What is Domain Tasting? (And Why It's Mostly Dead) (2025)

Quick Answer

Table of Contents

What Was Domain Tasting?

Domain tasting was a practice where domain speculators temporarily registered domain names under the five-day Add Grace Period (AGP) to test whether the domain generated enough traffic and advertising revenue to justify keeping it.

The Basic Concept

The Add Grace Period explained:

When you register a domain name, ICANN regulations provide a 5-day window called the Add Grace Period. Originally, this grace period existed to allow:

• Correction of typos in domain registrations
• Cancellation of accidental duplicate registrations
• Refunds for fraudulent transactions

During this 5-day window, registrars could delete the domain and receive a full refund of the registration fee from the registry.

What domain tasters did:

Domain speculators realized they could:

1. Register thousands (or millions) of domains
2. Point them to advertising landing pages
3. Measure traffic and pay-per-click (PPC) revenue for 5 days
4. Keep profitable domains; delete unprofitable ones for free
5. Repeat infinitely with zero risk

The problem: The AGP was designed for error correction, not as a free trial system for domain speculation.

The Term "Tasting"

The practice was called "tasting" because speculators were essentially sampling domains---tasting them to see which were valuable---before committing to the purchase, much like tasting food samples at a grocery store.

How Domain Tasting Worked

The Technical Process

Step-by-step domain tasting operation:

Day 0 - Registration:

1. Automated systems scanned for expiring domains or generated keyword combinations
2. Thousands of domains registered simultaneously via API
3. Each domain immediately pointed to an advertising (PPC) landing page
4. Cost: Zero during the grace period

Days 1-4 - Testing:

1. Traffic monitored via analytics
2. Advertising revenue tracked per domain
3. Click-through rates measured
4. Revenue-per-domain calculated

Day 5 (or before) - Decision:

• If revenue > annual registration fee: Keep the domain
• If revenue < registration fee: Delete for full refund

The economics:

• Registration fee: ~$6-7 per year (2006-2007 pricing)
• If domain earned more than $0.02/day in PPC revenue, it was profitable to keep
• If not, delete and try again---no cost

The Technology Behind It

Automated registration systems:

• API connections to multiple registrars
• Algorithms generating domain combinations
• Expired domain drop-catching systems
• Real-time traffic and revenue tracking

Advertising infrastructure:

• Domain parking services (Sedo, Bodis, etc.)
• Pay-per-click advertising networks
• Automated landing page generation
• Traffic arbitrage systems

Scale of automation: A single domain taster could test millions of domains monthly using:

• Bulk registration APIs
• Automated revenue tracking
• Scripted deletion before AGP expiration
• Sophisticated domain selection algorithms

Why Domainers Used Domain Tasting

Risk-Free Domain Research

The appeal was obvious:

Traditional domain investing required paying for every registration, hoping it would be profitable. Domain tasting eliminated this risk entirely.

Before tasting: Pay $7, hope the domain is valuable

With tasting: Test for free, only pay for proven winners

Type-In Traffic Discovery

Many domains receive "type-in traffic"---visitors who type the domain directly into their browser, often looking for related content.

Examples:

• CheapFlights.com (someone searching for cheap flights)
• WeatherReport.com (checking weather)
• OnlineGames.com (looking for games)

Domain tasting allowed speculators to discover which domains had natural type-in traffic without paying for the privilege of finding out.

PPC Revenue Testing

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising made domain tasting profitable:

1. Register domain
2. Point to parking page with ads
3. Collect revenue from ad clicks
4. Calculate annualized revenue potential
5. Keep domains that pay for themselves

The math:

• If a domain earned $0.05/day during testing = $18.25/year
• Registration cost: $7/year
• Profit: $11.25/year (plus resale potential)

Dropped Domain Speculation

When domains expired and became available (the "drop"), domain tasters would:

1. Catch hundreds of expiring domains
2. Test each one for residual traffic
3. Keep high-traffic domains
4. Delete worthless ones

This was especially problematic because it prevented legitimate users from registering domains they wanted.

