12,000+ .co.uk domains expire daily. 89% re-registered within 24 hours. Manual registration impossible. Backorder services automate capture using millisecond-precision bots.
What Is Backordering
Domain you want is registered but expiring soon. You place "backorder" - service attempts to register it instantly when it drops. Success depends on speed and registrar access.
UK Backorder Services
Drop Catch UK (UK specialist), NameJet (global, includes .co.uk), SnapNames (via web.com), 101domain. Fees: £30-90 per backorder attempt.
Success Rates
Single service: 40-50% success. Multiple services: 67-75% (increases cost but maximizes capture probability). Competitive domains (valuable keywords) harder to catch.
How Backorder Works
Domain enters grace period after expiration. If not renewed, moves to "pending delete" status. After 5 days in pending delete (for .co.uk), drops to available. Backorder attempts registration at drop moment.
Warning: Backorder is not guaranteed. You pay fee regardless of success. If 10 people backorder same domain, only one captures it.
Monitoring Expiration
WHOIS lookup shows expiration date. But actual drop date differs due to grace periods and registrar policies. Backorder service calculates drop date automatically.
Pricing Models
Club Drop: £35 one-time fee (success or fail, you pay). Drop Catch: £50-100 (only pay if successful catch). NameJet: Auction model if multiple backorders (winner pays highest bid).
Auction Scenario
Multiple people backorder same domain. Service catches it successfully. Triggers auction among backorder participants. Highest bidder wins. Floor price: £60-120 depending on service.
Auction Strategy
Set maximum bid before auction starts. Don't get emotionally involved. If domain worth £500 to you, don't bid £600 in heat of moment.
Expired Domain Research
ExpiredDomains.net shows recently dropped domains. Filter by age (older = better SEO history), backlinks (existing inbound links = SEO value), length (shorter = better).
Legal Risks
Previous owner may have trademark on name. Expired due to oversight, not abandonment. Re-registering could trigger legal challenge. Check trademark status before backordering business names.
Trademark holder has right to reclaim expired domain containing their mark. UDRP proceedings cost £1,500+ to defend. Verify no active trademark before backorder.
Spam History Check
Domain might have been used for spam before expiration. Check Google Safe Browsing, blacklist databases. Blacklisted domain has negative SEO value despite age/backlinks.
Multiple Service Strategy
Really want specific domain? Place backorder with 2-3 services simultaneously. Costs £100-250 total but increases success probability to 70-80%.
Alternative: Direct Contact
Before expiration, contact current owner via WHOIS email. Offer to buy before it expires. Saves backorder uncertainty. Success rate 15% but worth trying for critical domain.
Trademark Lens checks trademark conflicts on expired domains you're considering backordering - prevents legal battles after successful capture.