Official Rules of NamePros

NamePros strives to approach and resolve every situation with professionalism, logic, and common sense. If you're ever in doubt about how a particular situation will be handled, you can often arrive at the answer by employing those same principles.

There is not a specific rule for everything. In situations where a rule does not exist, we will rely on our fundamental standards and principles. This is necessary because it would be impractical to cover every possible scenario, and an exhaustive rule book would be intimidating, difficult to remember, and counterproductive. Instead, the rules highlight the things that have proven to be the most necessary to maintain a fair and balanced community environment.

Contact us if you have any questions about rules or anything else.


NamePros Rules

1. General (»)

1.1. Do not spam or engage in self-promotion outside of the designated promotional sections (e.g., you may share discounts in Domain Coupons) and permitted threads (i.e., discussions or reviews about an entity that you represent). Rule 1.15 applies. Exceptions are made for paid ads. Tip: Ads can be posted for free in the Promotional section.

1.2. Be professional, tactful, and constructive at all times, including with your username and profile picture. Do not intentionally disrespect, harass, threaten, attack, instigate, insult, antagonize, or be aggressive toward others.

1.3. Abstain from using excessive or aggressive profanity in your writing.

1.4. Do not post any unowned or improperly licensed intellectual property.

1.5. Do not post anything suggestive, inquisitive, or critical of NamePros (e.g., policy, staff, or moderator activity: infractions, content approval, edited/deleted posts, etc.) except in the designated Help Desk area (e.g., in the private support or public feedback sections).

1.6. Do not violate the NamePros Terms of Service or Privacy Policy that you agree to while using this site.

1.7. Explicit adult content is prohibited in all public areas and must be in the designated area for Adult content.

1.8. Instructions from NamePros staff must be followed the same as specific rules.

1.9. Do not engage in or promote illegal, fraudulent, or deceptive activities, such as bait-and-switch or conning (e.g., requesting a paid appraisal before purchasing an item is not allowed).

1.10 Do not intentionally misrepresent information (e.g., lie), mislead others (e.g., post in the same thread using multiple accounts), or manipulate (e.g., refresh a page solely to increase views).

1.11 Placeholder.

1.12. Duplicate content is forbidden unless quoted or made clear it is copied, used within reason, and applicable to where it's posted. Duplicate content includes writing or sharing the same content in multiple places on NamePros, posting content that has been copied from other websites, etc. Rule 1.27 applies.

1.13. Consolidate your posts and threads on the same topic into a single open thread (or post) where possible. This is mandatory for most open marketplace listings. Tip: “Open” means that it can receive replies.

1.14. Do not make noncontributory posts/threads or artificially inflate your post count ("post pad"):

• Do not unnecessarily post multiple times in a single discussion in a short period of time, sometimes called instant messaging (instead, take your time before posting so that all relevant content can be grouped together within a minimum amount of posts). Exceptions are made where reasonable (e.g., edit time limits have passed or each reply is dedicated to a different member's post).
• Only post comments and questions that are relevant to the topic and contribute to the discussion (e.g., posting a single word like "bump" is not contributory; instead, post a short question or unique comment to encourage new activity in a thread).
• Needlessly short and noncontributory posts are not allowed. Exceptions may be made in select sections like Domain Name Requests, Meet and Greet (Networking), Domain Industry News, NamePros Blog comments, Domain Chat, and Domain Name Sales unless the thread indicates that it's not allowed in that particular thread.
• Exception: Only NamePros staff may post a noncontributory bump in someone else’s thread, such as when a new thread is hidden temporarily (e.g., awaiting approval) and experiences a decrease in visibility.

1.15. Organization. (a) All content must be organized in an appropriate section (“forum”). (b) Posts and messages must be on topic and relevant where submitted (e.g., a discussion thread or direct message).

