Atom.com recently unveiled its Domain Hunter tool to help domain investors discover and uncover domain names that could have resale value. GoDaddy Auctions recently unveiled its “Hidden Gems” search functionality to find domain names on its platform. Both tools are ostensibly to help domain investors locate investment-grade domain names, but their primary purpose is to drive platform revenue.
Domain name discovery tools can be helpful. If you are brainstorming ideas or checking availability, they can save time and give inspiration for new ideas. I use them too – and I also use AI chat tools to help with that as well. That said, it is important for domain investors to understand what these tools are really built to do.
At their core, most domain name discovery tools exist to drive revenue for domain registrars and the platforms that offer them. These domain names may be good investments that will eventually sell to people looking for good domain names, but ultimately, the goal is to encourage registrations.
This does not mean the tools are bad or useless. It just means they may not be neutral. For instance, I believe these tools show the respective automated domain name appraisal results to indicate value that goes far beyond the registration cost. I mean who can resist buying a domain name for $11 when the platform says the appraisal is more than $2,000?!
Domain discovery tools can be helpful in sparking new ideas and discovering domain names that could have value. Their main purpose is to make money for the platform though.
