Eric Lyon
Scorpion Agency LLCTop Member
- Impact
- 29,244
Today, I'll be analyzing the .equipment gTLD to see if I can dig up any helpful data points that could be stacked with someone elses research into the .equipment extension.
Note: At the time of this analysis there was a 1-character minimum to register a .equipment domain. There were also several 1-character .equipment domains available to register, but with a mid-3-figure premium registration cost.
With the above in mind, lets dive right in...
Note: NameBio.com shows 8 .equipment domain sales reports ranging from $100 to $14,600.
Some notable sales are:
Based on the data from DNS.Coffee, the .equipment gTLD has experienced a net decline of -0.08% over the last five years, characterized by a period of contraction followed by a significant recovery in the last 12 months.
.equipment Growth Timeline (2021โ2026)
Growth Analysis & Trends
. Because .equipment is a long, specific noun, hacks typically rely on adjectives, verbs, or compound nouns to create a seamless brand name.
The Adjective Hack (Descriptive)
This is the most common method, where the word before the dot describes the type of gear. It creates a "category killer" domain.
Using a verb before the dot creates a functional "destination" URL. This is effective for marketplaces or rental services, similar to the buy.equipment sale ($350) [NameBio].
Since ".equipment" is a long string, using a single letter or a short prefix can create a modern, "tech-style" brand. This is seen in the c.equipment sale ($100) [NameBio].
This uses the domain to complete a common industry sentence or phrase, making it highly memorable for marketing.
Using an English word before the dot creates a brand that is instantly intuitive to a global audience. Since ".equipment" is a specific, multi-syllabic English noun, pairing it with a non-English prefix can create a "language clash" that disrupts the natural reading flow and weakens the semantic link between the two parts of the domain. Maintaining English consistency ensures the URL functions as a clear, self-explanatory phrase, such as medical.equipment or pro.equipment, which enhances memorability and trust. This alignment is especially critical for the 5,027 existing registrants [DNS.Coffee], as a unified English string signals to search engines and users alike that the site is a professional, category-specific destination rather than a confusing or fragmented web address.
Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA)
In the U.S., the ACPA allows trademark owners to sue domain registrants if they can prove "bad faith intent to profit" from a mark. If you reach out to a company like Caterpillar to sell them caterpillar.equipment, the act of offering it to the trademark holder for a price exceeding your out-of-pocket costs can be used as evidence of bad faith.
Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP)
This is an international administrative process through ICANN. A trademark owner can seize your domain without a lawsuit if they prove:
Even if you donโt intend to "squat," using a domain to sell products that compete with the trademark holder can lead to an infringement suit. Trademark Dilution applies if your use of the domain (or the association created by your sales pitch) weakens the distinctiveness of a "famous" mark.
The "Reverse Domain Name Hijacking" Risk
If you approach a business and they believe your registration was made specifically to extort them, they may file a UDRP. While you can defend yourself if you have a legitimate "generic" use for the word (e.g., selling industrial.equipment to a general industrial firm), the burden of proof often shifts once an unsolicited sales offer is made.
Strategy to Mitigate Risk
Target "Category-Defining" English Keywords
Focus exclusively on English dictionary nouns that describe a massive industry. Your goal is to own the "definitive" address for a vertical.
The sale of c.equipment ($100) and meta.equipment ($14,600) suggests that brevity and tech-relevance command the highest premiums.
With registration costs as low as $9.78 at Spaceship but renewals jumping to $16.97 - $23.76 [Previous Turns], your "holding" window should be calculated carefully.
To avoid the ACPA/UDRP legal traps, never target a brand's specific trademark.
Given the 5-year growth trend showing a flat-to-slight decline, do not over-index on this extension. A "boutique" portfolio of 5โ10 high-quality, generic terms is superior to a large list of mediocre ones.
Note: Acquire short, industry-generic English terms, hold for no more than 2 years, and focus your outbound efforts on B2B manufacturers looking for a "cleaner" digital identity.
Helpful Outbound articles and tools
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 .equipment domain. There were also several 1-character .equipment domains available to register, but with a mid-3-figure premium registration cost.
With the above in mind, lets dive right in...
.equipment domain registration costs
According to Tldes.com the .equipment domain registration cost ranges from $9.78 to $19.99..equipment domains registered today
According to DNS.Coffee there are 5,027 .equipment domains registered today.Public .equipment domain sales reports
It's hard to find that many .equipment domain sales reports, indicating most are private sales.Note: NameBio.com shows 8 .equipment domain sales reports ranging from $100 to $14,600.
Some notable sales are:
- meta.equipment: $14,600 (The highest reported sale for this gTLD)
- water.equipment: $2,350
- buy.equipment: $350
- c.equipment: $100
- industrial.equipment: $100
5-year .equipment domain growth summary
Based on the data from DNS.Coffee, the .equipment gTLD has experienced a net decline of -0.08% over the last five years, characterized by a period of contraction followed by a significant recovery in the last 12 months.
