Eric Lyon
Scorpion Agency LLCTop Member
- Impact
- 29,277
Today, I'll be analyzing the .bio gTLD to see if I can dig up any helpful data points that could be stacked with someone elses research into the .bio extension.
Note: At the time of this analysis there was a 1-character minimum to register a .bio domain. There were also a lot of 1-character .bio domains available to register, but with a 4-figure premium price-point.
With the above in mind, lets dive right in...
Note: NameBio.com shows there are 116 .bio domain sales reports ranging from $101 to $61,002.
Based on the yearly registration totals provided by DNS.coffee, the .bio gTLD experienced a period of moderate, consistent growth followed by a substantial spike and a subsequent retraction in total registrations. The current number of registrations is approximately 54,862 as of December 2025. This contrasts with the 128,809 figure noted in an earlier response, but aligns with the DNS.Coffee data point previously referenced.
Potential .bio domain growth factors
The growth and subsequent contraction of the .bio gTLD registrations over the last five years can be attributed to general market factors in the domain industry, the registry operator's strategic repositioning of the TLD, and specific promotional activities that encouraged short-term registrations.
Steady Growth (2021-2023)
During this period, registrations grew steadily from around 18,764 to 26,721.
The total registrations nearly tripled in the year leading up to January 2024, reaching a peak of 78,215 domains. This sharp increase was likely driven by a combination of factors:
The total registrations contracted by nearly 30% by December 2025, falling back to approximately 54,862 domains. This decline is typical following a major promotion cycle:
Creating a Single Word or Phrase
By strategically choosing the name before the dot, the full domain name can form a descriptive phrase or a single, memorable word:
The TLD's dual meaning allows for clever wordplay depending on the context:
Why Domain Hacks Work
Domain hacks like these can be highly effective marketing tools because they are:
Why the language before and after the dot should match
To maximize the effectiveness of a domain hack with an English gTLD like.bio, the words before and after the dot should ideally both be in English to create a seamless, universally understood single word or phrase. The strength of this TLD lies in its immediate recognition as "bio" (short for biography or biology) by the English-speaking audience. When a non-English word is placed before the dot, it breaks the intended wordplay and sacrifices the cleverness, memorability, and instant branding achieved by cohesive hacks like my.bio or micro.bio. A purely English construction ensures the domain is intuitive, brandable, and easy to communicate verbally to a global, English-speaking market.
Proof of "Bad Faith" Intent
The central issue in most domain disputes is proving "bad faith" intent to profit from another's trademark. Selling a domain name to a trademark holder is legal only if you had a legitimate, good-faith reason for registering and using the domain initially.
Your outreach should be a polite inquiry, not a demand.
While offering a domain for sale is not automatically bad faith, demanding an excessively high, "extortionate" price (far beyond your development costs or generic market value) can be interpreted as intent to profit solely from the trademark name itself.
Best Practice for Outreach
Keep your initial contact professional, brief, and neutral. Focus on the value the domain might bring to their existing brand portfolio, rather than how much you want to sell it for.
What works for one may not work for another and vice versa.
have a great domain investing adventure!
Source
Source
Note: At the time of this analysis there was a 1-character minimum to register a .bio domain. There were also a lot of 1-character .bio domains available to register, but with a 4-figure premium price-point.
With the above in mind, lets dive right in...
.bio domain registration costs
According to Tldes.com the .bio domain registration cost ranges from $4.66 to $6.97+..bio domains registered today
According to DNS.Coffee there are 54,862 .bio domains registered today.Public .bio domain sales reports
There's not that many public .bio domain sales reports online. Sources range from 89 to 132 reports.Note: NameBio.com shows there are 116 .bio domain sales reports ranging from $101 to $61,002.
5-year .bio domain growth summary
Based on the yearly registration totals provided by DNS.coffee, the .bio gTLD experienced a period of moderate, consistent growth followed by a substantial spike and a subsequent retraction in total registrations. The current number of registrations is approximately 54,862 as of December 2025. This contrasts with the 128,809 figure noted in an earlier response, but aligns with the DNS.Coffee data point previously referenced.
