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EPP status codes, decoded

Every registered domain carries one or more EPP status codes — standardised flags that registries and registrars use to mark what can and can't happen to the name. They're visible in any RDAP or WHOIS lookup, and they're the single best clue to where a domain sits in its lifecycle.

The healthy ones

Code	Meaning
ok / active	No restrictions, nothing pending. Perfectly normal.
clientTransferProhibited	Registrar lock against transfers — standard anti-hijacking protection. Most well-managed domains have it.
clientDeleteProhibited / clientUpdateProhibited	Registrar locks against deletion/changes. Also good hygiene.
serverTransferProhibited etc.	The same locks applied at registry level — common on high-value domains.

The warning signs

Code	Meaning
clientHold	The registrar has pulled the domain from DNS — it won't resolve. Very often means expired but still in grace, sometimes unverified WHOIS contact details.
serverHold	The registry has pulled it from DNS — abuse, court orders, or registry policy issues.
autoRenewPeriod	The registry auto-renewed it and the registrar hasn't confirmed — the owner may still be deciding whether to keep it.

The lifecycle endgame

Code	Meaning
redemptionPeriod	Deleted by the registrar; the previous owner has ~30 days to restore it for a fee. Full guide →
pendingRestore	The owner has paid to restore it from redemption — it's coming back.
pendingDelete	The point of no return. Deletion in ≤5 days, then the name drops. Full guide →

Reading a real domain

A typical healthy company domain shows something like clientTransferProhibited, clientDeleteProhibited — locked down on purpose. A domain showing clientHold with an expiry date in the recent past is almost certainly lapsed and heading for redemption. And one showing redemptionPeriod or pendingDelete is on the conveyor belt to a drop — check it and we'll estimate the date.