Domain status codes: what do they mean and what should you do?
If you look up a domain in WHOIS or RDAP, you'll see one or more codes under Status, such as clientTransferProhibited or pendingDelete. A status code like that tells you in a single word what's going on with the name: does it work normally, is it blocked, is it being deleted or is a transfer in progress? In this article you'll learn what the most important codes mean and what to do when you see them.
Client or server: who set the code?
For .com and the other generic extensions (gTLDs), these are the EPP status codes. EPP is the protocol registrars and registries use to talk to each other. ICANN maintains a public list explaining what each code means. In WHOIS they're written as one word (clientTransferProhibited), in RDAP as separate lowercase words ("client transfer prohibited"). It's the same code.
Most codes come in two kinds:
- client: the registrar set the code, at your request or according to its own policy. If you want the code removed, you can arrange it in your account or ask your registrar.
- server: the registry set the code. Your registrar can't simply remove it. There's often something going on at the registry, such as a dispute, a suspension or a registry lock.
The codes you need to know
| Code | Meaning | What should you do? |
|---|---|---|
ok | Normal, no restrictions | Nothing |
clientTransferProhibited | Your registrar blocks transfers, as protection against hijacking | Only have the lock turned off right before a transfer |
clientUpdateProhibited, clientDeleteProhibited | Changes or deletion are blocked by the registrar | Usually nothing, it's extra security |
serverTransferProhibited | The registry blocks transfers, often due to a dispute or during a restore | Ask your registrar why |
clientHold | The registrar has removed the name from DNS, for example because of non-payment or a dispute. Website and email don't work | Contact your registrar immediately |
serverHold | The registry has removed the name from DNS. Website and email don't work | Ask your registrar what's going on and check your details |
inactive | There are no nameservers, the name doesn't work | Set up nameservers |
autoRenewPeriod | Just renewed automatically after the expiry date | For information only; decide whether you want to keep the name |
redemptionPeriod | The name has been deleted and can still be restored for 30 days | Request a restore from your registrar quickly if you want to keep the name |
pendingDelete | Not restored; the name will become available within a few days | It can no longer be restored; if you want it back, register it again once it becomes available |
pendingTransfer | A transfer to another registrar is in progress | Didn't request it yourself? Contact your registrar right away |
pendingTransfer you didn't request yourself means someone is trying to transfer your domain. For .com, the losing registrar has five calendar days to respond. If it does nothing, the transfer goes through. So don't wait.Hold, redemption and pendingDelete
With clientHold and serverHold, the name is still registered to you, but it no longer does anything: visitors get an error message and email doesn't arrive. With serverHold, it may be about incorrect details. For example, EURid puts a .eu name on "Server Hold" if the holder doesn't confirm their details after a verification request. Read more about this in Correct registrant details and verification of your domain.
redemptionPeriod and pendingDelete are the final stages of an expired or cancelled gTLD name. During the 30-day redemption period you can still have the name restored. After that come five days of pendingDelete, during which a restore is no longer possible. How this works for each extension is explained in Recovering an expired or cancelled domain: quarantine and redemption period.
.nl works differently
SIDN uses its own statuses in Dutch in the .nl Whois: Free, Requested, Active, Inactive (registered, but no nameservers yet), In quarantine (cancelled; for 40 days only the previous holder can get it back), Withdrawn (for technical reasons) and Excluded (a few names, such as www.nl). In SIDN's RDAP, a regular name shows "active". Some names show "locked", for example sidn.nl itself. That indicates an extra lock, such as the registry lock .nl Control.
You won't see a clientTransferProhibited like with .com for .nl. There, your name is mainly protected by the transfer code: without that code, nobody can transfer it. Other country extensions may use different terms; if in doubt, look up the status with the registry.
How to see it at WebOké
You can check a domain's status with the WHOIS lookup. In My WebOké, on the domain page, the Advanced card contains the Transfer lock switch. That's the transfer lock you'll see in WHOIS for a .com name, for example, as clientTransferProhibited. For .nl, .eu, .be and .nu this switch isn't available. Read more in Transferring a domain away: transfer code (EPP) and transfer lock and Protecting your domain name: expiry, transfer code, transfer lock and forgotten DNS records.
How to read the rest of a WHOIS or RDAP response is explained in Reading WHOIS and RDAP: what does it show and why is there no expiry date for .nl?. You'll find the full list of codes at ICANN: EPP Status Codes, and the .nl statuses at SIDN: Whois explained.
Want to learn more? Take the free course Choosing and managing a domain name, lesson 4.3 Domain status codes.