Is domain “snapping” a new term or did I just miss it somehow?

So this is a new one, for me at least. I came across an article one domain “snapping” which didn’t ring a bell so I had to dig deeper to understand what the article was about. Was there a new term that I somehow missed after all of these years?

According to Lexology snapping is:

“The practice of “snapping” (also known as backorders or snapbacks) has been around for some time and domain name owners should carefully consider the potential risks before allowing their domain names to expire. The cost of renewing a domain name is, after all, small in comparison with the cost of legal action to recover one that has been registered by a third party who is using the domain name in a way that is damaging.”

As I thought about it more I realized that Snapnames might owe their name to this term so maybe it has been around for a while but I somehow missed it? When I start an article I have a hard time not finishing it so while I can’t say it was riveting, I kept reading and found an interesting warning at the end, essentially telling people to be careful when they see a list of expired domains recommended by a Domainer, be wary because they might not have the best intentions:

“Domain name registrants should also bear in mind that expiring domain names often feature in lists of domain names set for imminent release on so-called “dropcatching” or backorder sites that are carefully monitored by domainers, not all of whom have the best of intentions.”

This is a topic that has come up a lot over the years. Since domain bloggers often make money if someone buys an expired domain they recommend, they could be just recommending random names to make a quick buck. That being said, I think we all know the blogs we can trust, and the ones we can’t.

My personal favorite blog for expired domain recommendations is DSAD.com, they usually have a pretty solid list of names and Shane has a ton of experience in the domain industry. That being said, that’s not the only blog that recommends expired domains and there are some blogs out there from people who aren’t actual domainers, instead they are trying to make a quick buck by recommending huge lists of expired domains hoping that people who don’t know any better will buy them.

So the article made me think – how can you spot a blog that is recommending garbage names vs. a legitimate domain blog with true investment-grade names? I want to hear from you, comment and let your voice be heard!

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton