Domain hacks
Domain Hacks: How .io, .ai and .tv Became Words
Some of the best-known names on the internet use a country code as part of a word. Here is how domain hacks work, where they go wrong, and a tool to find your own.
What is a domain hack?
A domain hack uses the extension as part of a word or phrase, so the whole address reads as one thing. The classic example is del.icio.us, the bookmarking site that spelled "delicious" across three levels of the domain. Shorter modern examples finish a word with the country code: stud.io, bit.ly, tld.is.
Because almost all ccTLDs are two letters, they can complete thousands of English words. That turned a few small countries' codes into global brands.
Domain hack finder
Type a word or brand. We'll show every way it can be split so the ending is a real country-code extension.
This tool only checks spelling, not availability. Search a registrar to see if a name is free, and check the extension's rules before you buy.
The country codes that became words
| Extension | Officially | Read as |
|---|---|---|
| .io | British Indian Ocean Territory | input/output, tech startups |
| .ai | Anguilla | artificial intelligence |
| .tv | Tuvalu | television and video |
| .fm | Micronesia | FM radio and podcasts |
| .me | Montenegro | "me", personal sites |
| .co | Colombia | "company" |
| .ly | Libya | "-ly" words, link shorteners |
| .gg | Guernsey | "good game", gaming |
| .is | Iceland | "is" phrases |
| .sh | Saint Helena | shell scripts |
| .vc | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | venture capital |
| .nu | Niue | "now" and "new" |
| .am | Armenia | AM radio, "I am" |
| .ws | Samoa | "website" |
Why domain hacks work
- Short and memorable: the extension does double duty, so the name can be shorter than a .com equivalent.
- Available: good words are scarce in .com but often free in a ccTLD.
- Distinctive: a clever hack is easy to remember once seen.
The catches
- People mishear them. Say "stud dot i o" out loud and see how many people type studio.com. Hacks work better in writing than in speech.
- You live under another country's rules. A hack on .ly is subject to Libyan law; a hack on .io depends on the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
- Prices can be high. Many hack-friendly ccTLDs cost far more than .com each year.
- Resale is narrower. A hack only appeals to buyers who want that exact phrase, so it can take longer to sell. See investing in ccTLDs.
Search engines and domain hacks
Normally Google treats a ccTLD as a signal that a site targets that country. For a group of country codes that are widely used as generic endings, Google says it treats them like gTLDs instead. That list has included .ad, .ai, .as, .bz, .cc, .cd, .co, .dj, .fm, .io, .la, .me, .ms, .nu, .sc, .sr, .su, .tk, .tv and .ws. Google can change the list, so check Google Search Central if it matters for your site. More in ccTLDs and SEO.