Uncovering the History of a Domain

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JoeUddeme

JoeUddeme

Uncovering the History of a Domain

Domain Buying Guides

Researching domain history is important for businesses and website owners, especially when buying a domain. It’s like wanting to purchase a property and checking the record of its past owners, renovations, and sales history before signing the contract.

You’ve arrived at the right place if you’re interested in digging deep into the history of any domain. This article will give you the relevant knowledge and tools to navigate a domain’s history.

Why Would Someone Want To Know A Domain’s History

Domain name history is important in several cases, mainly when someone wants to acquire a domain. For example, you come across a domain you want to buy but don’t know the owner. Investigating the domain registration history can help you find the owner so you can begin inquiring about purchasing the domain.

These are typical cases that warrant a domain history lookup:

Finding A Domain Name’s Owner

You might find a domain that looks valuable for your business, but the existing website has no official information to contact the owner. In that case, researching the domain name history can help you find the owner’s email address, phone number, physical address, or other contact information.

Conducting Research Before Buying A Domain

Due diligence is critical if you’re buying any domain. Checking the domain name ownership history lets you know its reputation with search engines, which can affect your website’s discoverability and brand appeal. This due diligence lets you know if the domain was previously used for any malicious activity, and you can immediately back out if so.

Competitive Research

Checking a competitor’s domain name history can reveal valuable information. Who registered the domain? How long has the website existed? How much was the domain acquired for? Has the domain ever been sold? These questions give great insight into your competitors, letting you know how to stand out and win customers.

Checking A Domain’s History

The WHOIS database is the first place to check a domain name’s history. This public database contains the information collected when someone registers a domain name. You can use it to find relevant information about a domain name’s owner and operational history.

WHOIS Lookup

You can query information from the WHOIS database using any WHOIS lookup tool. This database is publicly available, so many websites allow users to type in a domain name and see every information related to that domain in the WHOIS database. Examples of such tools include WHOIS.com, Who.IS, and WHOIS.DomainTools.com.

Type a domain into any of these tools, and you’ll see relevant information about it, including:

When the domain was first purchased

A WHOIS lookup always shows a domain’s initial registration date. This information gives you a clue of how long the website has existed. To illustrate, let’s perform a WHOIS lookup for NameExperts.com. We typed this domain into the Who.IS lookup tool and got the following information:

Take note of the registration date in the above picture. You can infer that NameExperts.com was registered in 2000 and has existed for over two decades.

When the domain was most recently updated

The same screenshot from our WHOIS lookup shows when NameExperts.com was recently updated, i.e., the last domain renewal date.

You can observe that this domain was last updated on the 11th of April, 2024.

Nameserver information

A nameserver is the server that translates a domain name into an IP address. A WHOIS lookup shows the nameservers of any domain name.

Our WHOIS lookup shows that NameExperts.com uses Cloudflare nameservers.

Domain expiration dates

A WHOIS lookup tells you when a domain name is set to expire. If you’re interested in buying a domain name, it’s advisable to make your offer near its expiration date, when the buyer will be more likely to sell it.

Our WHOIS domain history lookup shows the expiration date for NameExperts.com (April 11, 2025, as of writing).

DomainTools: A More Expansive Search Tool

DomainTools is a more expansive tool to check the history of a website. It provides detailed records about a domain name, including its hosting history, screenshot history, and other domains that share the same IP address or nameserver.

However, DomainTools is not free. It costs $99 per month or $995 annually for unlimited searches, which is pricey. Alternatively, users can pay a $49 one-time fee to download a single domain name’s history report. Free users only get a preview when they search for a domain name’s history.

Google Search

A simple Google search can reveal a lot about a domain. If you query a specific domain on Google, you can see reviews or mentions of the website and judge how customers perceive it. If you notice overwhelmingly negative reviews, it’s a signal not to buy the domain because of potential harm to your reputation.

You can also check popular review sites like TrustPilot.com and TrustRadius.com to see reviews about a domain.

How To Find the Owner of the Domain

WHOIS Lookup

A WHOIS lookup usually gives information about the domain name’s owner. The WHOIS database contains the contact information for every domain, including phone number, email address, and physical address.

To illustrate, let’s run a domain history lookup for “Dynadot.com” on Who.IS. We got the following information:

You can see the name, address, phone number, fax number, and email address of the company that owns this domain. Let’s say you’re interested in acquiring a domain– a WHOIS lookup gives you the owner’s contact details, and you can call or email them about your offer.

