How do I backorder a dropping domain on GoDaddy?

We strongly endorse GoDaddy as a low-cost backorder alternative to the likes of SnapNames, NameJet, and Pool.com.

You can place GoDaddy backorders for as little as $8.99 each by signing up for a DomainAlert Pro Investor's Edge account ($25.49/mo with coupon code downforce), placing your GoDaddy backorders in groups of 9 or more via Domain Manager > Buy/Sell > Backorders and Monitoring, and then applying a 25%-off-$100 coupon code such as EMMA25 or WEASEL25 to your cart before checking out.  You'll need to complete placing your backorders by 1:30pm ET (for .COM/.NET domains) for GoDaddy to attempt your captures during the 2:00pm - 3:15pm ET drop window.

Three outcomes are possible with a GoDaddy backorder:

1. Capture Succeeded - GoDaddy grabbed the domain and you may now manage it under Domains > My Domains.
2. Capture Failed - Either BuyDomains.com or a heavy-duty backorder service such as SnapNames secured the domain before GoDaddy could.  GoDaddy will provide you a backorder credit which you may apply towards a future GoDaddy backorder.
3. Private Auction - GoDaddy captured the domain, but you weren't the only party who backordered it on GoDaddy.  GoDaddy will now proceed to kick off a private, 7-day auction between you and those competing parties.  You may view the status of this auction under your Bidding List (auctions.godaddy.com > "Watching" [left sidebar]) and you may issue bids, but GoDaddy will shield the participant list and auction history from view.  Note that you WILL lose this auction by default unless you were the first to backorder the domain, in which case your Bidding List will display you as the high bidder.  Bidding within the final 2 minutes before the auction's end time (initially scheduled at 5pm ET) will extend the auction by 2 minutes.  If you win, you will actually be charged your high bid minus $10 at checkout since you've already supplemented that $10 via your backorder credit.  If you lose, GoDaddy will allow you apply that credit towards subsequent backorders.

Only about 20% of the NameFlipper domains GoDaddy secures get sent to auction due to multiple backordering parties.  Of the these 20%, 40% require a mere $15 bid to win and another 45% are winnable $60 or less.  Only 15% of domain auctions surpass $60, and these are typically cases in which one or more end-users are participating in the auction (end-users are typically unaware of SnapNames, NameJet, and Pool.com as backorder options).