.bio gTLD Registration Totals (Last 5 Years) |
|---|
| Date | Total Registrations | Year-over-Year Change | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2021 | 18,764 | โ | โ |
| Jan 2022 | 21,427 | +2,663 | +14.2% |
| Jan 2023 | 26,721 | +5,294 | +24.7% |
| Jan 2024 | 78,215 | +51,494 | +192.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 54,862 | -23,353 | -29.9% |
- Steady Growth (2021โ2023): The domain maintained a healthy, accelerating growth rate during this period. Registrations increased by 14% to 25% annually, nearly reaching 27,000 domains by early 2023.
- Explosive Spike (2023โ2024): This period saw dramatic growth, with total registrations nearly tripling in a single year, exceeding 78,000 domains. This spike may correlate with specific promotional events, discounted registration offers across major registrars, or increased public interest in the biotech/personal bio sectors.
- Contraction (2024โ2025): The total count contracted significantly between January 2024 and December 2025. This 30% decrease suggests that many registrations obtained during the 2024 spike were likely short-term, low-cost registrations that were not renewed at the standard, higher annual rates.
Potential .bio domain growth factors
The growth and subsequent contraction of the .bio gTLD registrations over the last five years can be attributed to general market factors in the domain industry, the registry operator's strategic repositioning of the TLD, and specific promotional activities that encouraged short-term registrations.
Steady Growth (2021-2023)
During this period, registrations grew steadily from around 18,764 to 26,721.
- Niche Market Alignment: The domain was initially positioned for the bio-organic farming community and related health/wellness sectors. The TLD offered a specific, branded namespace for a growing market of eco-conscious businesses and professionals.
- Need for Brandable Names: As legacy TLDs (like .com) became saturated, individuals and businesses sought out new, more descriptive domain extensions to find available and memorable names.
- Industry Relevance: The general life sciences and biotech sectors experienced ongoing growth, which naturally increased the demand for aligned digital identities.
The total registrations nearly tripled in the year leading up to January 2024, reaching a peak of 78,215 domains. This sharp increase was likely driven by a combination of factors:
- Deep Promotional Discounts: The primary cause of sharp, short-term spikes in new gTLDs is often widespread deep discounting or promotional pricing offered by registrars (like the $4.94 first-year price mentioned earlier). These "fire sale" prices encourage bulk registrations and speculative buying.
- Strategic Repositioning: In 2023, the registry operator, Identity Digital Inc., actively repositioned .bio as a generic TLD for content creators and individuals seeking to build an online profile or personal biography for social media monetization, moving beyond its original organic farming niche. This expanded the target market significantly.
- General New gTLD Trend: 2023 saw vigorous growth in new gTLDs (14.7% YoY), indicating a broader market interest in alternative extensions for branding purposes.
The total registrations contracted by nearly 30% by December 2025, falling back to approximately 54,862 domains. This decline is typical following a major promotion cycle:
- High Renewal Costs: The domains registered at heavily discounted first-year prices were subject to significantly higher renewal fees (often exceeding $50 per year). Many registrants who purchased the domains speculatively or for short-term projects chose not to renew them.
- Low Development Rate: A significant portion of new gTLD registrations are often simply redirects or undeveloped sites. These are the most likely to expire once the promotional period ends.
- Market Stagnation and Competition: The general domain industry has seen some stagnation following the pandemic-fueled demand, and competition from currently hyped TLDs like .ai has also diverted attention and investment.
8 niches for .bio domains
- Personal Branding and Portfolios: Used by individuals, creatives, influencers, writers, artists, and musicians to create a dedicated, professional "link-in-bio" or personal website that highlights their work, life story, and achievements.
- Biotechnology and Life Sciences: Ideal for companies, startups, researchers, and educational institutions in fields such as genetics, bioinformatics, bioengineering, and biophysics to showcase innovations, research findings, and scientific publications.
