What is a domain hack?

A domain hack is a domain name where the extension supplies the last letters of a word. The whole address then reads as one word or phrase. In chocolatebiscu.it, for example, the name is "chocolatebiscu" and the extension is .it, Italy's country code. Read together, they spell "chocolatebiscuit". Businesses use domain hacks for short addresses that are easy to remember.

The "hack" in the name means a clever trick. It has nothing to do with breaking into anything, or with domain theft, when someone takes control of a domain that isn't theirs.

How does a domain hack work?

In a domain hack, you choose the extension for its letters, so it completes the word you want. The extension, or top-level domain, is the ending that follows the name, such as .com or .kr.

A domain hack often uses a country code extension, which is tied to one country, such as .ly or .es. Words such as "friendly" and "games" end in these letters. Generic extensions, which aren't tied to a place, work too.

Whatever word it finishes, the extension keeps its own meaning and rules. Take cosyandlove.ly: read together, it says "cosy and lovely", but .ly is Libya's country code, and Libya's registration rules apply to it.

Domain hack examples

Big brands use domain name hacks as short addresses that lead to their main websites. The idea itself goes back to the early days of the web.

• YouTube's short links for its videos put the name "youtu" on Belgium's .be, so they read "youtube". A short link opens the same video as the long YouTube address.
• LinkedIn's short links put "lnkd" on India's .in, so they read "linked in".
• Google's URL shortener put "goo" on Greenland's .gl, so its links read "google". In late 2024, Google turned off the links that showed no activity, and the rest still work.
• One of the earliest, registered on 23 November 1992, puts "inter" on the generic .net, so it reads "internet".

The pros and cons of domain hacks

A domain hack can give you a short, memorable address. In return, you rely on an extension that comes with its own rules and risks.

Advantages

• A domain hack can be shorter than the same name with .com, and a short address fits more easily on a business card or in a social post.
• When the name you want is taken as a .com, a domain hack gives you more ways to register a domain name that fits your brand.
• You can use a domain hack next to your main domain, as a short address that leads to your main website, the way YouTube and LinkedIn do.

Disadvantages

• People may type it wrong. Someone who hears your address once may put the dot in the wrong place, or type the whole word with .com on the end.
• The extension has its own rules. Some countries limit who can register their extension, for example to local people or businesses, so check you're allowed before you plan your name around it.
• It can cost more: prices differ by extension, and short, sought-after words are often premium domains, priced well above a standard registration. You see the price for each extension when you check whether the domain is available.
• Search engines may tie it to a country: Google reads a country code extension as a sign that a site is meant for that country, which matters for your SEO if your customers are in the UK. Google treats a few, such as .me and .tv, as generic instead.
• The whole word can clash with a brand. Read together, a domain hack can spell a name someone else already uses for their business, so check the full word before you register it.

How do you choose a domain hack?

You choose a domain hack by starting from the word you want and working backwards to the extension that finishes it.

• Match the last letters of your word to an extension that exists. IANA, the organisation that keeps the list of extensions, publishes every one of them in its Root Zone Database, with the organisation that manages each, so you know where to look up who may register it.
• Say it out loud. If you have to explain where the dot goes, listeners will probably get it wrong, so choose one someone can type after hearing it once.

If you're short of ideas, a domain name generator suggests names you can then try as a hack. For a domain hack of your own, a .me domain from us is a popular choice. It finishes words such as "welcome" and "awesome", and "me" has a meaning in several languages. Anyone can register one, wherever they live.

Our advice: use a domain hack as a short extra address, and keep your main website on a familiar extension. For customers in the UK, a .co.uk domain shows a clear connection to the British market. The one exception is a domain hack that spells your brand name exactly, which can work as your main domain too. If you haven't picked your main extension yet, start there: which domain extension suits your business depends mostly on where your customers are.

To point the hack to your main site, register it with us if we offer its extension, then set up web forwarding with the Domain Protection add-on. The add-on is available on most extensions, with a few exceptions. Once the forwarding is active, which can take up to 24 hours, anyone who types the short address lands on your main website. You don't need a second website, and your main site doesn't depend on another country's rules.

Once you've found a short address that's easy to say, register your domain hack together with your main domain.