Backorder dropping domains

What this does

The "Backorder" button lets you place a backorder on a domain that is about to drop. You choose which connected backorder services to use. If the drop goes to auction, your bid competes. If no one else bids, you catch it at the standard price.

How to do it

1. Go to Settings → Integrations and connect at least one backorder provider (Dropcatch or Dynadot).
2. Open the Dropping page from the left sidebar, open a domain's detail page from your watchlist, or switch your watchlist to table view and use the "Action" column.
3. Click "Backorder" next to the domain you want.
4. A dialog appears listing your connected providers — all are checked by default. Uncheck any you don't want to use.
5. Click "Place backorder". A confirmation toast appears for each provider when the backorders are placed.

Common questions

Why don't I see the Backorder button?

The "Backorder" button only appears after you connect at least one backorder integration. Go to Settings → Integrations, find Dropcatch or Dynadot, and click "Connect". Once connected, the button appears on the Dropping page, on watchlist domain pages, and in the "Action" column when you switch your watchlist to table view.

The button also disappears once the drop window has started. At 14:00 US Eastern time on a domain's drop day, that domain leaves the Dropping page and the Backorder button on its detail page hides — backorders placed after that point won't go through any registrar's drop queue. The watchlist also stops showing the "Dropping today" badge for that domain at the same moment, so a domain that was marked for today's drop disappears from the list once the window closes. To check what happened after the drop, use Second Chance from the left sidebar.

Can I backorder on multiple providers at once?

Yes. When you click "Backorder", the dialog lists every provider you have connected. All are checked by default. Uncheck the ones you want to skip, then click "Place backorder".

Can I cancel a backorder?

After placing a backorder, the button changes to "Cancel backorder". Clicking it cancels the backorder on all the providers you originally selected. You can also cancel directly from your Dropcatch or Dynadot account before the drop date.

What does the standard price mean?

Each provider charges a fixed fee per backorder. If the domain drops without competing bids, you catch it at that price. If it goes to auction, the fee applies toward your bid.

What do the cards on the Backorders board show?

Open "Backorders" from the left sidebar to see every backorder you've placed, one card per domain, grouped by where it is in the drop cycle (today, tomorrow, the next few days, available, or taken). Each card shows the domain name and how old it is. For a domain you've also added to your watchlist or portfolio, the card shows its estimated marketplace value. A circular-arrows marker with a price means the domain has sold before — hover it to see the highest past price and the month and year it sold, plus "+N more" when it sold more than once.

When it doesn't work

• "Backorder" button is not visible — Either no backorder integration is connected (go to Settings → Integrations and connect Dropcatch or Dynadot), or the domain's drop window has already started. Backorders close at 14:00 US Eastern on the drop day — once that passes, the button hides and the domain moves from the Dropping page to Second Chance (if our 14:15 ET check confirms it's still unregistered).
• "Dropcatch: couldn't place the backorder: …" — Dropcatch rejected the request. The error message includes the reason. Common causes: the domain is not in Dropcatch's drop queue, or your account has a restriction.
• "Dynadot: couldn't place the backorder: …" — Dynadot rejected the request. Check the reason in the error message and verify the domain is in Dynadot's drop queue.
• "Dropcatch auth token expired. Try again." — Click "Backorder" again. This is a temporary issue.
• Button shows "Cancel backorder" immediately — The backorder was placed successfully. The button state reflects your session only — it does not persist across page reloads.