- Organic Food and Agriculture: Used by farms, producers, retailers, and food bloggers committed to organic farming practices, eco-friendly products, and sustainable agriculture, often adhering to specific standards like the IFOAM Principles of Organic Agriculture.
- Health and Wellness: A natural fit for health practitioners, nutritionists, wellness coaches, and brands focusing on natural remedies, holistic health, and organic or plant-based health products.
- Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Brands: Businesses that manufacture eco-friendly or sustainable products (e.g., natural skincare, reusable goods) use .bio to emphasize their environmental commitment and attract conscious consumers.
- Environmental Conservation: Non-profits, conservation groups, and individual advocates working on wildlife protection, biodiversity, and environmental initiatives use this TLD to raise awareness and promote their efforts.
- Biographical Content and Publishing: Authors, historians, or publishers use .bio for websites dedicated to biographies of individuals or historical archives.
- Educational Resources: K-12 educators, university departments, and online course creators use .bio to host learning materials, courses, and resources related to the biological sciences.
What a playful .bio domain hack might look like
A "domain hack" is a domain name that combines the domain name itself (the part before the dot) with the Top-Level Domain (TLD), like .bio, to spell out a complete word or phrase. The .bio TLD, due to its common usage in the English language as a suffix for "biography" or a prefix for "biology," offers several creative opportunities for these types of hacks.Creating a Single Word or Phrase
By strategically choosing the name before the dot, the full domain name can form a descriptive phrase or a single, memorable word:
- my.bio: This creates the phrase "my bio," which is a perfect, concise, and highly brandable domain for a personal website or online resume. According to data provided by NameBio.com, this domain has already been sold for a reported $61,002.
- getyour.bio: This forms the phrase "get your bio," which works well for a service that helps people build online profiles or resumes.
The TLD's dual meaning allows for clever wordplay depending on the context:
Examples of a .bio domain hack |
|---|
| Name Before the Dot | Full Domain Name | Meaning 1 (Biography) | Meaning 2 (Biology) |
|---|---|---|---|
| re.bio | re.bio | "Re-bio" (Re-do biography?) | "Rebio" (potential biotech term) |
| micro.bio | micro.bio | Not applicable | "Microbio" (shorthand for microbiology) |
| aqua.bio | aqua.bio | Not applicable | "Aquabio" (aquatic biology/life) |
Why Domain Hacks Work
Domain hacks like these can be highly effective marketing tools because they are:
- Memorable: They are easy for users to remember and type accurately.
- Brandable: They transform a simple web address into a catchy slogan or an entire message.
- Descriptive: They clearly communicate the website's purpose immediately.
Why the language before and after the dot should match
To maximize the effectiveness of a domain hack with an English gTLD like.bio, the words before and after the dot should ideally both be in English to create a seamless, universally understood single word or phrase. The strength of this TLD lies in its immediate recognition as "bio" (short for biography or biology) by the English-speaking audience. When a non-English word is placed before the dot, it breaks the intended wordplay and sacrifices the cleverness, memorability, and instant branding achieved by cohesive hacks like my.bio or micro.bio. A purely English construction ensures the domain is intuitive, brandable, and easy to communicate verbally to a global, English-speaking market.
10 lead sources for .bio domain outbound campaigns
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator:
- This is arguably the best source for B2B leads. You can use advanced filters to target key decision-makers (CEOs, Marketing Directors, Researchers) at biotechnology firms, organic product companies, and health/wellness brands.
- Specialized B2B Lead Databases/Sales Intelligence Platforms:
- Tools like Apollo.io, ZoomInfo, UpLead, and Lusha offer extensive databases with verified contact information, technographics, and firmographics for companies in the life sciences and other target industries.
- Industry-Specific Conferences and Events:
- Both virtual and in-person events related to biotech, organic agriculture, or social media marketing are prime locations to network and collect contact information from interested parties.
- Industry Newsletters and Publications:
- Sponsoring ads or co-creating content in prominent scientific journals or lifestyle brand newsletters can put your domain in front of a targeted audience of industry professionals and potential buyers.