• Note: The topic of a page is determined primarily by its title (and sometimes secondarily or refined by its first post/message); subsequent posts (even by the topic's creator) do not change the topic. If a topic's creator changes the title or first post/message within the edit time limits, then previous posts/messages will be unaffected and the new topic will apply moving forward only.

1.16. Only one account is permitted per member unless it’s a Gold Account and all accounts are in good standing.

1.17-1.19. Placeholder.

1.20. Do not disrupt, or abuse your privilege to use, this website with unreasonably long posts, keyword stuffing, white text on a white background, by disliking random posts, etc.

1.21. Do not indirectly or directly refer to your signature block, suggest looking at your signature block, or include your content signature or signature block in any post; instead, use the signature block feature. Exceptions may be made if your signature is short and relevant or short and benign (e.g., your first name with no catch phrases and no domain names), especially in the marketplace and direct messages where content signatures are generally allowed.

1.22. Do not directly refer or imply to message you for (new, supplemental, additional, etc.) information.

1.23 Do not use emojis (e.g., emoticons such as ☺️) or decorative text (e.g., /!\ or ><(((('>) in titles except where unavoidable (e.g., they're necessary to write internationalized domain name/s and currency symbols in price/s). This rule does not apply to posts or messages. Example: "Let's discuss the smiley face IDN: ☺️.com (punycode: xn--74h.com)" is an allowed title. An exception may be made if it's a single character or two, at the end of the title, used infrequently, and relevant to the title (e.g., the golfer emoji at the end of a title about golfing 🏌).

1.24-1.26. Placeholder.

1.27. Give credit to source(s) in a reasonable way in your posts (e.g., "Hat tip to source's name"). Citation often includes a link back to the original page or the home page of the original source. An exception may be made if the user is the owner of the content (e.g., the author of the article).

1.28. Do not use (e.g., copy or reference) user-generated content outside of this website in excess or without proper citation (e.g., to provide proper citation, include a source link back to the original page on NamePros.com).

1.29 (»). Do not advertise, publicize, or promote external domain-related forums or communities on NamePros. This includes linking to pages that directly promote them. The only exception to this rule is local events and meetups that are in person (face to face).

1.30. Do not misquote or take quotes out of context from other people or businesses.

1.31. Do not post links that mask the destination such as links from URL shorteners ("screened text"); use only the full URL (the longer version).

1.32. Do not use any language other than English to communicate on this website (e.g., status updates, profile posts, thread posts, direct messages, or comments), except to help explain the rules. This only applies to communication and does not include things like domain names in other languages. Exceptions may be made where reasonable (e.g., to supplement English greetings, to discuss or explain in English a phrase from another language, and to compare English words with their equivalent words in other languages).

2. Discussion (»)

2.1. Placeholder.

2.2. Do not post commercial advertising. Non-commercial linking is only permitted in the Domain News section (Domain News rules apply) and similarly-purposed posts, including new threads, according to rule 11.1.

2.3. Do not post about for-sale listings or active auctions (scheduled or ongoing) except in the marketplace (rule 6.1.1 applies). Exceptions are made for paid ads and two domain list sections (i.e., assorted lists and expired lists). Exceptions may be made for Reviews. Tip: Sales and auctions that have ended or been cancelled may be discussed in discussions sections.

2.4. Do not post an external link to your domain name or your entire portfolio within discussion threads or contests.

2.5. Official threads for entities (e.g., companies or services) require authorization from an administrator and may only be created by their official representatives. Tip: Unaffiliated members may create review topics instead.

2.6. Do not create a thread solely for the purpose of reporting a sale unless at least the item's full name (e.g., domain name or business name) and exact sale price are shared within it. Exceptions may be made if the sale has been verified by a trusted third-party source. This rule does not apply to showcase threads where everyone can share partial details about their sales (e.g., "the name starts with insurance and sold for $XX,XXX") in the same thread (not limited to 1 showcase thread but rule 1.13 applies).

