Wondering how to renew your domains or keep your mailboxes active? In most cases there is nothing manual to do — renewals happen automatically as long as your subscription is active. Here is exactly how it works.
How domain renewals work
Your domains renew automatically while your subscription is active, as long as your subscription end date falls after the domain's renewal date. A few key rules:
Domains are only renewed while you have an active subscription at the time of the domain's renewal date — having an active subscription today doesn't retroactively renew a domain whose renewal date already passed during a gap in coverage.
If your plan ends on or before a domain's renewal date, that domain will not renew.
If you cancel before a domain expires, it will not be renewed.
My domain shows "Awaiting Renewal" and hasn't cleared
If a domain is stuck on Awaiting Renewal, the most common cause is the rule above: your subscription had a gap (expired, cancelled, or a promo period ended) that included the domain's renewal date, so the domain was never actually renewed — even if your subscription is active again now. This is not a backend glitch to wait out.
A domain that lapses this way is released back to the registry and typically can't be repurchased for roughly 30 days after it expired (this is a registry hold, not something we control). In that situation the usual fix is to remove the expired domain from your account and register a different domain in its place, rather than waiting for the original one to come back. Contact support with the domain name if you want us to confirm exactly why a specific domain didn't renew.
My registrar or a WHOIS lookup shows different renewal/expiry info than the Maildoso portal
Maildoso registers and manages your domains through our backend registrar, so the status shown in your Maildoso dashboard is the source of truth for any domain still under our management — a third-party WHOIS lookup or a registrar-branded status page can lag behind or show cached information, especially right after a renewal or status change. If our dashboard shows a domain as renewed or Active but an external WHOIS check still shows it expiring, this is typically just propagation delay; give it a day and check again before assuming something went wrong.
I moved my domain to another registrar — why does Maildoso still show a status for it?
Once a domain is transferred out to a different registrar (for example Dynadot or Cloudflare Registrar), it's no longer under Maildoso's management, so our dashboard status for it is no longer meaningful and can show as expired or stale even though the domain is live and fine at its new registrar. Manage renewal, DNS, and expiry for a transferred-out domain directly with its new registrar going forward — check there first if you're working against a deadline, rather than relying on the Maildoso dashboard. If you'd like us to reflect that the domain has left your account (for example, to free up a slot on your plan), contact support with the domain name.
If you're not sure whether a domain is still under Maildoso's management or has already moved, contact us with the domain name and we'll confirm.
What renewals cost
We cover up to $15 per domain renewal. Most domains renew well within that amount, so there is usually nothing extra to pay. If a particular domain renews for more than the covered amount, you can either pay the difference to keep it, or choose not to renew it and register a different domain instead (a new domain is added at the usual per-domain price).
How to keep your domains from expiring
Keep your subscription active, and make sure its end date is after your domains' renewal dates.
If you want to confirm a specific domain's renewal date, or pay an additional amount for a domain that renews above the covered price, contact us and we'll help.
If you'd rather not keep a domain, you can let it expire and add a different domain instead.
Renewing your mailboxes
Your mailboxes stay active for as long as your subscription is active. If a mailbox or account has been paused because of an unpaid renewal, settling the outstanding amount restores access. If you're not sure why a mailbox went inactive, reach out and we'll check your account.
Still have questions about a renewal or a specific domain? Contact us and we'll review your account and help you sort it out.