In general, domain expiry and deletion cycle is a different process with different registrars and domain name registers. It is a well known fact that a number of registrars enter into partnership with different domain auctioning services. Before a domain name expires, the registrars will keep it in an expired status for 35 days. Under the usual circumstances, the domain that expires will not be visible in a WHOIS database, as the registrars will add an extra year to the registration. If you want to check whether the domain in question has expired or not, just make a search in the domain name server's database. In the last stages of expiration, the registrars will place the domain in a pre-release section. On the 36th day, the domain auctioning service firm will start auctioning off the domains, if there are any backorders pending before the service.

Let us say that there are backordering orders for a domain. Then, the said domain will fall in the normal process of domain expiry cycle. There is a fierce competition among thousands of expired domain traders to catch the most feasible domains. Expired domain name traders use a standard acquisition process by closely following the domain expiry cycle and its selling process. When a domain enters a stage called “Pending Delete”, the domain will fall and enters a stage called “drop”. Every top level domain will have a predetermined “time duration” when a particular domain will become available for purchase. Here are some examples of top level domains that drop at a particular time slot:

Dot com and Dot net: Dropping between 1 PM and 1.30 PM CST
Dot org names : Dropping between 8.30 AM and 9 AM CST
Dot info names : Dropping between 3.30 AM and 4 AM CST
Dot biz names : Dropping between 1.30 AM and 2 PM CST
Dot us names : Dropping between 12 AM and 12.30 AM CST

Catching a domain is a relatively simple and straightforward process. You will just need to register a domain when it drops or whenever it becomes available for purchase. How you do it, is an intricate and important part of the process. Most of the domains get registered very quickly and thousands of domain names are registered within milliseconds. Under a normal domain dropping and catching process, well known firms like Pool.com, SnapName.com and eNom.com have close contacts with a number of domain registrars. These firms send automatic “Buy Request” commands to the registry right at the dropping stages. These firms create a comprehensive list to find out which one of the names drop each day and later place an order for all dropping names. Catching dropping names is an adventurous game and a thrilling act. As a domain trader, you may wish to focus on buying good domain names at most economical process by using the domain dropping process. Once you learn the process of domain name dropping and its subsequent buying process, you can easily start accumulating good expired domains.