A past due domain is one whose registration date has gone by, yet the registry still lists it as active. Reports show it as Renewal overdue since followed by the date. It is a warning to watch, not a finding to act on today.
Why it is kept apart from expired
A date in the past does not prove a domain has lapsed. Registries commonly keep a domain working for a grace period after the date, and some record a renewal late, so a domain that has been renewed can still show an old date. Calling it expired would send people to remove links that are perfectly fine.
How Link Signals decides
Link Signals reads the domain’s registry record. When the date has passed by at least one day, the domain is expired if the registry’s status also shows it has stopped, such as a hold, redemption or pending delete, or if it is more than 92 days past the date. Otherwise it is past due. A domain that is not registered at all is a different case, and is reported as not registered.
| Registry shows | Reported as | Counted in the score |
|---|---|---|
| Date passed, still active, within 92 days | Past due | No, shown as a note |
| Date passed, status shows it stopped | Expired | Yes |
| Date passed by more than 92 days | Expired | Yes |
| No usable date, or no answer | Nothing | No, nothing is guessed |
A past due domain is not counted in the unregistered or expired row of the LinkSignal, which is Link Signals’ own metric, worked out only from what this tool finds. The next scan or monitoring check looks again, and the label changes if the registry does.
Common misunderstandings
- Past due does not mean the owner has abandoned the domain. Often it means a renewal has not reached the registry record yet.
- It is not a verdict on its own. Where the domain leads and whether it fits your page are judged separately.
- The same wording applies to your own domain. See check your domain and certificate.
Questions
Should I remove a link to a past due domain?
Not yet. Watch it. If it moves to expired, treat it as in expired domains.
Why did a past due domain become expired?
Either the registry’s status changed to show it had stopped, or the date is now further back than the grace period.
Run a scan and find where these show up on your own site.
