ENS Renewals: What You Need to Know
ENS names do not renew themselves. This is the single most important thing to understand about owning a .eth name: if you forget to renew, you can lose it.
How renewal works
When you register a name, you pay for a set period, typically one year. When that period ends, the name needs to be renewed to continue owning it. Renewal extends the expiry date by the same period you pay for.
What happens when a name expires
- Expiry - your name passes its expiry date. You can no longer use its records, but nothing is lost yet.
- Grace period (90 days) - for 90 days after expiry, only you can renew the name. The name is effectively frozen: no one else can take it, but you cannot use it either until you renew.
- Premiums - after the grace period, the name becomes available to anyone, with a declining premium price. If someone registers it during this window, they pay an extra premium on top of the registration fee.
- Gone - once the premium window closes, the name is a normal available name. Anyone can register it at the standard price. It is no longer yours.
The grace period is your safety net, not a free pass. Mark your expiry dates and renew before they pass.
How to avoid losing a name
- Know your expiry dates - check each name you own. Different names can expire on different dates.
- Set reminders - use calendar reminders well before expiry, not after.
- Use expiry notifications - several ENS tools offer alerts when a name is nearing expiry.
- Renew in bulk - if you hold multiple names, renew them together in a single transaction to save gas and reduce the chance of missing one.
- Renew for longer - extending by several years at once means you worry about it far less often.
Gas and timing
Renewals cost gas like any Ethereum transaction. Gas prices fluctuate, so renewing during low-activity periods can cut the cost noticeably. There is no downside to renewing early, only to renewing late.
Next steps
If you hold several names, read our guide to managing an ENS portfolio. If you are new, start with how to register a name.