--- title: "Backorder .fr Domains: How Expired .fr Names Drop" description: "How expired .fr domains are deleted and released by Afnic, why there is no waiting list, and how a .fr backorder works through .FR Rush." url: https://hunter.domains/blog/backorder-fr-domain language: en --- # Backorder.fr Domains: How Expired.fr Names Drop How expired.fr domains are deleted and released by Afnic, why there is no waiting list, and how a.fr backorder works through.FR Rush. 13 November 2026 7 min read Can you backorder a.fr domain? Not with the registry. Afnic, the registry for.fr, keeps no waiting list for deleted names. When a.fr name is deleted it sits in a 30-day redemption grace period, and then it is released first come, first served. A "backorder.fr" service is therefore a registrar that tries to register the name for you at the moment it is released, usually through Afnic's dedicated snapping server,.FR Rush. ## Why a.fr backorder is not a registry reservation Even for.com, a [domain backorder](https://hunter.domains/blog/domain-backorder) is a bet rather than a reservation. With.fr, Afnic is explicit: its FAQ says it "does not keep a waiting list" and advises anyone waiting for a name to note the renewal anniversary date and check whether the name was renewed. So a.fr backorder buys a registrar's attempt to send a registration request faster than everyone else. When you pay and what happens if several customers want the same name are the registrar's rules, not Afnic's. ## What happens when a.fr domain is not renewed A.fr registration runs for one to ten years and is renewed through the registrar. Afnic's own guidance for holders says that if the registrar has not heard from the holder at the time of expiry, the registrar sends Afnic a request to delete the name. That is a different shape from the gTLD lifecycle. For.com and similar extensions, ICANN rules allow a registrar [grace period](https://hunter.domains/blog/domain-grace-period) of up to 45 days in which many registrars auction the name, followed by a 30-day redemption period and 5 days of pending delete. Afnic's pages describe no registry-level grace period of that kind for.fr. What happens in the days around the expiry date depends on the registrar's contract. ## The.fr redemption period: 30 days nobody else can use Once Afnic receives a deletion request from the registrar, the name enters a 30-day Redemption Grace Period. During those 30 days: - the holder can, through the registrar, ask to cancel the deletion and keep the name; - in Afnic's words, "no request for registration from another holder or registrar will be accepted"; - when the period ends, the deletion becomes final and irreversible. The [redemption period](https://hunter.domains/blog/domain-redemption-period) for gTLDs works the same way in principle, but for.fr it is the whole waiting game: the name goes from deletion request to release in one step, with no separate five-day pending delete phase described by Afnic. ### When deletion skips the redemption period Afnic's FAQ says the redemption period applies only to deletions the registrar requests on behalf of the holder. A deletion ordered by a court, or one that follows a fruitless request for justification, is immediate, so such a name can become free without the 30-day warning. ## .FR Rush: Afnic's dedicated snapping server Afnic opened.FR Rush in 2016: a separate EPP server for registrars that run a snapping activity, so that snapping does not disrupt the other registrars. According to Afnic's.FR Rush page on afnic.fr: - it accepts only "create" and "check" operations; - registrars may open several connections, with an unlimited number of requests per connection; - a 0.1 second delay is applied between two operations; - names are allocated on a first come, first served rule. The competition therefore happens between registrars connected to.FR Rush, and the first accepted create request wins. Ask a backorder provider whether it snaps.fr names through.FR Rush before you rely on it. ## .fr domain registration requirements: check before you backorder A caught name is useless if you cannot hold it. Afnic's FAQ says a.fr name can be registered by an individual resident in a European Union member state, or by an organisation whose registered office or main place of business is in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. The administrative contact must meet the same rule and be reachable. If a registrar offers a trustee arrangement, read whose name ends up as the holder. The FAQ on afnic.fr is the place to confirm the current eligibility wording. ## A worked example: from expiry date to release Say a.fr name you want shows an expiry date of 10 March, and the holder does nothing. 1. **Around 10 March.