How They Work and What They’re For

Ever found the perfect domain name, only to land on a generic page filled with ads or a message saying it’s for sale? The domain could be parked.

In this guide, we’ll explain what parked domains are, how to recognize them, and what to do if the domain you want is already parked.

What is a parked domain?

A “parked” domain may mean different things, depending on where you register your domains. It might be a domain:

• That displays a “coming soon” page but doesn’t yet host a functional site. WordPress.com enables a “coming soon” page by default for all domains purchased through our domain suggestion tool until you launch your site.
• Owned by an investor or broker, often monetized with ads or listed for sale, especially if it receives traffic due to its name or previous usage.
• That has expired or been canceled and is pending deletion, so it shows a static page or monetized links.

In contrast, buying a domain to reserve it for future use, such as for a project that’s still in development, isn’t typically considered domain parking. As long as you continue renewing your registration, you own the domain, even if you aren’t using it yet.

Telltale signs of a parked domain

Looking at a website and wondering if it’s parked? Here’s what to look for:

• A generic, templatized landing page: Parked domains display a cookie-cutter design without much customization. They also typically have placeholder content. 
• Lack of navigation: These sites don’t have menus or sitemaps to show that they’re functional. You’ll find a single landing page with nowhere else to go.
• Broker or registrar branding: You’ll see logos or footer text from domain registrars. You may also see display banners like “This domain is for sale” and a domain broker’s contact information in case you’re interested in purchasing it. Here’s an example:

• Page filled with ads and links: You might see an ad-heavy page showing links related to the domain’s keywords. This is a tactic for generating passive income through unused, parked domains.

How to obtain a parked domain

What if the domain you want is already parked? Here are a few alternatives you can try:

Contact the owner with an inquiry 

The first order of business when you want to buy a parked domain is to contact the owner.

Most parked domains include the owner’s contact information if they’re willing to sell.

Send a transparent, professional inquiry showing interest in purchasing the domain. Avoid mentioning how much you can pay to keep some space for negotiations. 

Make sure you explain how you plan to use the domain. Some owners care more about the future of their domains beyond just the sale price.

Tip: For domains that clearly use a trademark you own, you can claim the domain from the current owner through a process called UDRP.

Make an offer through a broker 

If direct contact with the owner fails, reach out to a domain broker to negotiate a deal on your behalf. 

By working with a broker, an intermediary can use their hands-on experience to help negotiate a favorable deal. While brokers charge a percentage of the final sale price or a flat fee, their negotiation tactics might give you a significantly lower acquisition cost.

Look for variations of the domain

If all efforts fail and your first-choice domain is out of reach, you can consider some of these variations:

• Extensions/TLDs: Explore different extensions instead of the one you originally wanted—we have domains ending in everything from .com, .net, and .blog to .dog and .christmas. 
• Prefixes/suffixes: Add a relevant word before or after your core term to create a new variation.
• Hyphens: Add hyphens between words to create a new domain. However, avoid adding too many hyphens, as they can confuse users when typing and be difficult to memorize.

Monitor the domain

If all else fails, you may want to use a domain monitoring service to track your desired domain and get notified if it expires or becomes available for purchase. However, remember that this approach requires patience and does not guarantee success.

Turn domains into opportunities 

Whether you’re exploring parked domains or looking for the perfect name to launch your next idea, domains open the door to future opportunities—creative, professional, and everything in between.

Ready to purchase a domain? Check out WordPress.com’s domain suggestion tool to find all our available domains. We have over 350 available TLDs, and they average just $13 per year.

When you’re ready to launch a website, WordPress.com makes it easy to turn your domain into a fast, secure, and fully customizable website.