If GoDaddy Appraisal tells you what a domain might be worth, DotDB tells you why it’s valuable — and who’s already using similar names.
In today’s fast-paced domain market — where one-word .coms and AI names are in high demand — DotDB has become a go-to resource for serious investors, brand consultants, and startups doing naming research.
This post breaks down how it works, what it does best, its real value for domainers, and where it fits among your research tools.
⚙️ What Is DotDB?
DotDB is a domain intelligence tool that analyzes how widely a keyword (or name) is registered across different extensions (.com, .io, .ai, .net, etc.).
You type a keyword — say Promptly or BuildAI — and within seconds it shows:
- ✅ How many extensions the name is registered in
- ✅ How many variations (prefixes/suffixes) exist
- ✅ Which extensions are taken (and which are available)
- ✅ Who owns them (for premium plan users)
It’s not an appraisal tool.
It’s a data and pattern discovery engine for understanding brand demand and naming competition.
🧠 How DotDB Works
DotDB scans the global DNS zone files (official registry data) across hundreds of TLDs.
It counts how many domains contain your keyword — as an exact match (e.g., Promptly.com, Promptly.io) and as a contains match (e.g., GetPromptly.com, PromptlyAI.com).
Then it ranks the keyword’s popularity and usage intensity.
In short:
The more TLDs your term appears in, the higher its real-world brand demand.
📈 Example: Real-World Search
Let’s test “Promptly” and “BuildAI.”
| Domain | Exact Matches | Contains Matches | Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promptly | 185 | 3,000+ | High global brand adoption |
| BuildAI | 160 | 2,200+ | Strong trend keyword |
| CryptoPay | 400+ | 6,000+ | Established market keyword |
| BlueOrbit | 85 | 900 | Solid but niche brand |
👉 If 150+ extensions are taken, that’s often a signal of global brand potential and end-user interest.
🧩 DotDB’s Key Features
✅ 1. Exact & Contains Match Counts
The foundation of DotDB — it instantly tells you how many extensions your keyword is registered in.
This gives you a quantifiable measure of demand.
✅ 2. TLD Visualization
You can see at a glance which extensions (like .com, .io, .ai, .xyz, etc.) are taken — valuable for identifying which sectors are active (tech, crypto, SaaS).
✅ 3. Registrant Insights (Pro Feature)
Premium users can click to see who owns the domains — useful for outbounding, market mapping, and acquisition research.
✅ 4. Bulk Search
Upload a list of 100+ domains and analyze them all at once — perfect for portfolio triage or spotting hidden gems.
✅ 5. Domain Suggestions
DotDB doesn’t just show you data — it helps you brainstorm brand directions by revealing popular prefixes/suffixes tied to your keyword.
✅ 6. Linked WHOIS Data
For active investors, DotDB links you to WHOIS lookups or potential contact leads (depending on privacy settings).
💪 Strengths of DotDB
✅ 1. Reveals True Brand Demand
Unlike GoDaddy Appraisal, DotDB shows real-world adoption — actual companies and users investing in similar names.
That’s real market validation.
✅ 2. Perfect for Brandable & AI Domains
Whether it’s NeuroFlow.ai or PromptGenie.com, DotDB helps you confirm how popular the core term already is — a strong predictor of resale potential.
✅ 3. Uncovers Naming Trends
You can identify fast-rising keywords (like “Agent,” “Prompt,” “Synth,” etc.) months before they hit mainstream valuation tools.
✅ 4. Essential for End-User Research
If multiple companies across industries are using your keyword, you’ve got a potential outbound list.
✅ 5. Data-Driven, Not Opinion-Based
No “guessing.” No inflated estimates.
Just clean, factual DNS registration data.
⚠️ Weaknesses and Limitations
No tool is perfect — here’s where DotDB has blind spots.
❌ 1. No Price Guidance
DotDB tells you how popular a name is — not how much it’s worth.
You’ll still need to cross-check sales via NameBio or appraisal tools.
❌ 2. Limited Free Access
Free users can only view a handful of results per day and can’t access registrant data.
❌ 3. Overvaluing Trendy Buzzwords
A keyword like Meta, AI, or Crypto will always show massive matches — but saturation doesn’t always mean liquidity.
❌ 4. No Traffic or SEO Data
It doesn’t show organic metrics like search volume, CPC, or backlinks — so combine it with tools like Ahrefs or Google Trends for full analysis.
❌ 5. Interface Can Feel Technical
For beginners, the dashboard can look data-heavy without clear guidance.
💡 How Pro Domainers Use DotDB
Experienced investors treat DotDB as a strategic intelligence tool, not a pricing calculator.
Here’s how they get the most out of it:
🔸 1. Validate Brandable Ideas
Before hand-registering or bidding, check if your keyword appears in 100+ extensions — that’s usually a green light.
🔸 2. Discover Emerging Niches
Search tech buzzwords weekly (Agent, Prompt, Synth, Gen, Neural, Flow) to spot what’s trending.
🔸 3. Outbound Targeting
Use the “contains” list to identify companies that already use your keyword — and pitch your better version.
🔸 4. Portfolio Cleanup
Identify weak names with zero keyword adoption across extensions — often worth dropping.
🔸 5. Compare Competing Terms
Example: compare Promptly vs Promptr vs PromptGenie — DotDB instantly shows which one dominates adoption.
🧮 Pricing and Plans
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Limited daily searches, basic stats |
| Pro | $10/mo | More results, access to WHOIS and registrant info |
| Advanced | $19/mo | Bulk search, deep analytics, full dataset access |
| Enterprise | Custom | API access, team accounts, data exports |
For serious domainers, the Pro or Advanced plan pays for itself in days — especially when doing bulk acquisitions.
🔍 Comparison: DotDB vs Other Tools
| Tool | Focus | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| DotDB | Domain usage analysis | Real-world data | No valuation |
| GoDaddy Appraisal | Estimated price | Fast, free | Often inaccurate |
| NameBio | Sales history | Real comps | Manual searching |
| EstiBot | Automated appraisal | Scalable, API | Outdated data sometimes |
DotDB doesn’t compete with these — it complements them.
It tells you market validation, not market price.
🧭 When to Use DotDB
| Use Case | Should You Use It? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluating brandables | ✅ Yes | Shows keyword demand |
| Outbound research | ✅ Yes | Reveals potential buyers |
| Pricing a domain | 🚫 No | Doesn’t show sales data |
| Spotting new trends | ✅ Yes | Great for idea generation |
| Expired domains | ✅ Yes | Quickly spot valuable keywords |
🏁 Final Verdict: Data-Driven Domaining Powerhouse
| Category | Rating (out of 5) |
|---|---|
| Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Ease of use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Trend analysis | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value for money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Pricing guidance | ⭐⭐ |
| Overall | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Verdict:
DotDB isn’t an appraisal engine — it’s a market radar.
It shows where demand already exists and what keywords the world is building brands around.
If you’re buying, selling, or brainstorming premium domains — especially in AI, SaaS, or tech — DotDB is one of the most valuable tools in your arsenal.
“GoDaddy tells you the price.
DotDB tells you the story behind it.”
⚙️ Key Takeaways
✅ Use DotDB to measure brand demand, not price.
✅ The more TLDs your keyword appears in, the higher the end-user potential.
✅ Combine DotDB data with NameBio and GoDaddy Appraisal for 360° insight.
✅ Ideal for AI, Web3, and brandable investors.
✅ Upgrade to Pro if you’re serious about outbound or bulk research.
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