Your main domain is only one door to your brand. Close variations can be registered by anyone, and some will be used to catch your customers' typing mistakes or to send convincing phishing emails.
The names worth protecting
- Your main endings: the .com and your local ending, for example .com.eg in Egypt.
- Common misspellings: a missing letter or a doubled one in your brand name.
- Hyphenated version: if your brand is two words, the hyphenated form is a cheap insurance.
- Product names: a flagship product or campaign name may deserve its own domain.
You do not need hundreds of names. Start with the ones customers are most likely to type by mistake.
Point them at one site
Extra domains should redirect to your main website rather than show separate content. That avoids duplicate pages in search results and sends every visitor to the right place.
Watch for lookalike phishing
Attackers register names that look like yours, such as swapping "rn" for "m", to send invoices or password resets that seem genuine. Protect your own email with SPF, DKIM and DMARC so receivers can tell the real messages from fakes.
Keep the portfolio tidy
- Renew brand domains for several years at a time.
- Keep them all in one registrar account with two-factor authentication.
- Review the list once a year and let go of names that no longer matter.
Getting started
Search your brand on the IDX domains page to see which variations are free, and register the important ones in the same account as your main domain.
IDX on digital infrastructure
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