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What is a Domain Hack?
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- hwahyeon
Domain hack refers to the creative use of domain names by altering parts of the domain to form specific words or phrases. It often involves using country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) or abbreviations to create memorable web addresses.
For example, youtu.be (Belgium's .be), instagr.am (Armenia's .am) and bit.ly (Libya's .ly) are well-known cases where domains were creatively used to fit the brand name.
Additionally, some country domains become popular on their own when they resemble common words:
.tv(Tuvalu): Resembles “TV”, making it popular among broadcasters and streaming platforms..io(British Indian Ocean Territory): Looks like the abbreviation for “input/output”, so it's favored by tech companies..ai(Anguilla): Matches “AI” (Artificial Intelligence), making it widely used by AI-related businesses..it(Italy): Can represent “Information Technology” or the pronoun “it”, allowing versatile use.
In this way, domain hacks are effective for creating short and unique URLs that reinforce a brand's identity.