The Scale of the Problem

The Numbers Are Staggering

2006-2007 statistics from official ICANN and Verisign reports:

April 2006:

• 35 million domain registrations that month
• Only 2 million were permanent (actually purchased)
• 33 million were registered then deleted for refund

February 2007 (GoDaddy CEO report):

• 55.1 million domain names registered
• 51.5 million canceled and refunded before AGP expired
• Only 3.6 million domains actually kept
• 93.5% of all registrations were domain tasting

March 2007 peak:

• 50-60 million deletions in .com and .net alone
• Roughly 2 million domain tastes per day

Concentration Among Few Players

According to a 2007 Verisign report, domain tasting was extremely concentrated:

• Top 10 domain tasters: Responsible for 95% of all deleted .com and .net domains
• Top 4 registrars: Accounted for 74% of all deleted names
• Specific numbers: 45,450,897 of 47,824,131 deleted names came from just 10 entities

This wasn't a broad industry practice---it was a few sophisticated operations exploiting a loophole at massive scale.

Early History

The practice evolved over time:

2001-2002: VeriSign first noticed "batch testing" or "autodelete registrations" at around 20,000-50,000 daily registrations. They considered it abusive and pressured registrars to stop, even threatening litigation. Registrars reluctantly complied.

Late 2004: VeriSign changed how root zone files updated, allowing domains to go live almost immediately after registration. This technical change reopened the tasting window.

2005-2006: Domain tasting exploded as registrants realized they could register domains quickly, keep them briefly, and delete without registry attention.

2006-2007: The problem reached crisis levels with over 50 million domains tasted monthly.

ICANN's Response: The AGP Limits Policy

The Community Responds

Timeline of action:

Spring 2007: The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) formally requested that ICANN study domain tasting.

May 2007: The GNSO Council called for an Issues Report on domain tasting from ICANN staff.

April 17, 2008: GNSO approved by super-majority vote a motion to discourage AGP abuse.

June 26, 2008: ICANN Board adopted the GNSO recommendations.

The Two-Part Solution

Part 1: Temporary Budget Provision (June 2008)

As an immediate measure, ICANN implemented:

• $0.20 fee per deleted domain above specified thresholds
• Immediate effect on domain tasting economics

Impact: If you tasted 1 million domains and 950,000 were worthless, you now owed $190,000 in fees instead of $0.

Part 2: Permanent AGP Limits Policy (April 1, 2009)

The permanent policy increased costs significantly:

• Fee: Full registration cost (~$6.75 for .ORG at the time) for each excessive AGP delete
• Same thresholds as temporary provision
• Devastating economics for tasters

The Dramatic Results

ICANN's official report (December 2009):

"In response to community concerns about the excessive use and abuse of the five-day AGP, ICANN implemented two measures to address these problems that have resulted in a 99.7% decrease in AGP deletes from June 2008 to April 2009."

Before fees (peak month): Over 15 million domain tastings

After $0.20 fee: Around 2 million per month

After full-cost fee: Below 60,000 per month

The policy achieved exactly what it intended: making domain tasting economically unviable.

Current AGP Rules

The Add Grace Period Still Exists

ICANN didn't eliminate the AGP---it still serves its original purpose. The 5-day grace period remains available for:

• Correcting registration typos
• Canceling accidental registrations
• Addressing certain fraudulent registrations

Duration: 5 calendar days from initial registration

Effect: Registrar can delete the domain and receive full credit from the registry

The AGP Limits Policy Thresholds

Current rules (still in effect from 2009):

A registrar can delete domains during AGP without penalty up to the greater of:

• 10% of that registrar's net new registrations in that month, OR
• 50 domain names

Example calculations:

Over the threshold: Registrar pays full registration fee for each excessive delete

Exemption Process

Registrars can request exemptions for extraordinary circumstances:

• Must be documented and unexpected
• Outside the registrar's control
• Cannot be recurring ("extraordinary" that happens regularly isn't extraordinary)
• Subject to registry operator discretion

Practical reality: Exemptions are rarely granted and not a viable loophole.

Is Domain Tasting Still Possible?