However, many domain owners use a privacy protection service that replaces their WHOIS contact information with that of an external company. For example, a WHOIS lookup for “Apple.com” gives the below information, wherein every contact detail is redacted for privacy:

Redacted information implies the owner doesn’t want to reveal their contact information to the public. However, don’t fret. You can enlist a domain broker to investigate further and find the owner’s contact information.

Use a Domain Broker

Domain name brokers are professionals who specialize in arranging domain deals. They handle all aspects of a domain acquisition, from identifying the owner to negotiating a fair market value and formally closing the acquisition.

You can enlist a domain broker like NameExperts to find a domain name’s owner even when their information is blocked from the WHOIS database. To find the owner’s information, brokers can check corporate records, incorporation databases, regulatory filings, and other sources. After getting the information, they can contact the owner on your behalf to negotiate a possible sale.

See How a Domain Has Been Used

The Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) is one of the best tools for researching the history of a website. This tool gives website history snapshots of any domain you search for, letting you see how the domain has been used in the past.

It’s like being a time traveler but on the internet. After searching for a domain, you’ll see a calendar showing the years the domain has been active, and you can see how the website looked on specific days, months, and years.

For example, we searched for NameExperts.com and found snapshots from 2004 to 2005 and 2013 to 2024.

We picked a random date in 2019 to see how NameExperts.com looked at that point, and we got the image below. Notice how our website looked significantly different from its current design.

The Wayback Machine provides valuable information about a domain. It shows you if the domain was once used for spammy or malicious activities, and you can back out of acquiring the domain if so.

How To Determine If A Domain Is Safe and Secure

Norton Safeweb is a free tool for checking a domain’s safety. It shows whether the domain was or is connected to malware or security issues. Type in any domain, and Safeweb provides a simple report showing whether it’s safe or not. If a domain is marked unsafe, it’s a signal to think twice about acquiring it.

Here’s a sample Safeweb report for NameExperts.com:

Domain History Challenges

Checking a domain name history isn’t always rosy. You might run into these common issues:

Outdated Information

When checking for a domain name ownership history, you might find outdated information that’s of no use. This usually happens when a domain has not been active for a long time, making it difficult to research its history and find information about the owner.

Privacy Settings

We’ve mentioned how some individuals or businesses turn on privacy protection for their domains and hide their contact information. This issue is becoming more common because many domain registrars now offer privacy protection for free.

Masked Information

Some domain name owners use third-party services to mask their ownership information. When checking the domain name history, you might see information about third parties who have little control over the domain and refuse to point you to the actual owner.

Solution: Use A Domain Name Broker

Don’t fret if you encounter the challenges mentioned above. A domain broker can help you circumvent these issues and find authentic information about a domain’s owner.

The WHOIS database isn’t the end of the domain name lookup. Domain brokers can check other sources, such as corporate registration records, real estate records, press releases, regulatory documents, government databases, tax databases, and more. You’ll be surprised at what a broker can find online or by leveraging their relationships.

Brokers don’t just help you find a domain’s owner. They’re also skilled at appraising a domain name and negotiating acquisition deals, ensuring buyers and sellers are satisfied with the outcome.

Name Experts offers brokerage services to help you buy premium domain names. We offer top-notch service, protecting your anonymity and negotiating the best possible deal. We’ll handle every hectic part of acquiring a domain name; you’ll simply take ownership. Contact us today to see how we can help you.

