Warming Notes
Patterns from the gap between buying a domain and building the business.
Why Monetizing a Domain Too Early Hurts It
Validation is a signal your domain receives. Monetization is a signal it sends.
Bret Siers
How to Check If Your Domain Is Blacklisted (and Fix It)
Email blocklists, browser warnings and Google Search flags are separate systems with separate owners. No vendor documents a public AI blocklist.
Bret Siers
What Happens When a Domain Registrar Shuts Down?
A registrar holds your account. The registry holds the authoritative record, and an escrow agent holds a copy of the registration data.
Bret Siers
Do You Actually Own Your Domain? What ICANN Says
A registration is a contract with a term, not a deed. Your rights are real, and they depend on renewing.
Bret Siers
How to Transfer a Domain Without Breaking Everything
A transfer moves the registration. Your site, email and DNS keep running only if you plan for them.
Bret Siers
What Structured Data Should Every Domain Have Before Launch?
Structured data doesn't change how a page looks. It labels who runs it and what it is called.
Bret SiersGot a Domain War Story?
Share your battles with expired domains, epic flips, or times you stuck it to the big guys. We love a good underdog story.