Domain aftermarket glossary
Reference definitions for the vocabulary used across listings, marketplace filters, transfer procedures and negotiation threads in the domain aftermarket.
Terms are grouped alphabetically. Where a word has a technical meaning at the registry level and a looser meaning in trade conversation, the technical meaning is given first. Metrics that describe portfolio performance are treated at greater length in market metrics explained, and the per-extension mechanics referred to below are listed in the extension table.
Terms A to E
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aftermarket | Trade in domains that are already registered, as opposed to first registration at a registrar |
| Appraisal | An estimate of value, produced by a model or a person, from the name's characteristics and past sales |
| Authorisation code | A secret string issued by the current registrar that authorises a transfer to another one. Also called an auth code or AuthInfo |
| Backorder | A standing request to attempt registration of a name the moment it becomes available again |
| Brandable | An invented or evocative name with no exact commercial meaning, sold on sound and spelling |
| ccTLD | A country code top level domain, two letters, delegated to a country and governed by that registry's rules |
| Comparable sale | A recorded sale of a similar name, used as evidence of value. Shortened to a comp |
| Drop catching | Attempting to register a name in the moments after its registration is deleted at the registry |
| End user | A buyer who intends to use the name for a business or project rather than resell it |
| Escrow | Payment held by a neutral third party and released only after the domain has moved to the buyer |
| Exact match domain | A domain whose second level is exactly a commercial search term |
| Expired domain auction | A sale run by a registrar or platform for names that were not renewed, before deletion |
Terms G to L
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Grace period | The window after expiry during which the previous holder can still renew, before deletion begins |
| gTLD | A generic top level domain, not tied to a country, governed under contract with ICANN |
| Hand registration | Registering an available name at a registrar rather than acquiring it from a holder |
| Holding cost | The recurring cost of keeping a name registered, and the main expense in any portfolio |
| IDN | An internationalised domain name containing characters outside the basic Latin set, stored in encoded form |
| Inbound offer | An unsolicited offer from a party who found the name and the owner without being approached |
| Inter-registrar transfer | Moving a domain from one registrar to another, keeping the same holder |
| IPS tag | The identifier of the registrar responsible for a .uk domain. Changing it is how .uk names move |
| Lander | The page a domain resolves to while it is for sale, stating availability and the contact route |
| Lease to own | An arrangement where the buyer pays in instalments and receives the domain after the last one |
| Liquid domain | A name that sells quickly at a predictable level because a standing population of buyers exists |
Terms N to R
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| New gTLD | An extension delegated under the expansion programme that began in 2013 |
| Parking | Pointing a domain at a page of advertising and taking a share of the click revenue |
| Premium renewal | A registry-set recurring price above the standard renewal for a specific name |
| Push | Moving a domain between accounts at the same registrar, with no code and no transfer lock |
| RDAP | The protocol that returns registration data for a domain, successor to the older lookup service |
| Redemption period | The stage after the grace period when a deleted name can still be restored, at a cost |
| Registrar | The company that sells and manages registrations for holders and interacts with the registry |
| Registry | The operator of a top level domain, holding the authoritative database of registrations in it |
| Renewal rate | The share of a portfolio kept at renewal, and separately the price charged at renewal |
| Reserve price | The minimum an auction seller will accept, below which the name does not sell |
Terms S to W
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sell through rate | The share of names sold in a period against the number held during it |
| Transfer lock | A period during which a transfer is refused, typically after registration, transfer or a change of holder |
| Type-in traffic | Visitors who reach a domain by typing it directly rather than following a link |
| UDRP | The dispute policy under which a complainant can seek transfer of a domain that abuses a trademark |
| Wholesale price | The level at which names change hands between investors, well below what an end user pays |