.equipment Growth Timeline (2021โ2026)
| Date | Total Registrations | Annual Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2021 | 5,031 | โ |
| Mar 2022 | 5,159 | +2.54% |
| Mar 2023 | 5,061 | -1.90% |
| Mar 2024 | 4,707 | -6.99% |
| Mar 2025 | 4,544 | -3.46% |
| Mar 2026 | 5,027 | +10.63% |
Growth Analysis & Trends
- Peak and Valley: The extension reached its five-year peak in March 2022 with 5,159 registrations but hit a low point in March 2025 with 4,544.
- Recent Resurgence: The most significant growth occurred between 2025 and 2026, where registrations jumped by 483 domains (+10.63%). This suggests a renewed interest in the extension, possibly driven by the "meta" and "industrial" sales trends previously noted from NameBio.com.
- Market Stability: Despite the fluctuations, the extension maintains a remarkably consistent floor of approximately 5,000 domains. This stability, paired with high-value sales like meta.equipment ($14,600), indicates that while the gTLD is not "viral," it holds steady value for specialized commercial use.
8 niches for .equipment domains
- Construction & Heavy Machinery: This is the largest niche, serving as a digital home for companies renting or selling excavators, bulldozers, and cranes.
- Audio-Visual & Event Production: Ideal for suppliers of stage lighting, sound systems, and video recording gear used in concerts, weddings, and corporate events.
- Sports & Outdoor Recreation: Catering to retailers and rental facilities for specialized gear like camping equipment, scuba gear, and high-end fitness machinery.
- Agriculture & Farming: Used by dealerships and manufacturers for tractors, irrigation systems, and harvesting tools.
- Medical & Laboratory Services: A high-value niche for businesses providing specialized healthcare devices or scientific laboratory instruments.
- Industrial Maintenance & Repair: Dedicated to service providers specializing in the calibration, maintenance, and repair of professional-grade machinery.
- IT & Networking Infrastructure: Used by tech firms for server hardware, networking gear, and data center components.
- Educational & Training Platforms: A growing niche for websites offering certifications or safety training for operating heavy or specialized equipment.
What a playful .equipment domain hack might look like
A domain hack uses the characters before the dot to complete a word or phrase with the extension itself. Because .equipment is a long, specific noun, hacks typically rely on adjectives, verbs, or compound nouns to create a seamless brand name.
The Adjective Hack (Descriptive)
This is the most common method, where the word before the dot describes the type of gear. It creates a "category killer" domain.
- Medical.equipment (Professional healthcare)
- Heavy.equipment (Construction/Industrial)
- Outdoor.equipment (Camping/Hiking)
- Used.equipment (Secondary market/Resale)
Using a verb before the dot creates a functional "destination" URL. This is effective for marketplaces or rental services, similar to the buy.equipment sale ($350) [NameBio].
- Rent.equipment (Rental services)
- Sell.equipment (Liquidation/Marketplace)
- Find.equipment (Search engine/Directory)
- Fix.equipment (Repair services)
Since ".equipment" is a long string, using a single letter or a short prefix can create a modern, "tech-style" brand. This is seen in the c.equipment sale ($100) [NameBio].
- i.equipment (Smart/IoT gear)
- e.equipment (Online marketplace)
- Pro.equipment (Professional grade tools)
- X.equipment (Experimental or high-performance gear)
This uses the domain to complete a common industry sentence or phrase, making it highly memorable for marketing.
- Our.equipment (Company "About" page or fleet showcase)
- Need.equipment (Lead generation/Quotes)
- Top.equipment (Review/Rating site)
- Memorability: It eliminates the need for "and" or dashes (e.g., heavy-equipment.com becomes heavy.equipment).
- SEO Relevance: You are using your primary keyword as the TLD, which can help with click-through rates in search results for those specific terms.
- Shortness: Even though ".equipment" is long, a hack like pro.equipment is shorter and cleaner than many .com alternatives.
Using an English word before the dot creates a brand that is instantly intuitive to a global audience. Since ".equipment" is a specific, multi-syllabic English noun, pairing it with a non-English prefix can create a "language clash" that disrupts the natural reading flow and weakens the semantic link between the two parts of the domain. Maintaining English consistency ensures the URL functions as a clear, self-explanatory phrase, such as medical.equipment or pro.equipment, which enhances memorability and trust. This alignment is especially critical for the 5,027 existing registrants [DNS.Coffee], as a unified English string signals to search engines and users alike that the site is a professional, category-specific destination rather than a confusing or fragmented web address.
10 lead sources for .equipment domain outbound campaigns
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Use advanced filters to find "Decision Makers" (Owners, Marketing Directors) at companies with "Equipment" in their name or description.
- Thomasnet (Thomas Register): The premier supplier discovery platform for North American industrial manufacturers and equipment distributors.
- DirectIndustry: A specialized B2B marketplace for industrial and medical equipment featuring over 550,000 products from global manufacturers.
- Google Search (Advanced Operators): Use queries like site:*.net "heavy equipment" or site:*.com "medical equipment" to find businesses that could "upgrade" to a more descriptive .equipment domain.
- BuiltWith: Identify companies currently using older or less relevant technology and domain structures. You can specifically target those with high "Keyword Value" in their SEO strategy.
