Step 1: list every domain and where it points
Export your domains from each registrar account. For each one, note:
- Nameservers at the registrar.
- The A record (the IP address the domain points to).
- What loads when you visit it in a private window.
Step 2: sort them into five groups
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Your site loads | Working | Nothing, but check SSL |
| Nothing loads, no DNS | Nameservers point nowhere | Point at a parking page or redirect you control, or drop the domain |
| An error or a host's default page | DNS points at a server you no longer use | Update DNS today |
| Someone else's website | DNS points at an IP that now belongs to someone else | Fix immediately: your domain is advertising a stranger's site |
| Registrar parking | Default parking | Fine for now; decide keep, sell or drop |
In our audit, 90 domains had no working DNS or hosting, 53 pointed at servers no longer in use, and 14 showed someone else's site. Full numbers are in the aged domains study.
Step 3: fix control first
Move nameservers for idle domains to your registrar's DNS, where you can see and change them. Never leave a domain pointing at a hosting account you have closed.
Step 4: repeat every quarter
Hosting changes, accounts get closed, IPs get reassigned. A quarterly check takes minutes once you have the list, and it is the cheapest SEO and brand protection you will ever do.
