Domain Investor Jargon: What You Need to Know

Like all hobbies and professions, people who buy and sell domain names use their own terminology. Some of it is self-explanatory, but some of the terminology might make you stop and scratch your head for a moment. 

Let’s take a look at some of the jargon you need to know if you talk with other domain investors.

Domainer Terminology

Here is some of the most common domainer jargon you might run into when getting into domain investing:

• Domainer – A person who buys and sells domain names. They are also called domain investors.

“I sold 50 domains last year. It’s fun being a domainer.”

• Cybersquatter – A cybersquatter is very different from a domainer. Cybersquatters own or traffic in domain names that match a trademark or are typos of trademarks. Domainers invest in domains that are generic or dictionary terms.

“That guy owns a lot of typo domains. He’s a cybersquatter, not a domainer.”

• Monetization – Domainers monetize domain names in a few different ways. Typically, monetization refers to domain parking, a way of making money from domain names that aren’t being used.

“I made a lot of money monetizing that domain name with a parking company.”

• Parking – No cars are involved with this type of parking. Domain parking involves pointing a domain name to a page full of ads. The domain name owner makes money if someone clicks on those ads.

“I made $500 parking my domains with ads last month.”

• Buy Now – This refers to a domain name that is listed with a fixed price. Someone can buy it without negotiating a purchase price. It’s sometimes referred to as “Fixed Price”.

“I really wanted the domains, so I paid the buy now price rather than negotiating.”

• Make Offer – Conversely, a “make offer” domain means that it’s not priced and the buyer and seller need to negotiate. While the owner might ask the potential buyer to make an offer to start negotiations, the domainer will sometimes name a price when someone inquires.

“The domain is make offer. I wonder how much the owner wants for it?”

• Drop – The drop is another term for expiring domain names. “Dropcatching” refers to services that acquire domains the moment they are deleted upon expiration.

“I bought this great domain when it dropped. I can’t believe someone let this domain expire.”

• Backorder – Placing an order with an expired domain service for a domain name that is about to expire. These “dropcatching” services try to get the domains when they become available again.

“This domain just expired. I placed a backorder with NameJet to get it when it drops.”

• Hand Reg – Short for “hand registration”, this refers to a domain name that was available to register as opposed to purchased from another person or picked up in an auction.

“I can’t believe this domain was available. I hand regged it for just ten bucks.”

• Auth code – Also called EPP code, this is a code needed to transfer domains between different registrars. They are often requested as part of a domain sale if the buyer wants the domain at a different registrar.

“The buyer wants me to send him the Auth code so he can transfer the domain to Namecheap.com.”

• Push – A push means transferring a domain from one owner to another at the same registrar. 

“The buyer also uses Namecheap, so he asked me to push the domain to his account.” 

• UDRP – Short for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, a way to quickly and inexpensively settle cybersquatting claims.

“I wouldn’t buy domains that are typos of famous brands. You’ll probably lose them in a UDRP.”

Want to Become a Domainer?

If learning all of the lingo has you curious, there’s no time like the present to start your domain investment journey.

And be sure to check out some of our recent articles on domain investing to learn more about a fun, and potentially profitable, hobby:

• How to be a Domain Name Tycoon
• How Trendy Keywords Offer an Opportunity
• Resources for Domain Investors
• How to Decide What a Domain Name is Worth

Did we miss any terms? Let us know in the comments if you’ve encountered any jargon you don’t understand.