Client Hold
A registrar-set hold that typically suspends the domain from resolution.
- RDAP value
client hold- Machine value
clientHold- Applies to
- Domain
At a glance
- What it signals
- A registrar-set hold that typically suspends the domain from resolution.
- Typical owner
- Sponsoring registrar
- Normality
- It is not a normal steady state for an operating domain.
The sponsoring registrar has placed the domain on hold, which usually removes it from the DNS and stops it resolving. A registrar commonly applies this for non-payment, abuse, or a pending verification requirement.
What it means
Client Hold tells the registry not to activate the domain in the DNS. The registration may still exist, but its delegation is normally suppressed, so websites, mail, and other services using the domain stop resolving. The status is an instruction from the registrar rather than a statement that the domain has been deleted.
Who sets it
The sponsoring registrar sets and removes this client status. Common triggers include an unpaid renewal or registration, a verification requirement, suspected abuse, a registrar dispute, or a registrar's internal risk control. The registry records and enforces the instruction, but the registrant normally needs to start with the registrar.
Is it normal?
It is not a normal steady state for an operating domain. A brief hold can be part of a legitimate registration or verification workflow, but an unexpected or persistent Client Hold should be treated as a service interruption and investigated promptly.
Should the registrant act?
If the domain should resolve, contact the registrar and ask why the hold was applied. Check billing, email-verification requests, abuse notices, and any request for registration documents. If you did not request the change, secure the registrar account and ask for the case or ticket details rather than assuming the hold is harmless.
How it can be removed
The registrar removes Client Hold after the reason is resolved, for example after payment, verification, or an abuse review. A registrant generally cannot remove it directly at the registry. Allow time for the registrar and registry to publish the change, then confirm that the status is gone and the nameservers resolve again.
Common status combinations
It may appear with Client Transfer Prohibited or Client Update Prohibited when the registrar is protecting a disputed or unverified account. It can also appear with Server Hold, in which case removing the client status alone will not restore DNS service. Pending Update, Pending Renew, or Redemption Period can explain why the hold appeared during a larger lifecycle event.
RDAP status defined in RFC 9083 §10.2.2. The corresponding domain status is defined by the EPP Domain Name Mapping in RFC 5731.