analysis .guru - gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain)

[Eric Lyon]

Today, I'll be analyzing the .guru gTLD to see if I can dig up any helpful data points that could be stacked with someone elses research into the .guru extension.

The registry for the .guru gTLD is Identity Digital (operating under the entity Binky Moon, LLC)

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Anyone can register a .guru gTLD. There are no restrictions, residency requirements, or professional qualifications needed. Whether you are a business, consultant, or individual, you can purchase it through a domain registrar on a first-come, first-served basis

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Note: At the time of this analysis there was a 1-character minimum to register a .guru domain. there were also several 1-character .guru domains available to register, but with a low-4-figure premium registration cost.

With the above in mind, lets dive right in...

.guru domain registration costs​

According to Tldes.com the .guru registration cost ranges from $1.57 to $3.99+.

.guru domains registered today​

According to DNS.Coffee there are 56,371 .guru domains registered today.

Public .guru domain sales reports​

There's a few .guru domain sales reports to look at online.

Note: NameBio.com shows 102 .guru domain sales reports ranging from $100 to $20,000.

Some notable sales are:

• sls.guru: $20,000
• games.guru: $10,000
• ads.guru: $5,000
• cash.guru: $2,050
• inventory.guru: $1,003
• water.guru: $100

5-year .guru domain growth summary​

The .guru gTLD has experienced a net decline of 7.74% over the last 5 years, dropping from 61,099 registrations in 2021 to 56,371 registrations in 2026. However, the extension saw a major, unexpected trend reversal in the last 12 months, breaking a four-year streak of steady contraction.

Yearly Registration Trajectory
Based on the data provided by DNS.Coffee, here is how the total registration numbers look year-over-year:

• May 2021: 61,099 domains
• May 2022: 57,417 domains (Decrease of 3,682)
• May 2023: 54,902 domains (Decrease of 2,515)
• May 2024: 54,021 domains (Decrease of 881)
• May 2025: 51,256 domains (Decrease of 2,765)
• May 2026: 56,371 domains (Increase of 5,115)

Key Growth and Contraction Phases

• The Contraction Era (2021–2025): Over this four-year span, the gTLD steadily lost ground, shrinking by a total of 9,843 registrations. This represents a 16.11% drop from its 2021 baseline. This type of bleed-off is typical for older niche gTLDs as speculative buyers let unused portfolios expire rather than paying standard $30+ renewal fees.
• The 2026 Resurgence: Between May 2025 and May 2026, the gTLD experienced a sudden surge, adding 5,115 new registrations in a single year, a 9.98% annual growth spike. This sharp turnaround erased nearly half of the losses from the previous four years combined.

Note: This dramatic 2025–2026 recovery aligns closely with the extreme price discounting offered by registrars like Porkbun, Sav, and Spaceship, which dropped first-year entry costs down to the $1.50–$2.50 range. While these promos successfully drove a massive wave of fresh registrations, the low conversion rate on high-cost secondary market sales (topped by premium benchmarks like sls.guru at $20,000) means the registry relies heavily on these upfront volume spikes to offset steady baseline churn.

8 niches for .guru domains​

1. Financial Advisors & Wealth Management
Finance is the highest-value niche for the extension due to high customer acquisition values. Brands use it to position themselves as expert wealth managers, investment strategists, or cryptocurrency mentors.

• Key Use Case: Solo financial planners, day-trading education platforms, and tax strategists.
• Market Proof: cash.guru ($2,050) and invest.guru ($4,611).

2. Marketing & Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Digital marketers and agency founders frequently adopt the extension as a playful yet direct alternative to traditional corporate URLs, using it to pitch their personal traffic-generation expertise.

• Key Use Case: Independent SEO auditors, ad campaign managers, and growth hackers.
• Market Proof: ads.guru ($5,000), seo.guru ($1,850), and marketing.guru ($1,500).

3. Business Optimization & Inventory Logistics
Corporate consulting and supply chain management leverage the extension to frame complex operational software or advisory services as simple, master-level solutions.

• Key Use Case: SaaS inventory management tools, B2B procurement consultants, and workflow automation experts.
• Market Proof: sls.guru ($20,000) and inventory.guru ($1,003).

4. Gaming, Esports, & Tech Enthusiasts
The gaming community uses the extension to host strategy wikis, build community databases, offer mechanical coaching, or publish meta-game breakdowns for competitive titles.

• Key Use Case: Leveling guides, esports coaching platforms, and tech hardware review blogs.
• Market Proof: games.guru ($10,000).

5. Health, Fitness, & Personal Coaching
The personal wellness industry aligns naturally with the literal definition of a "guru." It is a heavily saturated space for trainers and nutritionists seeking memorable, short branding.

