# How do you stop your domains from expiring?

> Stop domains expiring with auto-renew from a funded balance and a quarterly check; one price every year, so the core set renews at $128.94.

- URL: https://wardmint.com/guides/stop-domains-expiring/
- Last updated: 2026-11-12
- Publisher: Wardmint (https://wardmint.com)

A defensive domain protects you only while you own it. Expiry is the quietest way to lose one, and the fix is a funded balance, automatic renewal and a second pair of eyes.

**Quick answer — How do you stop your domains from expiring?**

Stop domains expiring by switching on automatic renewal for each domain, keeping a prepaid balance that covers the renewals due, and checking the list every quarter. **Wardmint** charges one price every year, so a core set of .com, .net, .org, .io, .xyz, .app renews for $128.94 each year and $386.82 covers three years.

## Balance needed to keep the suggested sets alive

*Wardmint prices read on 12 November 2026; one price every year, the same to renew.*

| Set | Extensions | Per year | Three years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Core set | .com, .net, .org, .io, .xyz, .app | $128.94 | $386.82 |
| Finance words | .finance, .exchange, .money, .cash, .capital, .fund | $296.94 | $890.82 |
| Endings phishers use | .xyz, .pro, .info, .shop, .online, .icu, .click, .live, .support | $212.41 | $637.23 |
| Token launch | .com, .io, .xyz, .app, .finance, .network | $195.94 | $587.82 |

## Why does an expired defensive domain matter?

**An expired defensive domain is a free slot for the person it was meant to stop.** Once a name lapses and returns to the pool, anyone can register it, including a phisher who has been waiting for exactly your variant. The domain then sits in the hands of an attacker with a history that links it to your brand.

The loss is larger than the registration fee. Old links, documentation, wallet integrations and community posts may still point at the name, and users who follow them reach whatever the new owner serves. Defensive names are the ones most likely to be forgotten, because they carry no traffic and nobody in the team uses them daily.

Expiry is also a quiet failure. Nothing breaks on the day, no alert is shown to users and the loss may be found weeks later. That is why this guide treats renewal as an operational duty with an owner, not as an afterthought.

## What happens after a domain expires?

**Most registries and registrars allow a window to renew after expiry, but the length, the cost and the rules differ, so do not rely on it.** After a registration ends, it commonly moves through a grace period and then a redemption period before it is deleted and released. During those windows the domain may stop resolving, and recovery can cost more than a normal renewal.

Wardmint did not find a source for the exact durations that apply across its 29 extensions, so this page gives none; read the terms for your extension before you plan around a grace period. The safe approach is to never enter that phase: renew before the expiry date, and treat any expiry notice as urgent.

One extension needs extra care. The .ai domains are sold two years at a time, at $88.49/year a year, so an .ai renewal needs two years' price on the balance. Account for that when you size your top-ups.

## How does automatic renewal from a balance work?

**Automatic renewal pays each domain's renewal from your prepaid balance, and you switch it on or off for each domain.** automatic renewal from your balance, switched on or off for each domain. Because it draws on the balance, it can only succeed while the balance covers what is due, so the balance is the control that matters.

Top up in crypto (BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC) from $25. Send the exact amount, click I've sent the payment, and the top-up is matched by its exact amount and credited once it is confirmed. The balance of a top-up never expires. The part of a top-up that was added only to reach the minimum is refundable on request within 30 days, in USDT or USDC, if it is unspent; the rest of the balance is not paid back. A treasury or multisig can make the top-up, as explained in [how to pay for domains from a DAO treasury](https://wardmint.com/pay-for-domains-with-usdc/ "How to pay for domains from a DAO treasury in USDC or USDT").

According to Wardmint's survey of 12 November 2026, keeping the six-extension core set for three years costs $386.82, so a single top-up of that size renews it for three years at today's prices with no further payment, because the price is the same every year.

## How to stop domains expiring in six steps

1. **Export the list** — List every domain with its expiry date, extension and purpose. Include the defensive ones that carry no traffic.
2. **Switch on automatic renewal** — Turn it on for every domain you want to keep. Leave it off only for names you have decided to drop.
3. **Size the balance** — Add the renewal prices due in the next twelve months, then add a margin. Remember that .ai is billed two years at a time.
4. **Fund the balance in one top-up** — Top up in crypto for the sum, or for several years if the treasury prefers a single payment.
5. **Name an owner and a backup** — Put one person in charge of renewals and name a second who can act, so the duty survives a departure.
6. **Check every quarter** — Set a calendar reminder to compare the balance with the renewals due and to confirm that automatic renewal is still on.

## Which retired domains should you keep renewing?

**Treat any lapsed domain as a name an attacker may register, and decide in advance what you will do with your own.** Defensive domains of crypto projects are valuable to phishers because they match a brand users trust. If you have retired a product or rebranded, the old domains are the ones most likely to be left to lapse; either keep them with a redirect, or accept the risk with open eyes.

Keep names that users have ever seen in official materials, such as a previous token site or an old documentation address. The cost is small beside the harm of handing them over. For which names to keep, use the method in [how to build a defensive domain list for your brand](https://wardmint.com/guides/build-a-defensive-domain-list/ "How to build a defensive domain list for your brand"), and combine renewal with the account controls in [how to protect your registrar account from takeover](https://wardmint.com/guides/protect-registrar-account/ "How to protect your registrar account from takeover").

Wardmint did not find a verified, dated case of a crypto project losing users to a lapsed domain, so it states none; the argument rests on how registration works, not on an incident.

## Questions about domain expiry

### Does the renewal price go up after the first year?

No. At Wardmint the first year, the renewal and the transfer cost the same. Each extension is priced under Namecheap's regular renewal price read on 12 November 2026.

### What happens if my balance is too low at renewal time?

Automatic renewal draws on the balance, so it needs enough funds to cover the renewal. Keep the balance above the renewals due and top up before the date.

### Can I switch off auto-renew for a single domain?

Yes. Automatic renewal is switched on or off for each domain, so you can let a name you no longer need expire.

### Is the balance refundable?

The balance does not expire and is not paid back, except the part added only to reach the $25 minimum, which is refundable on request within 30 days if unspent.

### Should I register for several years at once?

A multi-year balance reduces the chance of a missed renewal and, since the price is the same every year, it costs the same per year.

**In summary**

- An expired defensive domain can be registered by the attacker it was meant to stop.
- Switch on automatic renewal for each domain and keep the balance funded.
- Wardmint charges one price every year; the core set renews for $128.94.
- Three years of the core set cost $386.82.
- The .ai extension is billed two years at a time.
- The balance never expires; only the part added to reach $25 is refundable within 30 days if unspent.
- Name an owner and a backup, and check every quarter.

---

Wardmint: Wardmint registers the defensive domains a crypto project needs — its own name across the extensions phishers use, its own typo and look-alike variants — paid in crypto with no KYC: no ID, only one verified email per domain. It is run by DomaineGoat LLC, a company registered in Panama; domains are registered through its ICANN-accredited registrar partner. A .com costs $12.49/year, the same price every year.