Without The 30-Day Redemption Grace Period (RGP) Quite A Few .de Domains Would No Longer Be In Operation

10 years ago, a grace period was introduced for deleted .de domains

Regardless if you run an online business, a service portal, a training platform or a delivery service – your entrepreneurial success is often inseparably linked to a domain. But what happens if the domain is suddenly no longer accessible? The resulting damage can be tremendous.

When you register a domain, you create value, in many cases the very essential value for your business. But it can also be emotional or reputational values that are associated to your own domain. If this very core piece is deleted by mistake and re-registered by another holder, the consequences can be devastating.

The Launch of RGP in December 2013

This is why DENIC introduced a grace period for deleted domains ten years ago. During the so-called Redemption Grace Period (RGP), a deleted domain is not immediately available for registration by the general public. It can only be newly registered for the last domain holder or for a third party nominated by them within this 30-day protection period.

Almost Every Hundredth Domain Is Re-Registered By Its Holder

If you look back at the last three years alone, domain holders made use of the safety feature for roughly 0.9 percent of all deleted .de domains. Expressed in percentage, it may not be significant. In absolute terms, however, an average of 1,100 .de domains have been re-registered during the Redemption Grace Period each month since 2011. Still not a very high number compared to the more than 17.6 million registered domains with the German country code. But statistics are irrelevant if your very specific .de domain could be lost.

Once the RGP deadline has expired, all .de domains are available again for registration by anyone. As is the general rule for the registration of .de domains, first come – first served applies.

To learn more about the RGP protection period go to: https://www.denic.de/en/domains/de-domains/domain-deletion/redemption-grace-period