The Short Answer: Essentially No

Why domain tasting is dead:

1. Economic impossibility: Paying full registration fee for each deleted domain eliminates the business model
2. Threshold limits: Even the 10% threshold prevents systematic tasting
3. Detection systems: Registries monitor for abuse patterns
4. Legal risks: Aggressive tasting could trigger legal action

What Remains Possible

Legitimate AGP use:

• Correcting genuine registration errors (typos in domain names)
• Canceling domains registered by mistake
• Addressing clear fraud cases

Small-scale testing (within thresholds):

• A registrar with 1,000 monthly registrations can delete up to 100
• This isn't "tasting"---it's normal business operations
• Registrars generally use this for customer error corrections

Why It Can't Return

Structural barriers:

1. Policy is consensus-based: Changing AGP policy requires GNSO approval and ICANN Board adoption
2. Community opposition: Registries, registrars, and users all opposed tasting
3. Economic incentive alignment: Nobody benefits from returning to tasting
4. Reputation damage: Registrars enabling tasting would face backlash

Technical evolution:

• Modern registry systems track deletion patterns
• Abuse triggers automatic review
• Registrar accreditation could be threatened

What Replaced Domain Tasting

Pre-Registration Research Tools

Instead of testing live domains, investors now research before buying:

Traffic estimation tools:

• Ahrefs traffic estimates
• SEMrush organic traffic data
• SimilarWeb traffic analytics
• Historical traffic patterns

Domain research platforms:

• DomainDetails domain lookup and WHOIS history
• NameBio sales comparables
• DNPric.es historical sales data
• EstiBot valuation estimates

Keyword research:

• Google Keyword Planner search volumes
• Ahrefs keyword difficulty
• SEMrush keyword analytics

Domain Backordering Services

Instead of tasting, investors backorder specific domains:

When a domain expires, backorder services:

1. Attempt to catch the domain at drop time
2. Only charge if successful
3. Some run auctions among interested parties

Major backorder services:

• SnapNames
• DropCatch
• NameJet
• GoDaddy Auctions

The difference from tasting:

• You research the domain first
• You commit to buying if caught
• You're competing with other interested parties
• No risk-free testing of random domains

Domain Monitoring

Tools like DomainDetails Pro help investors:

• Track domains they want
• Monitor expiration dates
• Get alerts on changes
• Plan acquisition strategies

The shift: From "test everything, keep winners" to "research carefully, target specifically."

Auction and Marketplace Research

Pre-bid research has replaced tasting:

Before bidding on an aftermarket domain:

1. Check historical traffic (Wayback Machine, SimilarWeb)
2. Review backlink profile (Ahrefs, Moz)
3. Verify no trademark issues (USPTO, WIPO)
4. Analyze comparable sales (NameBio)
5. Estimate potential value

This requires more skill but eliminates the system abuse that tasting represented.

Historical Context for the Domain Industry

Why Domain Tasting Matters for Understanding Domains

Even though domain tasting is dead, understanding it helps explain:

Current ICANN policies:

• Why the AGP has strict limits
• Why deletion fees exist
• How consensus policy development works

Domain industry structure:

• Why registries and registrars have specific relationships
• How abuse prevention evolved
• Why certain monitoring exists

Domain investing evolution:

• How the industry moved from speculation to research
• Why quality matters more than quantity now
• How tools and services developed

Lessons for the Domain Industry

What domain tasting taught us:

1. Loopholes get exploited at scale: A small error correction policy became a massive speculation system
2. Economic incentives drive behavior: Making tasting costly immediately stopped it
3. ICANN can act when needed: The AGP Limits Policy showed effective industry governance
4. Technology enables and solves: Automated tasting and automated detection both rely on technology

Related Historical Practices

Domain kiting: Similar to tasting, domain kiting involved repeatedly deleting and re-registering domains to extend the grace period indefinitely---essentially keeping domains forever without paying. The AGP Limits Policy also eliminated this practice.

Front-running: Registrars were accused of registering domains that users searched for but didn't immediately purchase. This practice was investigated but harder to prove than tasting.

Both practices declined alongside domain tasting as the industry matured and oversight increased.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still get a refund if I register the wrong domain?

Yes, the Add Grace Period still exists for legitimate purposes. If you register a domain by mistake (typo, wrong TLD, etc.), contact your registrar within 5 days. Most registrars will process a refund for genuine errors, though policies vary.

