Domain Deletion Report

In order to curb the practice of domain tasting, where a domain name registrant uses the five day grace period (the Add Grace Period or AGP) following the registration of a domain name to test its marketability, ICANN included in its Operating Plan and Budget for the fiscal year 2008-2009 a section intended to deal with the problem of domain tasting across all gTLDs.

Accordingly, effective 1st July 2008, domain names deleted during AGP would attract the applicable ICANN transaction fee, if domain deletions for a registrar exceed 10% of its net gTLD registrations in a month (total registrations less domain names deleted during AGP), or fifty domain names, whichever is greater. See details

Let's understand the impact of the above ICANN policy through a few scenarios:

• Example I:

  Total domain Registrations under Registrar A (under all gTLDs the Registrar is accredited for) during a particular month: 2000
  Domain Deletions under this Registrar (under all gTLDs the Registrar is accredited for) during this month: 200
  Net Registrations under this Registrar (under all gTLDs the Registrar is accredited for) during this month: 1800
  Deletion limit allowed for this Registrar: 180 (higher value among '10% of 1800' and '50')
  Deletions exceeding the above limit: 200 - 180 = 20

  These 20 deletions would attract the applicable per domain ICANN transaction fee.

• Example II:

  Total domain Registrations under Registrar B (under all gTLDs the Registrar is accredited for) during a particular month: 500
  Domain Deletions under this Registrar (under all gTLDs the Registrar is accredited for) during this month: 40
  Net Registrations under this Registrar (under all gTLDs the Registrar is accredited for) during this month: 460
  Deletion limit allowed for this Registrar: 50 (higher value among '10% of 460' and '50')
  Deletions exceeding the above limit: Nil

  There would be no extra fees charged to this Registrar.

Another measure introduced by ICANN aims at restraining the gTLD Registries from issuing refunds for domain names registered and deleted during AGP, exceeding the threshold mentioned above. The Add Grace Period (AGP) Limits Policy announced by ICANN on 17 December, 2008 states that during any given month, a gTLD Registry Operator shall not offer any refund to an ICANN-accredited Registrar for any domain names deleted during the AGP that exceed (i) 10% of that Registrar's net new registrations (calculated as the total number of net adds of one-year through ten-year registrations as defined in the monthly reporting requirement of Operator Agreements) in that month, or (ii) fifty (50) domain names, whichever is greater, unless an exemption has been granted by an Operator. See details

Some Registries have deployed the policy while others have planned the deployment in the future:

The following examples should be able to clarify this Policy:

• Example I:

  Total domain Registrations for a particular gTLD, say .COM, under Registrar A during a particular month: 500
  .COM domain Deletions under this Registrar during this month: 60
  Net .COM Registrations under this Registrar during this month: 440
  Deletion limit allowed for this Registrar: 50 (higher value among '10% of 440' and '50')
  Deletions exceeding the above limit: 60 - 50 = 10

  No credit would be receivable to this Registrar from the Registry for these 10 deletions.

• Example I:

  Total domain Registrations for a particular gTLD, say .COM, under Registrar B during a particular month: 500
  .COM domain Deletions under this Registrar during this month: 40
  Net .COM Registrations under this Registrar during this month: 460
  Deletion limit allowed for this Registrar: 50 (higher value among '10% of 460' and '50')
  Deletions exceeding the above limit: Nil

  This Registrar would receive full credit for all .COM deletions during this month.

In order to ensure that the number of deletions do not exceed these limitations, you are required to closely monitor:

• total deletions under all gTLDs accredited for (as per the ICANN policy), and

• deletion of domain names under all gTLDs and specific ccTLDs (for which the Policy has been implemented), that your Registrar company is accredited for (as per the individual Registry policy).

The Registrar Admin Control Panel now allows you to generate a report to assist you in this regard.

Generating the Domain Deletion Report

1.  

   Login into your Registrar Control Panel. See details

2. In the Mneu, point to Tools -> Reports and then click Domain Deletion Report.

3. Select the TLD from Select Product and then click the Generate report >> button.

This report lists the Total Registrations, Total Deletions, Net Registrations (Total Registrations less Total Deletions during the month) and the Deletion Percentage for the selected TLD during the current month.

Add Grace Period (AGP) Deletion Policy deployed by BlueHost China

In order to assist Registrars in controlling the AGP deletions under their Registrar Account, BlueHost China has restricted AGP deletions across the system. Deletions beyond 8% of net gTLD registrations in a month (total registrations less domain names deleted during AGP) will not be allowed.