• Key Use Case: Online personal trainers, yoga studio software, and weight loss accountability programs.
• Market Proof: fitness.guru ($2,100).

6. Tech Support, Coding, & Software Development
Developers and IT professionals utilize the domain extension to build knowledge bases, showcase programming portfolios, or sell outsourced technical troubleshooting.

• Key Use Case: Coding bootcamps, freelance web developers, and IT helpdesk services.
• Core Appeal: Shortens long developer portfolio URLs into a punchy "Name.guru" format.

7. Lifestyle, Travel, & Niche Hobbies
Specialized hobbyists and local tour experts buy these domains to aggregate expert travel tips, gear reviews, or highly technical hobbyist instructions.

• Key Use Case: Specialized travel planners, photography instruction blogs, and home improvement guides.
• Market Proof: water.guru ($100).

8. EdTech & Online Course Creators
As digital learning continues to grow, educators and course creators use the gTLD to host masterclasses, premium video academies, and skill-based instructional cohorts.

• Key Use Case: Masterclass alternatives, language learning portals, and corporate training systems.

What a playful .guru domain hack might look like​

A domain hack occurs when the word before the dot and the domain extension after the dot combine to spell out a single, seamless word or phrase. With the .guru gTLD, domain hacks rely on finding root words that end in "gu", or using words that naturally lead into the word "guru" to form clever phrases.

The Internal Word Hack (Ending in "gu")
Because the extension starts with "gu", you can target words that end with those exact letters. By stripping the "gu" off the end of the word and placing it after the dot, the URL spells the complete word.

• Kanga.guru \(\rightarrow \) Kangaroo (Kanga + .guru)
• Lan.guru \(\rightarrow \) Langur [monkey breed] (Lan + .guru)

The Phrase and "Call-to-Action" Hack
Instead of spelling a single word, this hack uses the word before the dot to describe a specific topic, creating an immediate, self-descriptive title (e.g., "I am a [Topic] Guru").

• ImA.guru \(\rightarrow \) "I'm a guru"
• FindA.guru \(\rightarrow \) "Find a guru"
• AskThe.guru \(\rightarrow \) "Ask the guru"
• BeA.guru \(\rightarrow \) "Be a guru"

The Rhyme and Wordplay Hack
This involves pairing the rhythmic sound of "guru" with matching prefixes to create brand names that are highly memorable and catchy.

• Voo.guru \(\rightarrow \) Voodoo Guru
• Zen.guru \(\rightarrow \) Feng Shui / Meditation Expert
• Pass.guru \(\rightarrow \) Password Guru (Tech security)

Technical Trade-offs of .guru Hacks
While these hacks look incredibly unique on business cards and ads, they come with a few distinct pros and cons:

• The Pros: They drastically shorten your URL length, make your brand highly memorable, and help you secure short dictionary terms that are completely unavailable on .com.
• The Cons: People may accidentally type out the full word (e.g., typing kangarooguru.com or kangaroo.guru), meaning you often have to buy defensive typos to protect your traffic.

10 lead sources for .guru domain outbound campaigns​

1. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
The premier source for B2B consulting leads. You can scrape profiles of self-employed specialists who actively use the word "Guru," "Evangelist," "Strategist," or "Master" in their professional headlines.

• Target Segments: Fractional CMOs, freelance SEO consultants, and independent corporate coaches.
• Search Strategy: Filter by company size (1–10 employees) and specific keywords like "independent consultant."

2. Clarity.fm
A dedicated marketplace where industry experts charge micro-fees for phone consultations. Every single user on this platform is a literal, monetization-focused expert.

• Target Segments: Venture capital advisors, software architecture consultants, and growth hackers.
• Search Strategy: Target experts with high review counts who are still using basic subdomains or outdated personal websites.

3. Upwork & Fiverr Pro
Freelance marketplaces feature top-tier, vetted professionals (Fiverr Pro / Upwork Top Rated Plus) who operate as independent businesses but often lack a standalone, premium web presence.

• Target Segments: Copywriting specialists, cyber-security auditors, and specialized data analysts.
• Search Strategy: Look for freelancers earning over $100k+ on the platform who need an external portfolio site to take clients off-platform.

4. Udemy, Skillshare, & Teachable
Online course creators are natural fits for the .guru domain, as their entire business model is built on selling their authoritative knowledge to students.

• Target Segments: EdTech creators, coding bootcamp instructors, and lifestyle coaches.
• Search Strategy: Identify instructors with highly rated, premium courses who host their content entirely on third-party marketplace URLs.

5. Substack & Beehiiv
Premium newsletter writers use their personal insights to drive subscriptions. Securing a short, punchy .guru domain allows them to transition from a generic newsletter into a full-scale media brand.

• Target Segments: Financial market analysts, niche tech writers, and business essayists.
• Search Strategy: Scrape directories for paid-tier newsletters that are scaling rapidly but still run on default subdomains.

