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The Domaining Dictionary

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Bannen

Don't say Huh? too much; pretend you understand.Top Member
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I've been thinking of starting this thread for awhile, so here it is.
Many newbies and pros alike still daily ask about certain terms, so I wanted to create this resource thread to link to anytime anyone asks what a domaining term means.

I'll add definitions as they arise, other members are welcome to write clear, well-written definitions here also, and anyone is welcome to post a question about a term and we will try to write a clear definition for you. *If I get any details wrong here, or something's unclear, feel free to let me know.

Here are a few of the most common terms still asked about, to get us started:

BIN - in sales threads you'll see 'BIN price' or 'buy at BIN'. BIN stands for 'Buy It Now' and is considered the instant selling price if you want to bypass making lesser offers or bidding up in an auction for a domain. Many auctions or 'make offer' sales do not set a BIN, just in case bids/offers rise higher than that BIN amount, but most domainers have a good idea of the top price they want for a domain and will set a BIN price just in case they luck out and a buyer wants the domain enough to buy at BIN and not risk losing it to anyone else.

End User - you often hear of domainers selling domains to 'end users'. This term refers to a buyer who plans to use a domain for considerable development. A corporation or person who has a large vested interest in that website, for business or extensive personal use, does not plan to trade or resell that domain name (unless an irresistable offer arises) so they are considered the 'end of the line' for that domain, the user who has the final use of it and will likely never sell it again. Basically a domain is traded from owner to owner until it finds the ideal end user who will keep it indefinitely. Since the end user has so much interest in the name, they also usually pay much more for that domain than will a reseller who intends to profit on the name by reselling it at a higher price.

Grace Delete - grace deletion refers to the process of deleting a domain name shortly after you registered it. There are many reasons people register domains and then delete them within a few days; commonly it is simply a matter of 'sobering up', ha ha, and realizing it's not as good a domain as you thought yesterday. Other reasons range from discovering the name is based on a trademark, to tasting the domain for traffic and then letting it go.
Grace deletion is not a service offered by all registrars, you don't have a 'right' to delete a domain and get a refund, it's a service volunteered by some registrars. The ones that offer this allow you a 'grace period' - usually a handful of days after registration date but this varies - for you to delete a domain. Some registrars offer an automated system so you can perform the grace delete yourself, while with other registrars you must send their support a request to delete your domain/s.
Note that any registrar can delete your domain (certain extensions anyway, like dot.com) when you ask them to, any time, but the 'grace delete' term refers to you actually getting some or most of your registration fee back, when deleting your domain within a specified (short) amount of time after registering it. Registrars who offer the grace delete service will set their own grace period, their own rate for this service (usually a small percentage of your reg fee), and determine their own process. Grace delete is just a short term for 'register a domain, delete it again within a short time, and get a partial refund back'.

LLL, LLLL, CVCV, CCC, etc etc. - these are domainer-speak, or slang or code or jargon, for certain types of domain name configurations. Please see Post #6 below for full explanation.

Parking - domain parking is a quick, non-development system of pointing your domain name to a simple landing page or pages that offer an automated template website, usually containing some paid advertising links and/or very simplified content, both of these automated. For more description see Post #7 below.

Push - a 'push' is a kind of domain transfer, but is different technically from the word 'transfer' (see definition for 'transfer' below). A push is when you transfer a domain name WITHIN THE SAME REGISTRAR, but to a different user. For example, if your domain is at the registrar Godaddy, you can push it to a different user who also has an account at Godaddy. Each registrar has their own procedure and requirements for a push, but most registrars follow the same basic structure:
A push can be done anytime, even immediately after regging the name; a push is immediate, taking a few seconds to a few minutes until it is in the new user's account; a push is usually free and does not require the new user to renew the name for another year, rather the same expiration date is kept; a push is simple, usually requiring you to know only the new user's username at your registrar, or their username and email, etc.
A push also differs with a transfer in that a push is originated from the CURRENT owner's account, whereas a transfer is initiated from the NEW owner's account. To initiate a push, you select the domain you want to push, then you look around for something that says 'push domain' or 'initiate account change' or something like that, and follow instructions. The new owner must follow their own procedure to accept the push into their account.

Reg Fee - this is an abbreviation of 'registration fee', the cost of registering a domain name. Each registrar has different prices for dot.com's and other TLD's and ccTLD'S, and most good registrars also offer discount e-coupons for different TLD's, fresh regs, renewals, etc. 'Reg Fee' is most commonly seen in the appraisals section, where a name is valued at 'reg fee'. Most reg fees for dot.com's are in the $7 - $12 range.

Reseller - just that: a domainer who trades in domains. Resellers buy domains and do not develop them (unless it is with parking, minisites or minimal development for the purpose of making temporary income from the domain, or increasing its traffic/value for resale). As with any reseller, domainers ideally try to buy very low and sell very high. In a perfect world a reseller will reg a domain or buy it at a cheap reseller price, find the perfect end user for it, and sell high to that end user.

TLD, ccTLD - Top Level Domains; please see Post #4 below for description.