Why did ICANN allow domain tasting in the first place?

ICANN didn't intend to allow it. The AGP was designed for error correction, which is a legitimate need. The policy was written before automated systems could exploit it at scale. When exploitation became clear, ICANN acted to close the loophole.

Did domain tasting harm regular users?

Yes, in several ways:

• Desired domains were unavailable during testing periods
• Dropped domains were caught by tasters before individuals could register
• Type-in traffic was monetized rather than reaching intended destinations
• System resources were consumed by massive registration/deletion volumes

How do I research a domain before buying now?

Use a combination of tools:

1. WHOIS/RDAP lookup (DomainDetails) for ownership history
2. Traffic estimates (Ahrefs, SimilarWeb) for potential value
3. Backlink analysis (Ahrefs, Moz) for SEO value
4. Sales comparables (NameBio) for pricing guidance
5. Trademark search (USPTO) for legal clearance

Is there any way to test a domain's traffic before buying?

No legitimate way to "test" a registered domain without paying for it. However, you can:

• Analyze similar domains' traffic patterns
• Research the domain's historical traffic (Wayback Machine + analytics tools)
• Evaluate keyword search volume for the domain phrase
• Check if the domain has existing backlinks driving traffic

What happens to the AGP now?

The 5-day Add Grace Period still exists and still allows no-cost deletions---but only within the threshold limits (10% of new registrations or 50 domains, whichever is greater). Legitimate error corrections remain possible.

Could domain tasting come back?

Extremely unlikely. The policy changes are permanent consensus policies. Reverting would require:

• Community consensus that tasting is acceptable (no support exists)
• GNSO policy development process
• ICANN Board approval
• Registry and registrar implementation

None of these conditions exist or are likely to develop.

Key Takeaways

What Domain Tasting Was:

• Practice of registering domains during the 5-day AGP to test traffic and revenue
• Unprofitable domains deleted for full refund; profitable ones kept
• Essentially risk-free domain speculation

The Scale Was Massive:

• Peak of 55+ million registrations monthly, with only 3.6 million kept
• 95% of deleted domains came from just 10 entities
• System abuse at industrial scale

ICANN Killed It Effectively:

• AGP Limits Policy implemented April 2009
• Fees for excessive deletions made tasting economically unviable
• 99.7% decrease in AGP deletions

Current Rules:

• AGP still exists for legitimate error correction
• Registrars get 10% of registrations or 50 domains as free deletes (whichever is greater)
• Exceeding threshold triggers full registration fee per deletion

What Replaced It:

• Pre-registration research tools (Ahrefs, SimilarWeb, NameBio)
• Domain backordering services (SnapNames, DropCatch)
• Domain monitoring (DomainDetails Pro)
• Better due diligence before purchase

Historical Significance:

• Demonstrates ICANN can address industry abuse
• Shows how economic incentives drive behavior
• Explains current AGP policies and monitoring

Next Steps

For Further Learning

If you're new to domains, understanding domain tasting helps explain the industry's evolution. Continue learning with:

1. Understand ICANN's role - What is ICANN?
2. Learn about grace periods - Domain Renewal Grace Periods
3. Explore domain expiration - What Happens When a Domain Isn't Renewed
4. Get started registering - Domain Registration Guide

For Domain Investors

Modern domain investing requires research before purchase, not free testing:

• Use DomainDetails to research domain history and ownership
• Monitor expiring domains with tracking tools
• Analyze traffic potential before bidding on auctions

Research Sources

• ICANN - The End of Domain Tasting: AGP Deletes Decrease 99.7%
• ICANN - AGP (Add Grace Period) Limits Policy
• ICANN GNSO - PDP on AGP Limits Policy (Domain Tasting)
• ICANNWiki - Domain Tasting
• ICANNWiki - Add Grace Period Limits Policy
• Wikipedia - Domain Tasting
• CircleID - The Closing Window: A Historical Analysis of Domain Tasting
• Dynadot - What is Domain Tasting? History and Common Uses
• ICANN - AGP Limits Policy Implementation Report (PDF)