- IQS Directory: A vertical search engine that connects industrial buyers with a vast network of OEM manufacturers and suppliers.
- IndustryNet: Powered by MNI, this directory provides verified profiles of every U.S. manufacturer and supplier across all equipment sectors.
- BizBuySell / DealStream: Look for "Equipment Manufacturers for Sale." New owners often rebrand and are highly receptive to professional, category-defining domains like meta.equipment.
- Google Ads (Competitor Research): Identify companies currently bidding on high-cost keywords (e.g., "water equipment"). If they are paying for traffic, they are more likely to see the value in a matching domain.
- Trade Show Exhibitor Lists: Scrape exhibitor lists from major events like CONEXPO-CON/AGG (Construction) or FIME (Medical) to find active, growth-oriented companies.
- How to leverage an Ai Assistant to find domain leads
- How to leverage Social media to find domain leads
- How to leverage Job Boards to find domain leads
- 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
Approaching a business to sell a domain that matches or closely resembles their trademark carries significant legal risks, primarily centered on Cybersquatting and Trademark Infringement.Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA)
In the U.S., the ACPA allows trademark owners to sue domain registrants if they can prove "bad faith intent to profit" from a mark. If you reach out to a company like Caterpillar to sell them caterpillar.equipment, the act of offering it to the trademark holder for a price exceeding your out-of-pocket costs can be used as evidence of bad faith.
Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP)
This is an international administrative process through ICANN. A trademark owner can seize your domain without a lawsuit if they prove:
- The domain is identical or confusingly similar to their mark.
- You have no rights or legitimate interests in the name (e.g., you aren't actually using it for a business).
- The domain was registered and is being used in bad faith.
Even if you donโt intend to "squat," using a domain to sell products that compete with the trademark holder can lead to an infringement suit. Trademark Dilution applies if your use of the domain (or the association created by your sales pitch) weakens the distinctiveness of a "famous" mark.
The "Reverse Domain Name Hijacking" Risk
If you approach a business and they believe your registration was made specifically to extort them, they may file a UDRP. While you can defend yourself if you have a legitimate "generic" use for the word (e.g., selling industrial.equipment to a general industrial firm), the burden of proof often shifts once an unsolicited sales offer is made.
Strategy to Mitigate Risk
- Target Generic Keywords: Focus on domains like water.equipment or buy.equipment ($350 sale) [NameBio], which are descriptive and harder to trademark exclusively.
- Wait for Inbound: Let the buyer come to you via a "For Sale" landing page rather than sending cold emails, which leaves a "paper trail" of an intent to sell.
- Check TESS: Use the USPTO's Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) to ensure the word before the dot isn't a registered mark in the specific industry you are targeting.
Potential .equipment domain investing strategy
Based on the data points we have established, specifically the 5,027 active registrations [DNS.Coffee], the $14,600 ceiling for "meta" keywords [NameBio], and the stable but niche growth [DNS.Coffee], the best investment strategy for .equipment is High-Utility Category Killer Acquisition.Target "Category-Defining" English Keywords
Focus exclusively on English dictionary nouns that describe a massive industry. Your goal is to own the "definitive" address for a vertical.
- Top Targets: medical.equipment, heavy.equipment, lab.equipment, or fitness.equipment.
- Why: These match the "linguistically cohesive" rule we discussed and have the highest probability of an outbound sale to a major manufacturer found on Thomasnet.
The sale of c.equipment ($100) and meta.equipment ($14,600) suggests that brevity and tech-relevance command the highest premiums.
- Action: Look for 1-3 letter prefixes or modern "tech" modifiers (e.g., ai.equipment, smart.equipment). These appeal to startups with larger venture-backed acquisition budgets compared to traditional local rental shops.
With registration costs as low as $9.78 at Spaceship but renewals jumping to $16.97 - $23.76 [Previous Turns], your "holding" window should be calculated carefully.
- The "Flip" Window: Aim to sell within the first 12โ24 months. If a domain doesn't attract interest or a buyer within two years, the renewal costs will quickly eat into the modest profit margins seen in the $100โ$350 sales range (like buy.equipment).
To avoid the ACPA/UDRP legal traps, never target a brand's specific trademark.
- Strategy: Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to find companies using long, hyphenated .com domains (e.g., johnson-medical-supply-houston.com) and offer them a "shorter, descriptive upgrade" like medical.equipment. This frames the sale as a brand upgrade rather than an extortion attempt.
Given the 5-year growth trend showing a flat-to-slight decline, do not over-index on this extension. A "boutique" portfolio of 5โ10 high-quality, generic terms is superior to a large list of mediocre ones.
Note: Acquire short, industry-generic English terms, hold for no more than 2 years, and focus your outbound efforts on B2B manufacturers looking for a "cleaner" digital identity.
Helpful Outbound articles and tools
- How to leverage an Ai Assistant to find domain leads
- How to leverage Social media to find domain leads
- How to leverage Job Boards to find domain leads
- 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 .equipment domains?
- If so, how are they doing for you?
- Thinking about investing into .equipment 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!
