ICANN stands for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
ICANN defines domain statuses that describe the state of a domain name in the registry. These statuses affect whether a domain can be updated, transferred, deleted, or used on the internet.
The most popular ICANN TLDs, measured by usage and registration, are .com, .net, and .org, with .com being used by far the most widely.
Below, we will examine the most common and popular ICANN domain statuses, along with their explanations.
The default status, if no other restrictions apply, is OK or Active, which means the domain is active and has no pending actions.
Prohibitive / Lock Statuses
clientTransferProhibited - blocks domain transfers to another registrar (common for theft protection);
clientUpdateProhibited - Prevents modification of domain details (WHOIS, DNS, etc.);
clientDeleteProhibited - stops the domain from being deleted (accidentally or maliciously).
Pending Statuses
pendingTransfer - a transfer request to another registrar is underway;
pendingDelete - the domain is in the process of being deleted (after redemption period);
pendingUpdate - updates to the domain are waiting for registry confirmation;
pendingCreate - the registry is still processing the creation;
pendingRenew - a renewal request is being processed;
pendingRestore - a restore from the Redemption Grace Period is being processed.
Expiration & Deletion Cycle Statuses
redemptionPeriod - the domain expired and was not renewed; the owner can still restore it for a higher fee;
pendingDelete - Final stage before deletion. Domain cannot be recovered.
Inactive / Hold Statuses
inactive - domain has no nameservers set, so it won’t resolve;
clientHold / serverHold - domain is on hold, usually due to non-payment or compliance issues. It won’t resolve in DNS;
Short status explanation
"Prohibited" statuses = locks;
"Pending" statuses = action in progress;
"Hold/Inactive" statuses = the domain won’t resolve;
"Redemption/PendingDelete" = expired lifecycle.