3. Marketing (»)

3.1. Advertising of any kind is only permitted in marketplace sections (e.g., General Promotion) or by official advertisers where applicable. Unsolicited offers and advertising are never permitted in replies or direct messages.

3.2. Affiliate links are only permitted in the Available Domain Names and Expired Domains and Expiring Domains sections, and in signatures. Affiliate links must have the URL embedded in text as a hyperlink, not pasted as a URL. It must be noted when there are affiliate links in a post, e.g., "Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links."

3.3. Affiliate codes are permitted in appropriate sections such as Domain Coupons and Offers. Third-party coupon sites are not allowed outside of the Promotional section.

4. Signatures (»)

4.1. Signatures may not include links to sites that contain explicit, sexually-orientated, illegal or obscene content.

5. Domain Appraisals and Website Reviews (»)

5.1. All appraisals below $10 USD must include a unique and constructive explanation to support the assessment.

5.2. Rule 6.1.2 applies to appraisal requests.

5.3. No external links for an appraisal.

5.4. Post only domains you own under appraisals, otherwise use the Pre-Purchase Appraisal section.

6. Marketplace and Private Sales (»)

6.1. All Sales Listings and Private Sales (»)

6.1.1. No commentary or statements in sales listings except by the listing’s creator (rule 6.1.10 applies). Furthermore:

• No Sales Crashing: Do not post anything in a sales listing that could devalue an item or hinder a sale from taking place successfully unless it is a constructive and relevant question.
• An exception to this rule is when the listing's creator invites discussion, commentary, or feedback at any time in the Promotional or External Sales sections.

6.1.2. Do not post in sales listings (or appraisal requests) that are created by one of your other accounts or created by someone you know within the same building as you (e.g., household, office, school library, dorm room, or apartment building), past or present.

6.1.3. Shill bidding, bidding on your listings, or having someone else bid on your listings for you, will not be tolerated whether in the form of an auction or an offer.

6.1.4. Offers are valid for no more than 7 days, unless otherwise declared and agreed to by the parties involved. Learn more about how an offer is defined. #binding

6.1.5. All valid sales agreements are binding. Failure to follow the rules may void the contract of sale.

6.1.6. Each domain name in a sales listing must include its registrar, payment options, and the following under specific circumstances:

• Expiration date if it is expiring within 3 months, unless the seller agrees to cover its 1 year renewal cost for the buyer, whereby the buyer must request this option within 7 days after an agreement is reached.
• Renewal price, unless it is less than or equal to $15 USD at its current registrar.
  Tip: Consider also including the price to transfer/renew the domain name at a different registrar, especially if it's less expensive than renewing at its current registrar.

6.1.7. Sellers are responsible for paying all transaction fees except those the buyer could have avoided or the buyer chooses to pay. Sellers should take fees into consideration when choosing sale prices and starting bids. Multiple sale prices and multiple starting bids may be set based on specific criteria. Learn why. Rule 6.1.13 applies.

6.1.8. Include at least one domain name (from the listing) in the title of the thread if the listing includes one or more domain names or websites for sale. In a bulk sale or portfolio listing, the remaining domain names and/or websites should be listed in the description of the listing.

6.1.9. Do not mention or post any external links in sales listings except in the External Domain and Website Sales, Adult Advertising and External Sales, or Promotional sections. Links to content on NamePros will be considered external links if they appear to be an intermediary to bypass this rule (e.g., never link to a second thread that promotes an external website).

6.1.10. Comments made by the seller may not be permitted if they are deemed inappropriate, irrelevant, insignificant, detrimental, etc. This will be decided on a case by case basis and more leniency will be given to allotted bumps.

6.1.11. Placeholder.

6.1.12. Do not cross-post domains within NamePros: only have one open sales listing per item (e.g., domain name) at any given point in time. Exceptions to this rule may be made in the Promotional section if used for a reasonable purpose, such as a central location to link to all of your open marketplace listings.