Transfer - a 'transfer' is differentiated from a 'push' (see definition for 'push' above). A transfer is when a domain name is transferred from one registrar TO A DIFFERENT REGISTRAR. The domain can be transferred to your account in the new registrar, or to a different person's account in a new registrar.
Transfer procedures differ for different extensions and different registrars, but they follow some basic structures: a transfer is initiated by the NEW registrant's account, rather than by the CURRENT owner; but the current owner must supply the new owner with what is called an 'EPP code', which you will have to locate or create for the domain being transferred (creating/finding the EPP code varies according to different registrars, but it is necessary to every transfer of a dot.com and many extensions); the domain must also be 'unlocked', if it is locked, by the current registrant; a transfer is not instant like a push, it can take a few days to a few weeks to complete, or longer depending on the quality/efficiency of one or both registrars involved); a push is usually free, while for a transfer you must pay the reg fee at the new registrar, which gives you a year's reg time starting at the transfer date, losing any time still left on the reg at the previous registrar; also, whereas a push can be performed anytime, even immediately after buying or regging a name, a transfer usually has time restrictions - again, this varies by registrar and extension, but whenever you register or buy a dot.com there is usually a 60-day waiting period before you can transfer that domain again to another registrar. I will try write a clear outline of that 60-day waiting period for this dictionary, soon.

x
xx
xxx
x,xxx
etc. - 'x's are used mainly in the appraisals section, to denote rough estimates of how much a domain is worth. Valuing a domain name is a vague process and prices differ wildly according to the domain, the economy, the end users' pockets, and other factors, so exact valuations cannot be given. So domainers use approximations that may include numbers or x's.
The x's are simply substitutes for tens, hundreds, thousands, etc. For example, we may say a domain is worth $300 - 600... or we may put it another way and say it is worth mid-xxx.
We may say it is worth $50 - 100, or mid to high xx. We might say it is worth $8, or high x.
Here is a general outlay:
x = 0 to 9, since it is a single digit.
Low x = 0 - 3; mid x = 4 - 6; high x = 7 - 9.

xx = 10 - 99, since it covers all double-digit numbers.
Low xx = 10 - 30; mid xx = 40 - 60; high xx = 70 - 99.

xxx = 100 - 999, since it covers all three-digit numbers.
Low xxx = 100 - 300, mid xxx = 400 - 600; high xxx = 700 - 999.

This breakdown continues through x,xxx and xx,xxx and xxx,xxx and x,xxx,xxx etc, referring to thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions.
All these are vague approximate ranges.

More definitions to come! Let me/us know if there are any domaining words you want defined.
:)
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Great post.

Please add an entry for Namepros Nancy.
 
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Instead of putting "ha ha ha" in a message you can just put "lol".

thanks ulterios.. can i use this word for "lolling"?

something like this :p ??
 
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Good thread for newbies, Thank you
 
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This thread is gold ! Thanks to all who have contributed.
 
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Good thread and a must read for all beginners.
 
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Very informative. Thanks a lot
 
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Thank you so much for these definitions. I'm new to this world and this has helped me a lot. Keep up with the good work!
 
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What meaning has "chip" when talking about domains?
 
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What are western premiums and premium numbers? Is there a thread about it because I can't find it.
 
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What are western premiums and premium numbers? Is there a thread about it because I can't find it.
Wish I had DNbucket complete as I just finished writing about this. Here is a screenshot from one section on investing in 4 letter .com names. Be sure to check at end of month to read the whole article.

o8teua.png


fezzlw.png
 
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One common term that not defined (unless I missed it) is Escrow....anyone?
 
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Thanks I'm going to have to learn to filter that as I'm struggling with filter the chip and western premium domains.
 
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One common term that not defined (unless I missed it) is Escrow....anyone?

It's a safer version of paypal and recommended by domainers
 
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Thanks I'm going to have to learn to filter that as I'm struggling with filter the chip and western premium domains.

best thing to do, if dealing with less than 4 characters is to create lists of all combinations of 4 letter, 4 number and 3L or 3N and use a tools to search for avails that way. Or you can try to filter out names on expireddomain.net in their marketplace. Again how to guides to do all of this and keyword an combo lists will be avail on DNbucket when I launch.
 
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One common term that not defined (unless I missed it) is Escrow....anyone?

es·crow
ˈeskrō/
Law
noun
noun: escrow; plural noun: escrows
  1. 1.
    a bond, deed, or other document kept in the custody of a third party, taking effect only when a specified condition has been fulfilled.
That being said. Domain Escrow follows the same lines where buyer and seller agree to terms of sale, escrow service receives and holds the buyers payment until the seller transfers the domain to the buyer.
 
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best thing to do, if dealing with less than 4 characters is to create lists of all combinations of 4 letter, 4 number and 3L or 3N and use a tools to search for avails that way. Or you can try to filter out names on expireddomain.net in their marketplace. Again how to guides to do all of this and keyword an combo lists will be avail on DNbucket when I launch.


Thanks I'll look around for it or ask around :)
 
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Thanks, a very useful topic.
 
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I would like to add:

MMPI
Mike Mann Price Index - This is when you take the actual value (realistic value) of your domain name. Then add 3 zero's to the end and times by 2.5. This gives you the MMPI of your domain name :xf.grin:
 
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Good thread! I couldn't find the definition for "handreg". Apologies if I missed it
 
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Ooh and can I ask why nobody posts their actual domain. I see a lot of "your best domain dot com" kind of urls.
 
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