** The registrar, having heard nothing, sends Afnic a deletion request. The exact day depends on the registrar. 2. **Deletion request received.** The 30-day redemption grace period starts. The holder can still cancel the deletion through the registrar. No one else can register the name. 3. **Day 30 after the deletion request.** If the holder has not cancelled, the deletion becomes final. 4. **Release.** The name is free, and registrars connected to.FR Rush send create requests. The first one accepted wins. If the holder cancels the deletion at step 2, the name stays where it is and your backorder simply never fires. Afnic's pages do not publish a time of day for the release, so plan around the date, not the hour. ## How to watch a.fr name and what to check once you catch it To follow a name you want: - Look up its expiry date with the [domain expiration checker](https://hunter.domains/tools/domain-expiration-checker), then put a reminder a few days after that date. - After the expiry date, run a [WHOIS lookup](https://hunter.domains/tools/whois-lookup) and read the status. The [guide to domain status codes](https://hunter.domains/blog/domain-status-codes) explains what each one means. Repeat the lookup every few days and note when the status changes, because the 30 days count from the deletion request, not from the expiry date. - Place the backorder with a registrar that snaps.fr names during those 30 days, not on release day. If the name is caught for you, vet it the way you would any expired domain: archive history, spam, backlinks and whether it is still in Google. The [hunter.domains domain checker](https://hunter.domains/domain-checker) runs those checks for any domain you enter, and the first check is free with a [free account](https://hunter.domains/register). Note that the daily expired lists on hunter.domains come from the auction and drop feeds described on [how it works](https://hunter.domains/how-it-works), and.fr is not among them. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you backorder a.fr domain? Not with Afnic, which keeps no waiting list. Some registrars sell a.fr backorder, which means they try to register the name for you when it is released after the 30-day redemption grace period. At release, the registrars that snap through Afnic's.FR Rush server compete for the name, and the first accepted request wins. ### How long is the.fr redemption period? Thirty days from the deletion request. During that time the holder can cancel the deletion through the registrar, and Afnic accepts no registration from anyone else. When the 30 days end, the deletion is final and the name is released first come, first served. ### Can I register a.fr domain if I live outside the EU? Afnic's rules require an individual holder to be resident in an EU member state, or an organisation to have its registered office or main place of business in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. If you are outside that area, check what your registrar offers and confirm the current rules in Afnic's FAQ before you place a backorder. ### What time do deleted.fr domains become available? Afnic's public pages on deletion and.FR Rush do not state a time of day. They say the name becomes available once the 30-day redemption period has passed and is allocated first come, first served. Track the date of the deletion request rather than a clock time. Affiliate link Is the name you want still free? Type it in and we will open it in Spaceship search. If it is free, you can register it there right away. ## We find domains that meet these criteria every day Expired domains with a clean history and real authority, listed with a score; the ones matching your rule land in your inbox the moment they appear. [See today's catch](https://hunter.domains/domains) ## Related articles Lifecycle ### [.de Domain Backorder: How Deleted.de Names Drop](https://hunter.domains/blog/de-domain-backorder) How a.de domain gets deleted, what DENIC's 30-day Redemption Grace Period means, and when a.de domain backorder can catch the name. 23 October 2026 8 min read Lifecycle ### [Expired.co.uk Domains: Expiry Process and Drop List](https://hunter.domains/blog/expired-co-uk-domains) How expired.co.uk domains move from expiry to release: Nominet's three stages, the public daily drop list, and how to catch a.uk name when it drops. 6 October 2026 8 min read Lifecycle ### [Domain Backorder: How It Works and Why It Isn’t a Guarantee](https://hunter.domains/blog/domain-backorder) A domain backorder is an order to catch a domain the moment it drops. How it works, what you pay for, and why placing one does not guarantee the name. 3 October 2026 8 min read ## Don't miss the next good domain. 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