6.1.13. Transparency: All details (e.g., restrictions) regarding a deal or sales listing that are uncommon, specialized, or outside of industry norms must be clearly defined, transparent (e.g., shown in the public listing), and expressed upfront. No hidden fees may be assessed on a deal or sales listing by either party.

6.1.14. You must be the rightful owner or authorized broker to offer an item (e.g., domain name) for sale. Brokers must be authorized by asset owner(s) to sell on their behalf.

6.1.15. Do not infringe on the intellectual property (“IP”) rights of another party, which includes typographical errors (“typos”) of globally-recognized trademarks. Selling IP or benefiting from globally-recognized IP of another party is strictly prohibited unless permitted by law (e.g., with their permission or it is a review website).

6.1.16. Placeholder.

6.1.17. Default timeline for sales: transactions must be initiated (e.g., payment sent but not necessarily cleared yet) within 7 days of an offer being accepted. The domain transfer must be completed (domain received) within a grand total of 14 days from the time the offer was accepted. Alternate terms (e.g., timelines or sequence of events) are only accepted if both the buyer and seller agree to it before the deal is accepted. #binding

6.1.18. It is both the buyer's and seller's individual responsibility to check if they are responsible for carrying out a sale, such as when a bidder wins an auction.

6.1.19. Placeholder.

6.1.20. Placeholder.

6.1.21. The first post must contain "please do not disclose sale" after the deal is final to request that the sale be kept private.

6.1.22. Sellers must clearly distinguish between the most recent registration date and the past registration dates of a domain by labeling them “Registered” and “History” respectively. Learn the difference between them.

6.1.23. Transactions must be carried out on NamePros.com via public or direct messages, otherwise NamePros staff will be unable to assist with any problems that may arise. Conversations transitioning to off-site mediums, such as email, cannot be regulated by NamePros staff. Rule 6.2.13 applies.

6.1.24. Participatory criteria (e.g., eligibility) and restrictions (e.g., blocked members) on sales listings and auctions must be reasonable (e.g., “bidders must have ten positive Trade Reviews” or “established members only”), must not require unnecessary actions to be performed, and must be nondiscriminatory based on race, gender, personal preferences or opinions, etc. Rule 6.1.13 applies.

6.1.25. Every mention of an internationalized domain name (IDN) in a sales context must, at a minimum, include the punycode of the domain name (e.g., xn--q3h.com must be included if discussing the sale of ☆.com). Note: All punycode begins with xn--. Resource: Domain Conversion Tool.

6.1.26. Placeholder.

6.1.27. USD is the default currency unless otherwise specified upfront.

6.1.28. All claims relating to financial transactions (e.g., about traffic, revenue, profit, or appraisals) must include supporting evidence or proof (e.g., an attached video that is current, clear, and shows all information necessary to support each claim). A reputable or credible source (e.g., the company or service) must be visible as part of the supporting information when possible or included as text with it.

6.1.29. Placeholder.

6.1.30. Any misuse or manipulation of the feedback system ("Trade Reviews") that is found to be deceiving, falsified, or retaliatory will be considered an unethical business practice and dealt with as such. Trade Reviews may not be used for gift exchanges (e.g., free domains), one-way exchanges, or transactions that take place outside of NamePros. Tip: Consider posting a message on the member's profile page or creating a public Review post to share other types of feedback.

6.1.31. Trade Reviews should only be used to reflect the outcome of an attempted or completed transaction. Trade Reviews may not be used on a per item basis; they must only be used on a per transaction/deal basis.

6.1.32. Do not offer to trade items (e.g., domains) using sections that are solely for monetary transactions (e.g., Domain Buyer Requests). Trades are only allowed in specific sections (e.g., Creative: Finance, Lease, Trade).

6.2. Auctions (»)

6.2.1. Auctions must be exclusive to NamePros until the winner is awarded the item(s) or the auction expires without a winner.

6.2.2. Reserve prices for auctions are not permitted; auction holders (sellers) must set a starting bid that they are prepared to accept.

