A domain hack is a domain where the extension forms part of the word or phrase, so the whole address reads as one term. Famous examples include del.icio.us, youtu.be, redd.it and instagr.am.
Domain hacks can produce extremely short and clever names, which is why they are popular for URL shorteners and brand short links.
Drawbacks: people may not realize the dot is part of the name, ccTLDs used for hacks may have local presence rules or unusual pricing, and the country’s policies can change. They work best as a secondary short domain alongside a main brand domain.
Find your domain
Related terms
- Exact-match domain (EMD)
- An exact-match domain uses the exact keyword phrase people search for, like bestpizzachicago.com, to signal relevance and aid recall.
- Brandable domain
- A brandable domain is a short, unique, pronounceable name, often invented or blended, that can become a distinctive brand, like Spotify or Hulu.
- Typosquatting
- Typosquatting is registering misspellings of popular domains, like gooogle.com, to capture mistyped traffic for ads, phishing or malware.
- Cybersquatting
- Cybersquatting is registering a domain matching someone else's trademark in bad faith, typically to resell it to them or profit from confusion.