Delete a domain

When you no longer need a domain, you can delete it through the OpusDNS API. This guide explains the deletion process and the domain lifecycle stages that follow.

Delete a domain

Send a DELETE request to /v1/domains/{domain_reference}:

curl "$OPUSDNS_API_BASE/v1/domains/example.com" \
  --request DELETE \
  --header "X-Api-Key: $OPUSDNS_API_KEY"

A successful deletion returns a 204 No Content response.

Domain lifecycle after deletion

After you delete a domain, it goes through several stages before it becomes available for registration again. The exact timing depends on the TLD and registry policies.

Active → Pending Delete → Redemption Period → Pending Purge → Available

Prerequisites

Before a domain can be deleted, make sure it does not have any blocking statuses. The following statuses prevent deletion:

• clientDeleteProhibited
• serverDeleteProhibited
• pendingTransfer

If any of these are active, remove them first using the domain update endpoint.

Cancellation vs. deletion

• Deletion removes the domain from your account and begins the registry deletion process.
• If you want to keep the domain but stop automatic renewal, change the renewal_mode to "expire" instead of deleting it. The domain will remain active until its expiry date.

curl "$OPUSDNS_API_BASE/v1/domains/example.com" \
  --request PATCH \
  --header "X-Api-Key: $OPUSDNS_API_KEY" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "renewal_mode": "expire"
  }'

Restoring a deleted domain

If a domain is in the redemption period, you can still restore it. See the Restore a domain guide.

Related API Reference

• DELETE /v1/domains/{domain_reference}
• PATCH /v1/domains/{domain_reference}
• POST /v1/domains/{domain_reference}/restore