6.2.3. An auction cannot be modified once a bid is placed with the exceptions of its Buy-It-Now ("BIN") price (e.g., a BIN price may be added), its bid increments, approving additional bidders, adding payment methods, and/or adding additional domains at no extra cost. Once a bid is placed, every allowable change (the exceptions just mentioned) must be posted to the thread as a new reply as well as updated in the original post before it becomes effective and valid (e.g., a BIN price cannot be accepted until that is done, but rule 6.2.10 applies). BIN prices are not reserve prices and therefore do not affect rule 6.2.10.

6.2.4. A Buy-It-Now ("BIN") price may be changed (added, reduced, increased, or removed) on an auction prior to it being accepted, in accordance with rule 6.2.3. The BIN price in an auction must be publicly accepted by a buyer.

6.2.5. Each domain and website auction must have the required information: domain, registrar, expiration date if rule 6.1.6 applies, starting bid, bid increments (default: $1 USD), specific end date and time including the time zone or a relative end time (suggested: 72 hours after last bid), and payment options.

6.2.6. All valid bids are binding and cannot be retracted. Bids are void 7 days after outbid by another member or after the auction ends, whichever is later, unless it is the winning bid in which case it is binding until the sale is completed. Auctions and bids that are unclear, illegible, conducted outside of the public listing (e.g. via direct message), contain inaccurate information or invalid amounts are considered null and void.

6.2.7. Bids must be made in auction threads. Tip: Offers relating to active auctions may be made elsewhere (e.g., in a direct message) to help guide Buy-It-Now prices set by sellers on their auctions. Learn the difference between bids and offers.

6.2.8. Placeholder.

6.2.9. Reserving the right to decline a bid is only allowed if stated before the auction's first bid, is enacted before the auction has ended, and includes a fair reason. Rule 6.1.24 applies.

6.2.10. Auction holders (sellers) must sell to the highest bidder with a valid bid at the end of the auction or to the first buyer to accept a valid Buy-It-Now ("BIN") price before the auction ends. If the BIN price matches the current high bid, then the auction ends immediately with the current high bidder as the winner. Rule 6.1.17 applies.

6.2.11. Auction starting price and bid increments must be in whole dollars of at least $1 USD.

6.2.12. Auction formats, details, terms, and rules created by sellers must be reasonable, transparent, specific, and predictable. Exception: Sellers have full control over the amount of their starting bids, even if the amount seems unreasonable.

6.2.13. All communication about auctions must be carried out on NamePros.com via public or direct messages. Transitioning a conversation to an off-site medium, such as email, is not allowed at anytime when discussing any aspect of an auction.

6.2.14. Auction holders (sellers) and the winners (buyers) must contact NamePros support about auction agreements that will not be completed.

6.3. Top Domains (»)

6.3.1. Do not modify your approved thread to include other domain names.

6.4. Placeholder. (»)

6.5. Design Contests (»)

6.5.1. Follow all rules described in the Official Design Contest Rules thread.

6.6. Services (»)

6.6.1. Sellers are bound to complete services in an agreed upon timeframe.

6.6.2. Refunds are due if sellers cannot meet the requirements set in the agreement.

6.7. Requests (»)

6.7.1. Only submit domains within the buyer’s posted criteria and guidelines.

6.7.2. Specify an exact numerical range (or an exact figure) for your budget per item (e.g., "up to $1 million for each domain name" in Domain Buyer Requests). Vague ranges (e.g., "$XX,XXX" or "the order of magnitude of my budget is 4"), $0 budgets (e.g., free domains), and "unlimited" price ranges are not allowed.

6.7.3. Budget prefixes must be representative of your budget per item (e.g., the thread prefix budget: above $5,000 in Domain Buyer Requests means the buyer's budget is greater than $5,000 per domain name).

