name’s registration period so it remains active and accessible online. When you renew your domain, you’re paying to keep ownership for another year or more, preventing it from expiring or being taken by someone else.

2) How much should domain renewal cost?

Domain renewal costs depend on your domain extension (like .com, .tz, or .org) and the registrar’s pricing. On average, renewal prices range between TSh 20,000 to TSh 60,000 per year for most domains in Tanzania. Premium domains or specific country extensions may cost more.

3) What happens if I don’t renew my domain?

If you don’t renew your domain, it will expire and your website and email will stop working. Most registrars, including Truehost, offer a short grace period where you can still renew it before it’s released back to the public or bought by someone else.

4) Do domains automatically renew?

Yes, domains can automatically renew if you enable auto-renewal and have a valid payment method on file. This ensures your domain is renewed before expiry, saving you from losing your website or email due to missed renewal dates.

Final Thoughts: Keep Control of Your Domain Online

Renewing your domain is a small task that protects your entire online presence. So, whether your domain is active, expired, or approaching expiry, knowing the renewal steps and timelines ensures you stay in control.

For example, using auto-renewal adds a layer of protection, while keeping your account and payment details updated prevents unexpected failures. However, if you ever miss a renewal, act fast! The grace and redemption periods give a last chance, but the costs rise and recovery isn’t guaranteed.

For Tanzanian businesses, choosing a local registrar like Truehost simplifies the process. With convenient local payment options, clear dashboards, and responsive support, renewing your domain becomes easy and worry-free.

Convinced? You can get started by transferring your domain to Truhost!