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So, domains owned for a long time tend to command higher prices than new or short-lived ones. Domain Popularity If a name is already in use, the volume of the traffic on the site using it contributes to its value. High-traffic domains are more expensive because the new owner can leverage the existing traffic to drive eyeballs to their own website. Likewise, if an existing asset has back links from other websites, it will command a higher price because back links improve search engine rankings and help generate organic traffic. Understanding the domain marketplace is crucial for accurately estimating values and optimizing URL investments. Availability of Alternative Domains Can the purchaser find a similar asset elsewhere? (for instance Trucks.com > Trucks.co or Trucks.net or the .org). If the buyer can’t find a similar name somewhere else, then they may be more willing to pay a higher amount for it. Market Interest and Characteristics Market interest and characteristics are two essential factors that influence the names . Internet market interest refers to the level of interest in a name, which can be driven by trends, industry relevance, and the popularity of certain keywords. Characteristics, on the other hand, refer to the attributes of the name, such as its number of characters, extension, and keyword density. A URL with high market demand and desirable characteristics can command a higher price. For example, short, memorable domain names with popular extensions like .com are often more valuable sales due to their high demand and ease of recall. How To Determine A Domain’s Value There is no specific formula for this activity. However, there are some free tools and services to help you estimate the cost of a domain name. 1. Research Tools The first step in figuring out how much a name can sell for is checking out the rate of similar domain names. Thus, you can use a research tool to see what similar domain names are selling for and compare them to your own. This will help you select a fair market price. Some site are free to use while others charge a fee. DN Journal is a good example of a platform that collates sales figures and displays them to readers for free. Namebio, much like DN Journal does a great job cataloging recent name with its easy to use their scan tool. They offered a monthly service fee for multiple inquiries. Domain Name Wire is another free resource. You can find blog posts about notable domain sales to help you estimate what you can sell yours for. Godaddy is a great resource to see what names may be available. They also offer a fast transfer service. There are many others, but these a few good places to start. 2. Use An Appraisal Service A domain appraisal service estimates the market value of a name. They appraise a domain based on many factors including popularity, search engine ranking, social media shares, TLD, and by comparing it to similar domains. These domain appraisal services platforms make it easy to get an educated answer on how much a domain is worth. A free valuation tool can give you an overview of the appraisal value, such as godaddy. Free Valuator is a good example of a domain log and appraisal tool. Just open the website, type the domain in the search box, and hit the Valuate button, then you will see an informed estimate. 3. Find Out What Others Are Willing To Pay A more direct way to answer the question of “what is a domain worth?” is to understand the domain sales marketplace and see what others are willing to purchase it for. The easiest way to do this is to list your domain on a marketplace like Sedo and Afternic and see what offers you receive to purchase. Create cool landing pages to help drive leads. This data can help set better pricing. You can use the offers as the yardstick for valuing the domain. Combining AI and Human Expertise To accurately determine domain value, it’s essential to combine artificial intelligence (AI) and human expertise. AI searches can analyze vast amounts of data, including market trends, search volume, and similar domains, to provide an estimated value request. They are vast resources for information. These automated tools can quickly process information and identify patterns that might not be immediately apparent. However, human expertise is necessary to interpret the data, consider the nuances of the domain name, and provide a more accurate appraisal. Experienced domainers and brokers can offer insights that go beyond raw data, such as understanding the potential for future trends and the strategic value of a domain within a specific industry. How To Increase Your Domain’s Value There are several ways to boost the value of a domain, including: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) This refers to optimizing a web page such that it ranks high on search engines. You can do this by including relevant keywords in your niche and getting back links from other websites. If people can find your website on Google algorithms , they will click on it more often and give you higher conversions, which translates into a higher domain value when you analyze the data. Market Your Site You can advertise your website on appropriate venues like social media services, search engines, or even use free word of mouth for your Company. This lets people know you exist and will likely drive higher eyeballs to your domain, giving it a greater value. Availability of Other Domains People are less willing to pay a high price for a domain if they can get something similar for cheaper elsewhere, e.g., Cars.com > Cars.co. One way to avert this is to buy the keyword across multiple TLDs, e.g., Box.com, Box.org, Box.net, etc. This way, the intending buyer will have less leverage. Build An Online Presence You can create profiles on social media platforms to build an online presence. This gives your domain more brand power and, in turn, a higher evaluation figure. Types Of Domain Name Valuations There are three main types of domain name valuation: Retail Pricing These are domain names directly offered by the owners to end users with a clear use case. The end users already have something in mind to do with the domain, usually for a website, so are more willing to pay a higher sum than the estimates. Liquid Pricing This comes into play when domain names are being offloaded by an owner, court order, or a bankruptcy proceeding sales. The domains are typically sold as a group and are cheaper to buy because it is a fire sale. However, the chances of finding domains with a liquid pricing estimates are slim compared to the others. Liquid pricing is usually between 20% to 30% of retail pricing. Investor Pricing This is when domain names are offered for sale by professional domain brokers or flippers. You can find these types in an auction where you will likely bid against other people to acquire a domain. Some people may exchange domains with other Internet portfolio investors or team up to acquire a single valuable name for their domain portfolio. Investor estimates pricing between 40% to 60% of retail pricing. Working with Domain Investors and Brokers Domain investors and brokers play a crucial role in the domain name market. They help individuals and businesses buy, sell, and appraise their names, leveraging their expertise to ensure fair and profitable transactions. Role of Domain Investors Domain investors are individuals or companies that buy and hold domain names with the intention of selling them at a profit. They often have a deep understanding of the domain name market and can provide valuable insights into the value of a domain name. Investors typically maintain a domain portfolio as part of their business, which includes a variety of domain names that they believe will appreciate in value over time. By analyzing market trends and leveraging their experience, domain investors can identify undervalued domains and acquire them at a lower cost, with the aim of selling them at a higher price in the future.  

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