If you've encountered an unfamiliar status code on your domain — or your website and email have suddenly stopped working — this article explains what domain statuses mean, why they happen, and what steps you can take to resolve them.
Every registered domain name has one or more status codes (formally called EPP status codes) that control what actions can be performed on it — things like transferring the domain, updating nameservers, renewing it, or deleting it.
These statuses are set at two levels:
Client-level (prefixed with client) — set by your domain registrar, the company where you purchased or manage your domain name (e.g., Namecheap, GoDaddy, Porkbun, Cloudflare Registrar).
Server-level (prefixed with server) — set by the registry, the organisation that operates the domain extension itself (e.g., Verisign operates .com and .net). These are less common and typically relate to legal or policy actions.
ok / activeThis is the standard healthy status. Your domain has no restrictions and is working normally. Note that ok only appears when no other statuses are set — so if you see lock statuses instead, that doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong.
Most registrars apply the following statuses by default to protect your domain from unauthorised changes:
clientTransferProhibited, clientUpdateProhibited, clientDeleteProhibited
These are typically labelled as "Domain Lock" or "Registrar Lock" in your registrar's control panel and are considered a normal, secure configuration. If your domain is working fine and you see these, no action is needed.
clientHoldThis hold is placed by your domain registrar. It is one of the most common reasons for a domain suddenly going offline.
Typical reasons include an unpaid renewal invoice or expired payment method on file, an incomplete WHOIS/registrant email verification (ICANN requires you to verify your email address when registering or updating a domain), or a terms of service violation flagged by your registrar.
What to do: log in to your domain registrar's control panel and check for any outstanding invoices, pending verifications, or notifications. If you're unsure of the cause, contact your registrar's support team directly.
serverHoldThis hold is placed at the registry level and has the same effect — your domain is removed from DNS and goes offline.
This status is less common and is typically applied due to a legal proceeding or dispute (such as a UDRP — Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy), a law enforcement request, a registry-level abuse complaint, or a failure to meet registry-specific requirements.
What to do: contact your domain registrar. They will need to work with the registry on your behalf to determine the cause and next steps. Be aware that resolving registry-level holds can take longer than registrar-level issues.
These statuses restrict specific actions on your domain. They don't take your domain offline, but they can prevent changes you're trying to make.
clientTransferProhibitedPrevents your domain from being transferred to a different registrar. This is usually applied by default as a security measure.
Need to transfer? Log in to your registrar and look for an option to "Unlock" your domain or disable "Transfer Lock." You'll also need to obtain an EPP authorisation code (sometimes called an "auth code" or "transfer key") from your current registrar.
serverTransferProhibitedA registry-level transfer block. This is often applied automatically during the first 60 days after a new registration or a recent transfer (this is an ICANN policy requirement). It may also appear during an active dispute. Contact your registrar if you believe this status should no longer apply.
clientUpdateProhibitedPrevents changes to your domain's nameservers and contact information. If you're trying to point your domain to new nameservers and receiving errors, this is a likely cause.
What to do: temporarily disable the domain lock in your registrar's control panel, make your nameserver changes, then re-enable the lock for security.
serverUpdateProhibitedA registry-level update block. This is sometimes seen on high-value domains that use enhanced registry lock services. Contact your registrar to make changes — they may require additional security verification steps.
clientDeleteProhibited / serverDeleteProhibitedPrevents the domain from being deleted. This is a protective measure and typically doesn't require any action on your part.
clientRenewProhibited / serverRenewProhibitedPrevents the domain from being renewed. These are uncommon and usually indicate a dispute or special policy action. Contact your registrar for details.
These statuses appear during specific phases of a domain's lifecycle, particularly around expiration.
redemptionPeriodWhat to do: contact your registrar immediately to request a domain redemption. The longer you wait, the higher the risk that the domain enters the final deletion phase and becomes unrecoverable.
pendingDeleteThe domain is in its final deletion phase (typically 5 days). Once a domain reaches this status, it generally cannot be recovered. After deletion, the domain is released and becomes available for anyone to register.
pendingTransferA transfer to a new registrar is in progress. Transfers typically take 5–7 days. If you initiated the transfer, this is expected and normal. If you did not, contact your current registrar immediately.
autoRenewPeriodYour domain was automatically renewed by your registrar. If you did not intend to renew, you may be able to cancel the renewal during this window (typically 30–45 days). Check with your registrar for their specific policy.
pendingCreate / pendingRenewA registration or renewal is being processed. These are temporary and usually resolve within minutes to hours. No action is needed.
| Status | What It Means | Who to Contact |
|---|---|---|
ok |
Domain is healthy — no restrictions | No action needed |
clientHold |
Domain taken offline by registrar | Your Registrar |
serverHold |
Domain taken offline by registry | Your Registrar (who contacts the registry) |
clientTransferProhibited |
Transfer locked (usually default security) | Your Registrar |
serverTransferProhibited |
Transfer blocked at registry level | Your Registrar |
clientUpdateProhibited |
Nameserver/contact changes blocked | Your Registrar |
serverUpdateProhibited |
Changes blocked at registry level | Your Registrar |
redemptionPeriod |
Expired — recovery possible at extra cost | Your Registrar (urgently) |
pendingDelete |
Being deleted — usually unrecoverable | Registry (likely too late) |
pendingTransfer |
Transfer in progress (5–7 days) | Your Registrar |
You can look up your domain's current status using a free WHOIS lookup tool. We recommend ICANN Lookup at lookup.icann.org — it's the most authoritative source.
Enter your domain name and look for the lines labelled "Domain Status." You may see one or more statuses listed, each followed by a link to ICANN's explanation. For example:
clientTransferProhibited https://icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited
The status name is the part before the URL.
A common source of confusion is the difference between your hosting provider and your domain registrar. They serve different roles:
Your domain registrar is the company where you purchased and manage your domain name. They control your domain's registration, status codes, nameserver settings, WHOIS information, and renewal. Examples include Namecheap, Namesilo, GoDaddy, Porkbun, Spaceship, InternetBS, and many others.
Your hosting provider is where your website files, databases, and email services live — the servers your domain points to.
Contact your registrar if your domain has a hold or lock status, you need to change nameservers, you need to transfer your domain, your domain has expired, or you need to update WHOIS contact information.
Contact us (your hosting provider) if your domain is pointing to our nameservers correctly but your website or email isn't working, you need help identifying the correct nameservers to use, you have questions about your hosting account, or you need assistance with anything on the server side.