6. Amazon & Audible Author Directories
Self-published and traditionally published authors of business, tech, or self-help books need dedicated landing pages to capture email leads and sell backend consulting.

• Target Segments: Non-fiction authors, keynote speakers, and business manual writers.
• Search Strategy: Cross-reference the "Business & Money" best-seller lists to find authors launching new books who lack a dedicated book-specific URL.

7. Product Hunt
The epicenter of indie hackers, solo software developers, and micro-SaaS builders who launch highly specialized tools.

• Target Segments: Creators of developer tools, niche AI utilities, and productivity apps.
• Search Strategy: Target solo creators launching specialized, single-purpose apps that match the domain hack frameworks (like tools ending in "gu" or short tech terms).

8. Crunchbase
A database of funded startups. Focus specifically on early-stage companies (Seed or Pre-seed) that have just raised capital and need to buy up clean, short brand assets.

• Target Segments: Gaming startups, niche ad networks, and supply chain tech firms.
• Strategy Connection: Align with high-value historical sales like sls.guru ($20,000) or games.guru ($10,000) by targeting funded companies in those exact spaces.

9. YouTube & TikTok (Niche Educators)
Content creators in the finance, coding, and fitness spaces often amass hundreds of thousands of followers but lack a professional corporate infrastructure.

• Target Segments: "FinTwit" creators, day-trading channels, coding tutorial channels, and personal trainers.
• Search Strategy: Audit the bio links of creators with high engagement to find those relying solely on Linktree or basic landing pages.

10. Expired Domain Registrations & WHOIS Data
Using domain data aggregators lets you target buyers who already understand the value of alternative gTLDs but might have missed a renewal or are looking for exact-match upgrades.

• Target Segments: Investors holding underperforming portfolio assets or owners of longer .com variations.
• Search Strategy: Filter daily drops on platforms like ExpiredDomains.net for clean, one-word .guru domains that are falling back into public availability.

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

Legal considerations when selling a domain to an existing business​

Approaching a business that holds an existing trademark to sell them a matching or highly similar domain name carries significant legal risk. If not handled carefully, your outreach can be used as direct evidence of cybersquatting or trademark infringement, which can result in losing the domain without compensation or facing severe financial penalties.

Cyberpiracy and the ACPA (U.S. Law)
In the United States, the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) protects trademark owners against deceptive domain registrations.

• The Core Risk: Under the ACPA, a court looks for "bad faith intent to profit."
• The Trigger: If you register a domain that is identical or confusingly similar to a distinctive trademark, and your primary action is reaching out to that specific trademark holder to sell it for an exorbitant profit, a judge can rule that you acted in bad faith.
• Penalties: Courts can order you to forfeit the domain and award statutory damages ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 per domain name.

The UDRP Framework (Global Domain Arbitration)
The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) is a fast-track, out-of-court arbitration system established by ICANN that applies to all gTLDs, including .guru. To claw a domain away from you for free, a trademark owner must prove three things:

1. Confusing Similarity: The domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark in which they have rights.
2. No Rights or Legitimate Interests: You have no commercial, non-commercial, or fair use right to the domain name (e.g., you don't run an active, unrelated business under that name).
3. Bad Faith Registration and Use: You registered and are using the domain in bad faith. Proactively emailing the trademark owner to sell the domain for a price exceeding your out-of-pocket costs is explicitly defined as bad faith under UDRP rules.

Confusing Similarity & "Reverse Domain Name Hijacking"

• Confusing Similarity: Adding a gTLD like .guru to a trademarked phrase does not protect you. For example, if a company owns the trademark for "Acme Logistics," registering acmelogistics.guru and pitching it to them will easily be flagged as confusingly similar.
• The Exception (Generic Words): If the word before the dot is a purely generic, everyday dictionary word (e.g., water.guru or cash.guru), a business using that word as a brand cannot easily steal it through a UDRP, because no single business owns the exclusive right to a common word. If they try to bully you into giving up a generic word, their case can be dismissed as Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH).

Trademark Dilution
If the business you are approaching owns a highly famous, globally recognized brand (e.g., Nike, Apple, Rolex), you can be sued for trademark dilution even if your website has nothing to do with their industry. Dilution laws prevent individuals from diminishing the uniqueness and value of a famous mark by scattering it across alternative domain extensions.

