Why is the same code written two different ways?
You will see these in two spellings and they are the same thing. Your registrar and older tools show clientTransferProhibited. The modern registry data shows client transfer prohibited. Nothing has changed except the formatting, so both are listed below.
One that trips people up: ok and active are also the same status, not two different ones.
What is the difference between client and server status codes?
This is the useful split. Codes starting with client were set by your registrar, which means there is usually a switch in your account that turns them off. Codes starting with server were set by the registry that runs the ending, and no amount of clicking in your account will move them. If you are stuck, that prefix tells you whether to look in your own settings or pick up the phone.
client…your registrar, usually yours to change
server…the registry, not yours to change
My domain is registered but the site is down. Why?
Check for client hold or server hold first. Those two tell the registry to stop publishing the domain, so nothing under it resolves at all, while the registration itself remains perfectly valid. People lose hours in DNS tools before finding it, because DNS is not the problem. client hold is nearly always unpaid invoices or an unverified contact address.
The other one worth knowing: inactive means no nameservers are on record. It looks alarming and usually is not, it just means nothing has been pointed anywhere yet.
Nothing is wrong
Nothing to doNothing to do. These are what a healthy domain looks like.
| Code | What it means | What to do | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
activeok | The domain is registered and nothing is restricting it. EPP calls this ok and RDAP calls it active. | Nothing. This one is informational. | Resolving is unaffected |
inactive | The domain has no nameservers on record, so nothing can resolve under it. The registration itself is fine. | Add nameservers at your registrar or DNS host if the domain is meant to be in use. | Resolving is unaffected |
Locks your registrar set, which you can usually remove
Usually yours to removeYour registrar put these on. That matters, because it usually means you can take them off yourself from your account.
| Code | What it means | What to do | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
client transfer prohibitedclientTransferProhibited | Your registrar has locked the domain against moving to another registrar. This is the normal lock most registrars apply by default, and it is a good thing. | Turn it off in your registrar account, usually shown as a domain lock, when you actually want to transfer. | Resolving is unaffected |
client update prohibitedclientUpdateProhibited | Your registrar has locked the record against changes, including nameservers and contacts. | Remove it in your registrar account before editing the domain. | Resolving is unaffected |
client delete prohibitedclientDeleteProhibited | Your registrar has blocked deletion of the domain. It is a safety catch against losing a name by accident. | Nothing. This one is informational. | Resolving is unaffected |
client renew prohibitedclientRenewProhibited | Your registrar has blocked manual renewal. It is uncommon and usually means a billing or account issue. | Contact your registrar, because this one can quietly lead to losing the domain. | Resolving is unaffected |
client holdclientHold | Your registrar has told the registry to stop publishing the domain in DNS. The registration is valid but the site and email go dark. | Contact your registrar. This is almost always unpaid invoices or unverified contact details. | Stops DNS |
Locks the registry set, which you cannot remove
Not yours to removeThe registry that runs the ending put these on. You cannot remove them yourself, and the route is through your registrar.
| Code | What it means | What to do | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
server transfer prohibitedserverTransferProhibited | The registry itself has blocked transfers. It can come from a dispute, a court order, registry policy, or a security lock you asked for. | Ask your registrar to find out why. You cannot remove this yourself. | Resolving is unaffected |
server update prohibitedserverUpdateProhibited | The registry has blocked changes to the record. | Ask your registrar. You cannot remove this yourself. | Resolving is unaffected |
server delete prohibitedserverDeleteProhibited | The registry has blocked deletion. It is often applied to domains in a dispute, and also to some reserved names. | Nothing. This one is informational. | Resolving is unaffected |
server renew prohibitedserverRenewProhibited | The registry has blocked renewal, which usually means the domain is on its way out. | Ask your registrar urgently if you want to keep the name. | Resolving is unaffected |
server holdserverHold | The registry has stopped publishing the domain in DNS. The site and email go dark while the registration still exists. | Ask your registrar why. This is usually a legal or abuse action. | Stops DNS |
Something is in progress
Clears on its ownSomething is part way through. These clear on their own once the registry finishes.
| Code | What it means | What to do | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
pending creatependingCreate | A registration request has been made and the registry has not finished it. | Nothing. This one is informational. | Resolving is unaffected |
pending transferpendingTransfer | A transfer to another registrar is under way. Transfers usually complete in up to five days. | If you did not start this, contact your registrar immediately, because a transfer can be refused while it is pending. | Resolving is unaffected |
pending updatependingUpdate | A change to the record is being processed. | Nothing. This one is informational. | Resolving is unaffected |
pending renewpendingRenew | A renewal has been requested and the registry has not finished applying it. The new expiry date appears once it completes. | Nothing. This one is informational. | Resolving is unaffected |
pending restorependingRestore | Someone has asked to bring the domain back from redemption and the registry is processing it. | Nothing. This one is informational. | Resolving is unaffected |
Where the domain sits in its life cycle
Time sensitiveWhere the domain sits between being registered and being released.
| Code | What it means | What to do | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
pending deletependingDelete | The domain is in the last stage before release. It can no longer be restored, and after about five days anyone can register it. | Nothing can be done at this point. If you want the name, it becomes available when this ends. | Resolving is unaffected |
add periodaddPeriod | The domain was registered very recently. Deleting it during this short window usually gets a refund. | Nothing. This one is informational. | Resolving is unaffected |
auto renew periodautoRenewPeriod | The registry renewed the domain automatically when it expired. Your registrar now decides whether to bill you or delete it, and it has up to 45 days to choose. | Renew through your registrar if you want to keep it. Do not read this as the domain being safe. | Resolving is unaffected |
renew periodrenewPeriod | The domain was renewed recently. Deleting it in this window may get a refund. | Nothing. This one is informational. | Resolving is unaffected |
transfer periodtransferPeriod | The domain moved registrar recently. | Nothing. This one is informational. | Resolving is unaffected |
redemption periodredemptionPeriod | The domain was deleted and is being held for about 30 days. The previous owner can still get it back by paying a redemption fee, and nobody else can register it. | If it was yours, contact your registrar now. Restoring costs considerably more than a renewal. | Resolving is unaffected |
Why was this status code set on my domain?
Why it was set. server transfer prohibited could be a trademark dispute, a court order, a registry security action, or a lock you asked for yourself and forgot about. The code carries no reason and the reason is not published anywhere public. Your registrar can usually find out.
Registries occasionally publish codes that are entirely their own invention and appear in no standard. Those are shown exactly as the registry returned them, marked as having no explanation available, rather than being matched to something plausible-looking. If you hit one, the registry that runs the ending is the only place it is documented.
Are status codes on my domain a bad sign?
Usually not. A healthy domain normally carries at least one, and clientTransferProhibited is the default lock most registrars apply precisely because it protects you from an unauthorised transfer. Seeing it is a good sign, not a problem to fix.
The ones actually worth acting on are the two hold codes, anything starting with server, and the lifecycle codes that mean a domain is on its way out. Everything else is either informational or something that clears on its own.
Related tools
The registration lookup shows every status on a domain alongside the rest of its record. If you are specifically trying to move a domain, the transfer readiness check works out which of these are actually in your way, and for the life cycle codes the expiry checker lays out the stages in order.
ICANN also publishes its own reference for these codes, which is worth reading if you want the formal definitions rather than the practical ones.