Understanding Non-Mainstream Domain Names

1. What Are Non-Mainstream Domain Names?

Outside China, people generally do not use the terms “mainstream” and “non-mainstream” domain names. These are informal labels commonly used within the Chinese domain investment community to describe less common domain extensions.

Widely recognized mainstream domain extensions in China include:

Some investors also consider .io and .co to be mainstream extensions.

In general, mainstream domain extensions usually share one or more of the following characteristics:

Any extension outside the mainstream category is considered a non-mainstream domain extension.

Non-mainstream domains mainly fall into two categories:

1. Country-Code Domains (ccTLDs)

These extensions are two characters long and represent a specific country or territory.

For example:

2. New gTLDs (New Generic Extensions)

These extensions are three or more characters long.

Examples include:


2. What Makes a Non-Mainstream Domain Valuable?

If someone is willing to pay for it, then it has value.

If there is demand for it, then it is valuable.

Who buys non-mainstream domains?

1. Companies

(Although Chinese companies generally purchase them less often.)

Companies buy domains for:

2. Individuals

Some people buy them for:

Valuable non-mainstream domains usually fall into the following four categories:


1. Extremely Rare Domains

These are difficult to register and often expensive on the aftermarket.

Examples:


2. Creative Prefix-and-Suffix Combinations

Country-Code Domain Hacks

Chinese-style combinations

Examples:

English-style combinations

These often form recognizable brands or words.

Examples:

New gTLD Creative Combinations

For example:


3. Premium Keywords

Purely investing in premium keywords on non-mainstream extensions is risky. The more obscure the extension, the fewer keywords are likely to have resale value.

However, there are still two situations where profits can be made:

1. Trend-Driven Keywords

These are hot topics that many people rush to register.

Examples:

Trend-based keywords are often easier to sell and can generate significant profits.

2. Industry Keywords

Certain communities or industries prefer specific keywords.

For example:

Registering non-mainstream domains with these keywords can create opportunities to resell them to niche audiences, although profit margins are often smaller.


3. How Do You Find Valuable Domains?

When you see news related to emerging technologies or startup funding announcements, pay attention.

For example:

If you discover that an AI startup called “MYCAT” has just raised hundreds of millions in funding, quickly check whether my.cat is still available. If you manage to register it, there is a good chance you could later sell it to the company for a substantial profit.

Another example:

If you see someone insulting another person in a chat group and using the phrase “sha bi,” do not just sit there enjoying the drama — immediately check whether sha.bi is available to register.

There are roughly 700 domain extensions currently available worldwide. Besides reacting quickly to opportunities like these, you can also proactively search for premium keyword combinations across different extensions on a regular basis.


2. Aggressively Catch Expiring Domains

If you know a domain is about to expire and be deleted, you can attempt to catch it.

1. Use a Backordering Platform

For example:

If luo.li is about to expire, you can submit it to a platform such as catchtiger.com.

Most extensions have dedicated backordering services.

2. Build Your Own Catching System

If you notice that d.sb is nearing expiration, you can write scripts to monitor its status and use registrar APIs to automatically attempt registration the moment it becomes available.


3. Expired Domain Auctions

This method is particularly useful for finding undervalued new gTLDs.

Examples of auction platforms:

You can also look for expiring country-code domains here: