How to Register an Expiring .CA Domain

Answering your questions about Webnames.ca Products and Services
How to Register an Expiring .CA Domain Name
Building out your domain name portfolio? Looking for a great domain name, but finding your top picks already registered? Did you know you can preview and preregister expiring .CA domain names?
When a .CA domain name is not renewed by its owner, it enters a suspended state for a period of 30 days. During this time it remains registered to its original owner, but afterwards becomes available for registration in a To-Be-Released (TBR) process. In fact, you might find exactly the .CA you are looking for on CIRA’s To-Be-Released List which lists expiring domain names approximately sixty-hours before the release date and time. Approximately 1000 expiring .CA’s are listed weekly. You can also preview To-Be-Released domain names on Webnames.ca, at https://www.webnames.ca/content/tbr.asp
What is prebooking?
Prebooking is the process of requesting the registration of a suspended domain several days before it is set to expire. When a prebooked .CA gets released, Webnames.ca will attempt to register it for you. Prebooking is risk free – the only charge to the customer is the price of the domain if they’re request is successful.
How to Prebook an Expiring .CA
If, after monitoring the TBR lists, you find a domain name you want to register you must log into your Webnames.ca Account at https://www.webnames.ca/login.aspx the day the domain will be released by CIRA. Once you are logged-in to your account, go to Webnames.ca To-Be-Released page, which can be found at the URL above or under ‘Register Expiring .CA’s’ in the Quick Links menu. Go through the list and locate the name you want to register (they are listed alphabetically). Click on the domain name and it will be automatically added to your shopping cart as a “Prebook”; only one person per Registrar can “Prebook” a particular expiring domain name. Continue with the purchase process by entering your credit card details. If you do not ‘win’ the domain name, you will not be charged.
What happens when an expiring domain name is prebooked by multiple registrars?
Registrars submit batch requests for expiring domain names on a daily basis.
These batch requests are submitted by respective Registrars at the same time. Webnames.ca submits its batch request daily at approximately 11:00 am PST. One request is forwarded every 5 seconds and the process ends by 11:15 am. When a domain name is prebooked at multiple Registrars, the first submission to reach CIRA gets the domain name. Prebooking early and being at the top of your Registrar’s list will improve your odds. There is no guarantee you will win the domain you have prebooked. Success rates are dependant on a few factors including, how close to the release time a Registrar submits the batch request and how many prebookings have been submitted. If you win your domain name, you will be charged for it at that time.
For more information on prebooking to-be-released .CA domain names, contact Webnames.ca Support at support@webnames.ca.