- Professional Online Communities and Forums:
- Niche groups on platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit (e.g., r/biotech, r/DomainSales), and Slack communities allow for direct engagement and thought leadership, which can generate organic leads.
- Crowdfunding Platforms (Kickstarter, Indiegogo):
- Monitor projects and creators in the biotech, sustainability, and personal product niches. Reaching out to project creators who are actively building a brand can be highly effective.
- Organic Search Traffic and Competitor Websites:
- Use SEO tools to identify companies or personal brands already ranking for keywords related to biology or personal bios. Manually check company "About Us" or "Team" pages to find the relevant decision-maker's contact information.
- Third-Party and Niche Business Directories:
- Platforms that list biotech vendors (like G2 or Capterra) or organic suppliers can help you build highly targeted lead lists of companies looking for industry-specific solutions.
- Social Media Platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube):
- Target content creators and influencers who heavily rely on the "link in bio" feature. Their profile descriptions often lead back to links that could be improved with a high-value .bio domain.
- Referral Programs and Existing Customers:
- Your current network and satisfied customers are an excellent source of high-quality leads through word-of-mouth. Offering incentives for referrals can be a low-cost, high-conversion strategy.
- eMail Marketing Best Practices for Domain Outreach
- List of FREE tools for outbound domain sales
- Outbound Domain sales Tips
Legal considerations when selling a domain to an existing business
When approaching a business that holds an existing trademark to sell them a similar domain name, several critical legal aspects must be considered to avoid accusations of cybersquatting, trademark infringement, and potential legal action. The primary legal risk is the possibility of being sued under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) or via a UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy) complaint.Proof of "Bad Faith" Intent
The central issue in most domain disputes is proving "bad faith" intent to profit from another's trademark. Selling a domain name to a trademark holder is legal only if you had a legitimate, good-faith reason for registering and using the domain initially.
- What Constitutes Bad Faith:
- Registering a domain primarily to sell it to the trademark owner for a profit (the "hi-jacking" intent).
- Registering multiple domain names that are confusingly similar to others' trademarks.
- Using the domain name in a deceptive manner to divert traffic from the trademark owner's site.
- Failing to use the domain for any legitimate purpose other than holding it for sale.
- What Constitutes Good Faith:
- You were using the domain for a genuine, active business offering distinct goods or services before the trademark owner contacted you.
- The domain name is a generic term (like smart.bio or wellness.bio, which sold for $27,685 and $101 respectively, per NameBio.com data) that you used for its dictionary meaning, not the brand name.
- You have verifiable plans to develop the site for a legitimate purpose.
- UDRP (ICANN Arbitration): This administrative process is fast and relatively inexpensive for the trademark owner. If they prove bad faith and trademark similarity, you typically lose the domain without financial compensation.
- ACPA (Federal Lawsuit): A federal lawsuit is much more serious. If found guilty of cybersquatting, you could be liable for statutory damages ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 per domain name, plus attorney fees.
Your outreach should be a polite inquiry, not a demand.
- Do not explicitly threaten to use the domain to compete with them, host negative content, or sell it to a competitor if they don't buy it from you. This is seen as extortionate behavior and strong evidence of bad faith.
While offering a domain for sale is not automatically bad faith, demanding an excessively high, "extortionate" price (far beyond your development costs or generic market value) can be interpreted as intent to profit solely from the trademark name itself.
Best Practice for Outreach
Keep your initial contact professional, brief, and neutral. Focus on the value the domain might bring to their existing brand portfolio, rather than how much you want to sell it for.
- A safe approach: "I own [Domain Name], and I noticed it might align with your digital strategy. I'm open to discussing potential acquisition if there is interest on your end."
- eMail Marketing Best Practices for Domain Outreach
- List of FREE tools for outbound domain sales
- Outbound Domain sales Tips
Questions for you
- Do you own any .bio domains?
- If so, how are they doing for you?
- Thinking about investing into .bio domains?
- If so, what niche will you target and why?
What works for one may not work for another and vice versa.
have a great domain investing adventure!