How to Potentially Mitigate Risk During Outbound Campaigns
If you hold a domain name that overlaps with a business name and want to avoid legal jeopardy, adhere to these operational boundaries:

• Never Mention the Trademark: Do not reference their trademark, their specific products, or your intent to capitalize on their brand name in your email.
• Frame it as a Generic Brand Asset: Focus your pitch entirely on the intrinsic, descriptive, or generic value of the keywords (e.g., "This is a short, memorable asset for anyone operating in the logistics space...").
• Use Inbound Landing Pages Instead: Rather than sending aggressive outbound emails to trademark holders, set up a clean, professional "For Sale" landing page via marketplaces like Sedo, Afternic, or Dan.com. Let buyers discover the domain naturally, which shifts the transaction from an active solicitation to a voluntary purchase.

Potential .guru domain investing strategy​

Based on our data-driven analysis of the .guru gTLD, spanning its 56,371 active registrations (per DNS.Coffee), historical pricing benchmarks ranging from $100 to $20,000 (per NameBio.com), and the structural legal frameworks of the domain market, a speculative "buy-and-hold" portfolio strategy is highly risky. Instead, the best investment strategy for the .guru gTLD is a High-Velocity, Direct-to-End-User Flip Strategy.

The Financial Core: Exploit the Promo-to-Renewal Gap
The data shows that first-year registration costs are heavily subsidized ($1.57 to $2.98), while renewal fees jump significantly ($29.83 to $54.98).

• The Strategy: Treat your .guru acquisitions as short-term options rather than long-term assets. Buy inventory exclusively during registrar promotions.
• The Rule: If a domain does not sell within its first 11 months, let it expire. Keeping a large portfolio active at a $30 to $55 renewal rate will rapidly wipe out your profits, which mirrors why the gTLD shed nearly 10,000 domains during its 2021–2025 contraction era.

The Acquisition Framework: Focus on "Category + Guru" Keywords
Do not invent arbitrary brand names. Your acquisitions should target short, high-value industry keywords that map directly to the top niche markets we identified.

• Target High-Value Verticals: Focus heavily on Finance (invest, cash, wealth), B2B Tech/Logistics (sls, ads, dev), and Gaming (games, play).
• The Valuation Blueprint: Aim for words that mimic the documented NameBio premium benchmarks. Your target sweet spot for acquisitions should be words that can reasonably command $1,000 to $5,000 from an active business buyer (such as inventory.guru at $1,003 or ads.guru at $5,000).
• Utilize Domain Hacks: Look for single-purpose utility apps or brands that fit internal word hacks ending in "gu" (like kanga.guru) or short, direct calls-to-action (aska.guru, hirea.guru).

The Legal and Outreach Blueprint: Target Un-Trademarked "Experts"
To protect yourself from ACPA lawsuits, UDRP forfeitures, or expensive legal battles, your outbound campaigns must be highly calculated.

• Only Buy Purely Generic Keywords: Never register a word that is uniquely associated with a single brand. Stick to universal dictionary terms (e.g., water.guru or marketing.guru). No single company owns the exclusive rights to common language.
• Source Leads Outside Traditional Corporate Hubs: Target self-employed experts, premium newsletter publishers (Substack/Beehiiv), highly paid independent consultants (Clarity.fm), and EdTech course creators (Udemy/Skillshare). These leads have the disposable cash to buy a premium brand but lack a corporate legal department looking to file a UDRP.
• Use Neutral, Non-Solicitous Framing: When launching outbound emails to these leads, never frame the pitch around their specific brand or trademark. Pitch the domain strictly as a generic industry asset that can elevate their authority, or set up a clean marketplace landing page (via Dan or Afternic) and let them discover it naturally.

Potential Checklist for a .Guru Investor

1. Buy at $1.57–$2.58 using promo codes at Porkbun, Sav, or Spaceship.
2. Verify via a trademark database (like TESS or WIPO) that the keyword is generic and clear of active disputes.
3. List immediately on major aftermarket networks with a "Buy It Now" price between $1,200 and $2,500 to encourage fast, impulse-driven end-user acquisitions.
4. Pitch 20–30 highly relevant, self-employed consultants or content creators via LinkedIn or platform directories using a compliant, generic script.
5. Drop the domain at month 11 if it hasn't sold, capping your maximum loss per domain at less than $3.

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 .guru domains?
  • If so, how are they doing for you?
• Thinking about investing into .guru domains?
  • If so, what niche will you target and why?

Remember, at the end of the day, a domain name is truly only worth what a buyer and seller agree on.

What works for one may not work for another and vice versa.

Have a great domain investing adventure!

 

[biggie]

Hi

years ago, guru was trending before trending was a trend

imo…

 

[bmugford]

.GURU was one of the first nTLD available for registration, more than 12 years ago.

It was the first to 50,000 regs in 2014.

https://domainincite.com/16511-guru-first-new-gtld-to-50000-names

Now, it is still around 50,000 regs and no one really cares about it.

Brad

 

[URL Stream]

It was the first to 50,000 regs in 2014.

Now, it is still around 50,000 regs and no one really cares about it.

Why are investors not dropping them after all this time?