A Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up Alerts for Expiring Domains You Want

The hunt for expired domains is a dynamic process. The domains available today will be gone tomorrow, replaced by a new wave of opportunities. After you've spent time filtering and searching, you'll eventually build a watchlist of high-potential domains. But these domains are on a countdown timer, and their drop windows can be days or weeks away. How do you keep track of them without having to check the dashboard every single day?

The answer is to set up alerts. An effective alert system is a crucial part of any domain investor's toolkit. It automates the monitoring process, saves you time, and ensures you never miss the critical window to act on a domain you want. This guide will walk you through the simple and practical methods for setting up your own domain expiry alerts.

Method 1: The Built-in Watchlist (The Easiest Way)

Many domain discovery platforms, including Unowna, offer a built-in "watchlist" or "favorites" feature. This is the simplest and most integrated way to track domains.

How it Works

As you browse the list of expiring domains, you'll see a star icon or a "save" button next to each name. When you find a domain that meets your criteria and passes your initial vetting, you simply click this button. The domain is then added to a personal, saved list that you can access at any time.

The Workflow

1. 1. Perform your daily search and filtering on the main dashboard.
2. 2. When you identify a promising candidate, click the star/save icon to add it to your watchlist.
3. 3. Instead of checking the entire public list every day, you only need to check your personal watchlist.
4. 4. Your watchlist will show the updated countdown timers for each of your chosen domains, allowing you to see at a glance which ones are dropping soon.

Pros: Extremely easy, requires no external tools, keeps all your research in one place.
Cons: It's a passive system; you still need to log in and check your list. It won't send you an email or notification.

Method 2: The Calendar Reminder (Old School but Effective)

For those who prefer a more proactive alert, the humble digital calendar is your best friend. This method ensures you get a notification pushed directly to your phone or computer, making it nearly impossible to forget.

How it Works

When you find a domain you want to track, look at its expiry or drop date. Then, you simply create an event in your Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook Calendar.

The Workflow

1. 1. On Unowna, you find `myawesomedomain.com` is set to drop in 5 days, on September 13th.
2. 2. Open your Google Calendar and create a new event for September 13th.
3. 3. Title the event something clear, like "Domain Drop: myawesomedomain.com".
4. 4. In the event description, you can paste key metrics (DA, Spam Score) or a link back to your research.
5. 5. Most importantly, set up multiple notifications. Set one for "1 day before" to remind you to prepare, and another for "1 hour before" the typical drop window opens on the day of.

Pros: Proactive push notifications, highly customizable, integrates with your existing daily schedule.
Cons: Requires manual data entry for each domain you want to track.

Method 3: Placing a Backorder (The "Set It and Forget It" Alert)

Placing a backorder is more than just an alert; it's an action. A backorder is a paid service where you instruct a company (like GoDaddy Auctions, NameJet, or DropCatch) to attempt to register the domain for you the moment it drops. This method serves as the ultimate alert because the service will notify you via email whether your attempt was successful or not.

How it Works

After performing your full due diligence, if you are certain you want a domain, you can go to a backordering service and place a bid on it. You only pay if the service successfully catches the domain for you. If they do, you'll receive a confirmation email. If they fail, you'll also typically be notified.

The Workflow

1. 1. Identify your top-tier target domain after thorough vetting.
2. 2. Choose a reputable backordering service.
3. 3. Place your backorder for the domain.
4. 4. Wait for the drop date. You will receive an email from the service informing you of the result.

Pros: Automates the entire catch process, provides direct email alerts, increases your chances of acquiring a competitive domain.
Cons: Costs money (typically $60-$100 per successful registration), and if multiple people backorder the same name, it usually goes to a private auction.

Conclusion: Build Your System

You don't need a complex or expensive system to effectively track expiring domains. For most beginners, a combination of Method 1 and Method 2 is a perfect starting point. Use the built-in watchlist on Unowna to manage your list of potential candidates, and when you've finalized your top targets, add them to your calendar with specific alerts.

By creating a simple and reliable alert system, you can bring order to the chaotic world of domain drops, ensuring that your valuable research time pays off and that the perfect domain never drops without you knowing about it.