Server Hold
A registry-set hold that suspends the domain from resolution.
- RDAP value
server hold- Machine value
serverHold- Applies to
- Domain
At a glance
- What it signals
- A registry-set hold that suspends the domain from resolution.
- Typical owner
- Registry operator
- Normality
- Server Hold is not a normal status for a functioning domain.
The registry has placed the domain on hold, removing it from the DNS so it stops resolving. Registry holds are commonly applied during disputes, investigations, or legal proceedings.
What it means
Server Hold is a registry-level instruction that prevents the domain from being activated in the DNS. The registration can remain present in the registry database while its delegation is disabled. As a result, the domain usually stops resolving even when its nameservers and registrar account appear otherwise unchanged.
Who sets it
The registry operator sets and removes this server status. It may follow a registry policy action, a legal or dispute process, an investigation, a compliance issue, or a request that must be enforced at registry level. The registrar can explain the case and pass requests along, but cannot normally remove Server Hold on its own.
Is it normal?
Server Hold is not a normal status for a functioning domain. It is sometimes used as a deliberate protective measure, but a registrant should treat an unexpected hold as an urgent operational or policy issue. The status does not by itself identify the reason, and the RDAP notices or registrar may contain the missing context.
Should the registrant act?
Contact the sponsoring registrar promptly, provide the domain and RDAP result, and ask which registry requirement or case caused the hold. Review notices, renewal records, abuse or dispute correspondence, and any verification request. If the domain is business-critical, plan a temporary service response because DNS recovery may depend on a third party.
How it can be removed
Only the registry operator can normally remove Server Hold. The registrar must coordinate the request, and removal may require payment, documentation, dispute resolution, legal clearance, or completion of a registry review. Once the registry confirms release, check RDAP, authoritative DNS, and dependent services because propagation and local caches may delay recovery.
Common status combinations
Server Hold may appear with Client Hold, showing that both registry and registrar layers are suppressing DNS. It can also accompany Server Transfer Prohibited or Server Delete Prohibited during a dispute. Redemption Period, Pending Delete, or a client lock may describe the domain's lifecycle or protection at the same time.
RDAP status defined in RFC 9083 §10.2.2. The corresponding domain status is defined by the EPP Domain Name Mapping in RFC 5731.