Redemption and pending delete are not the same thing.
In redemption, the old registrant can usually still restore the domain through the registrar. The name may be missing from the zone file and may stop resolving, but it is not available to you yet.
In pending delete, the restore window is over. The registry is counting down to release. This is when backorder services matter most.
For buyers, the practical rule is simple:
- In redemption: watchlist the domain, research the name, and wait.
- In pending delete: place backorders if the domain is worth competing for.
- In catchable: check whether a drop-catcher already won it, then act quickly if it is genuinely available.
NameNotifier separates these states because treating every zone-missing domain as "available" creates false positives. Our lifecycle layer uses RDAP, DNS evidence, and zone diffs to decide which bucket a domain belongs in before it reaches alerts.