6.7.4. Include the domains, their prices, and the broker’s commission in all posts for Domain Broker Wanted.

6.7.5. According to rule 6.1.32, do not offer to trade domains using Domain Buyer Requests.

6.7.6. The Services rules, specifically the ones for Developers and Designers for Hire, apply in the Websites Wanted and Web Development section.

6.8. External Sales and Advertising Board (»)

6.8.1. You will need to prove ownership or resell rights at any time.

7. Insiders Club (»)

7.1. All marketplace, discussion, and appraisal rules apply to the sections in the Insiders Club.

7.2. Uphold the privacy of the Insiders Lounge by not sharing posts or information from it with others.

8. Free Resources (»)

8.0. Domain Lists

8.0.1. Placeholder.

8.0.2. Include at least one domain name (from the domain list) in the title of the thread.

8.0.3. All domains must be listed in the thread and not require any action (e.g., visiting a link) to view them.

8.1. Available Domain Names (»)

8.1.1. Placeholder.

8.1.2. All domains initially posted must be available to register at any registrar for at-cost pricing.

8.2. Expired Domains and Expiring Domains (»)

8.2.1. Placeholder.

8.3. Free Domain Names (»)

8.3.1. Domain names must be given away for free, without any unexpected costs or fees. Exceptions may be made for unavoidable transfer fees that are clearly explained in advance.

8.3.2. You must own each domain name that you’re giving away, or you must have explicit permission from the owner to do so.

8.3.3. The process to claim item(s) must: (1) be on a first-come, first-served basis if already eligible (otherwise, it can’t be claimed); (2) be solely through communicating on NamePros; and (3) ask for only the minimum necessary information to transfer it.

8.3.4. Eligibility defaults to everyone, but the donor may change it based on the standards of rule 6.1.24.

8.4. Placeholder. (»)

8.5. Reviews (»)

8.5.1. Incentives (e.g., discounts, gifts, or payment) in exchange for a review are not allowed.

8.6. Webmaster Tools (»)

8.6.1. Must contain some helpful information to guide webmasters.

8.6.2. All Discussion rules apply.

8.7. More Free Stuff (»)

8.7.1. Post only material to free resources by others, not owned by you. Rule 1.1 applies.

9. Adult (»)

9.1. See Official Adult Forum Rules for information.

10. Community (»)

10.1. Discussion rules apply.

10.2. Contest listings must state the competition, specific end time, and prize.

10.3. Contests must only take place at NamePros.

11. News Sections and News Posts (»)

11.1. News Posts: When posting a third-party's article (i.e., an article you do not own), you should use a title relevant to the article's original title. You must either include portions of the story as a quote or create a summary of its topic that is at least a paragraph in length. Rule 1.27 applies, and an embedded "Source" link to the article is suggested at the bottom. The linked article must contain original writing (e.g., spun content is not allowed).

11.2. News Sections: Original content should lackadaisically follow the NamePros Blog Publishers guidelines, but the requirements are less strict, e.g., a “News” post may be only a few sentences in length.

11.3. News Sections: It must be newsworthy, relevant, valuable, or interesting to the majority of members.

12. NamePros Blog (»)

12.1. See NamePros Blog Publishers for information.

13. Domain Chat (»)

13.1. See Chat Rules & FAQ for information.

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All decisions by NamePros team members on moderator-related activities (e.g., infraction points, voiding of sales, content deletion, or banishment) are final, but candid feedback presented to NamePros Managers in accordance with rule 1.5 and rule 1.2 may result in positive changes to the related rules and policies.

Every situation is handled independently of all other situations. For example, "I saw someone else do it" is not an excuse to violate the rules and appropriate action will still be taken. If you see someone else violate a rule, please report it to us, so that we can review it and take any appropriate actions.

These rules apply to NamePros only; NamePros does not get involved with incidents that occur elsewhere (e.g., on a different website or in person).

To further understand the rules, refer to the Rules Guide.
For more information, read our Terms and Policies.


If you have any questions about rules or anything else, please contact us. Your message will only be accessible by staff members.