AI boosts domain values as trust becomes key online

Name.com has published a survey on how artificial intelligence is reshaping digital creation and domain values. It found that 77% of respondents expect strong domain names to rise in value.

According to the research, AI tools are reducing the time, cost and expertise needed to build websites and software. That is increasing the number of digital products launched by individuals and small teams. The report argues this is shifting value away from software code and towards digital identity, with domains carrying more weight as markers of ownership and trust.

The survey covered 1,120 decision-makers in the US and the UK who manage domains, websites or digital products. It was conducted with a third-party research firm and supplemented by one-to-one interviews with 12 people working in AI, domains and internet culture.

The results point to an online environment in which AI systems play a larger role in how users find information. Among respondents, 40% expect keyword-rich domains to perform best in AI-generated results, while 19% believe descriptive industry top-level domains will outperform traditional extensions.

That shift sits alongside concern about trust online. The study found that 65% of respondents trust websites recommended by AI systems, yet 30% identified misinformation and fake sites as a leading concern.

Changing signals

Name.com said the findings reflect what it calls the rise of the "Agentic Web", where AI agents and generative interfaces increasingly shape discovery on the internet. In that environment, domain names are becoming less of a simple web address and more of a signal of legitimacy in a crowded market of rapidly produced sites and services.

The company also pointed to changes in registration trends on its platform. .dev registrations rose eightfold in 2025, while .app, .code and .software also grew, which Name.com linked to demand for domains that signal purpose and technical identity.

Sammy Ahmed, Vice President and General Manager at Name.com, said the data showed a shift in how builders present themselves online. "As development becomes more accessible, a new wave of founders and builders are launching products and choosing domain extensions that reflect their purpose," Ahmed said. "In a world where anyone can publish instantly, domain names are becoming critical signals of trust and identity."

The report places that trend in the context of broader shifts in web use over recent years. Search engines and social platforms have long shaped online visibility, but AI interfaces are now joining them as another layer through which users discover and assess websites, products and information.

Kobi Gamiliel, Vice President of Partnerships & AI Ecosystem at Wix, said businesses need identities that hold up across those channels. "The way we interact with the internet is undergoing yet another transformative expansion. Search, social and now AI are all key drivers of information and innovation," Gamiliel said. "Success today means ensuring your digital identity is robust enough to serve as a beacon of trust across all these evolving discovery channels."

Value shift

The findings come as AI-assisted coding tools and website builders widen access to digital product creation. As barriers to entry fall, more founders and small operators can launch services with limited technical resources. But the resulting increase in content and products also makes differentiation harder.

For domain providers, that supports the argument that names and extensions may gain strategic importance as supply rises elsewhere. If software and websites become easier to reproduce, scarcity may lie more in recognisable and credible digital identities than in the underlying code itself.

The survey suggests respondents are already leaning that way. A large majority expect stronger domains to appreciate in value as AI changes how products are built and discovered. Many also expect domain structure and wording to influence how AI systems surface results.

At the same time, the trust figures underline a tension in the market. Users may increasingly accept AI recommendations, but concern about false or misleading websites remains significant. That could favour domain strategies that make identity and relevance clearer at a glance.

The research was conducted jointly by Name.com and Identity Digital, and respondents were predominantly Millennial and Generation X decision-makers. The report concludes that domain names are becoming a stable reference point for control, identity and credibility as digital systems evolve.