Afternic - Official Thread

[GoDaddy]

Hello NamePros!
By popular demand, we have launched a dedicated feedback thread for Afternic, the GoDaddy-owned domain name marketplace.

We have created this thread as a way for you to tell us what works, what doesn't work, and what features you'd like to see at Afternic (please be constructive with your feedback). We're looking forward to hearing from the domain investment community to help us shape the future of Afternic.

We will also be sharing Afternic product updates in this thread.

Please note that this thread is not meant for support. Please email our support team at [email protected] for assistance.

 

[Future Sensors]

@fka Your post confuses me because you observe the same thing as I do, but at the same time ask me, "Are you sure?"

 

[fka]

@fka Your post confuses me because you observe the same thing as I do, but at the same time ask me, "Are you sure?"

Sorry, I wasn't clear.

A nameserver that doesn't respond is skipped by clients, we specify multiple nameservers so that if some are down, the others can still respond, e.g: if ns1.afternic.com then the client will talk to ns2.afternic.com instead.

If verification-*.ns101.verify.hn is responding to requests on port 53 that would be bad because it isn't the intended authoritative nameserver, it doesn't know which records to serve. If verification-*.ns101.verify.hn isn't responding then it'll be skipped and the actual nameservers will respond which is good.

 

[Future Sensors]

@fka In the past, the 3rd (per seller) unique verification NS always responded to DNS queries. It's not a TXT record. When such a 3rd NS is present, it should act like any other NS, and simply work as intended. A dead NS always causes delays and failures. Sure, the other NSs get tried afterward, but only after timing out.

It seems we may have different views on what constitutes a proper networking setup.

 

[Future Sensors]

So @fka, okay the 1/3 is a bit too strong. But at the same time, Afternic should improve monitoring their infra. This is not the first time, isn't it?

https://www.namepros.com/threads/afternic-ns1-ns2-lame-delegation-finally-resolved.1358059/

My recommendation to remove the 3rd verification nameserver remains unchanged.

 

[fka]

@fka In the past, the 3rd (per seller) unique verification NS always responded to DNS queries.

Ah, I wasn't aware of that. I figured it worked as a no-op nameserver because a no-op nameserver seems like the right implementation. As I understand it, the purpose of the verification nameserver is as a value that the system can match by doing a whois lookup (e.g: the system does a whois lookup for the domain and checks if the verification server appears in the list of nameservers).

 

[Future Sensors]

All good.

Now fix your things @GoDaddy.

 

[TonnyDomains]

All good.

Now fix your things @GoDaddy.

I am certain that you have to speak louder to catch the attention of GoDaddy

 

[Future Sensors]

@fka Some background. The .hn TLD was selected specifically to bypass some checks done by ccTLD registries that enforce pre‑delegation checks on auths, and strict hostname or delegation constraints. Some registrar panels (and registries) won't accept all these unique Afternic verification NS auths under all TLDs. AFAIK, the .hn TLD still has issues for some ccTLDs (I believe .de and friends), so sometimes the .is TLD is used by other marketplaces.

The previously mentioned lame delegation issues on ns1 & ns2 (now resolved) also contributed to certain ccTLD registries rejecting even ns1 and ns2. But that behavior is no longer occurring.

 

[Future Sensors]

I am certain that you have to speak louder to catch the attention of GoDaddy

Maybe. But it's weekend. Afternic nameservers are only required to respond Monday through Friday.

 

[wwwweb]

Sorry, I wasn't clear.

A nameserver that doesn't respond is skipped by clients, we specify multiple nameservers so that if some are down, the others can still respond, e.g: if ns1.afternic.com then the client will talk to ns2.afternic.com instead.

If verification-*.ns101.verify.hn is responding to requests on port 53 that would be bad because it isn't the intended authoritative nameserver, it doesn't know which records to serve. If verification-*.ns101.verify.hn isn't responding then it'll be skipped and the actual nameservers will respond which is good.

For some reason, I have 0 new leads at afternic today, I do use the 3rd verification server, and I have had multiple leads every single day going back over a year.

 

[Cody H]

For some reason, I have 0 new leads at afternic today, I do use the 3rd verification server, and I have had multiple leads every single day going back over a year.

I noticed the same thing - no new leads and no updates on my existing leads - so I submitted a few leads on my own names over the last 12ish hours and none have shown up

 

[GoDaddy]

I noticed the same thing - no new leads and no updates on my existing leads - so I submitted a few leads on my own names over the last 12ish hours and none have shown up

Thanks for flagging, Cody. We're aware that new leads aren't appearing in the Afternic Lead Center UI.

New leads are still being captured and will appear once this UI issue is resolved.

 

[Cody H]

I noticed the same thing - no new leads and no updates on my existing leads - so I submitted a few leads on my own names over the last 12ish hours and none have shown up

We're aware that new leads aren't appearing in the Afternic Lead Center UI.

New leads are still being captured and will appear once this is UI issue is resolved.

— Afternic (@afternic) July 26, 2026

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[Future Sensors]

https://dns.coffee/domains/verify.hn/nameservers

 

[wwwweb]

Imagine if Afternic had similar payment options as Dynadot, and others.... Apple Pay, Google Pay, Payoneer, Wise, Crypto, Money Order...

 

[wwwweb]

One of my favorite experiment wins: showing the price to inquirers right after they fill out the Price Request form/survey. Win-win. You capture the contact for follow-up and future campaigns, and they can buy on the spot. Ramped up to all domains under $5k recently. pic.twitter.com/eLkx9JrEpL

— Alan Shiflett (@AlanShiflett) June 25, 2026

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Right around this time, I'm not sure whether it was due to the summer season, the World Cup, broader economic conditions, or some combination of factors, but there appeared to be a noticeable decline in regular Afternic sell-through rates.

I'm curious whether Afternic observed a broader decline in sales during that period. Has there been any internal analysis comparing sales performance before and after the changes to the brokerage process?

When a broker can't establish trust, explain the value of a domain, answer objections, and guide a buyer through the purchase, counter a price closer to the floor; many buyers may simply see a fixed price, hesitate, and leave the site without completing the transaction.

I understand that executives naturally want to see their strategic initiatives succeed. However, the more important question is: at what cost to the users and clients? If changes intended to improve efficiency are ultimately reducing conversions and completed sales, then it's worth evaluating whether the long-term impact outweighs the intended benefits.

 

[NicTraders]

Has there been any internal analysis

Well, you can be sure that AN is always doing A/B testing. But whether the results are analysed properly might be a different story.

However, the more important question is: at what cost to the users and clients?

I'm not yet convinced that comes into their thinking.

 

[love4ever]

Self-Brokerage available ONLY for DDC members !!!

Thanks for the feedback. Self-Brokerage is currently available through our DDC Domain Pro membership. Check it out here: https://t.co/1Xc7JK8cke

— Afternic (@afternic) July 28, 2026

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