Every domain name starts with an idea. And at GoDaddy, we help people take that step millions of times a year. So when we look at all of those domain decisions together, the patterns are fascinating.
We've compiled our 2025 domain name registration data to see what's trending, what's shifting, and what it all says about where entrepreneurship is headed.
Interested? Let's get into it.
Where the world's domains come from
The global domain market is more concentrated than you might think. Just five countries account for nearly 70% of all registrations.
The United States leads by a wide margin at 41.77% of global registrations, meaning nearly half the world's new domains originate from American entrepreneurs and businesses. India comes in second at 9.54%, followed by China (8.24%), the United Kingdom (6.40%), and Canada (3.73%).
In practice, this means "global" domain trends are heavily influenced by what Americans do. And, as we'll see, American domain preferences don't always match the rest of the world.
.com still owns half the internet
Some things don't change. .com domain names capture 50.25% of all domain registrations worldwide — more than the next 14 extensions combined.
In the United States, the .com preference is even stronger: nearly 65% of all U.S. registrations are .com domains.
But globally, the picture is more nuanced. The .com dominance varies wildly depending on where you are:
- United States: 64.98%
- Canada: 46.16%
- India: 45.96%
- United Kingdom: 36.68%
- China: 20.41%
That gap between 65% in the U.S. and 20% in China tells us that the further you go from the American market, the less you can assume a .com domain is the norm.
A closer look at the U.S. market
Since the United States drives over 40% of global registrations, it's worth taking a closer look at what American business owners are actually choosing.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the top five domain extensions registered in the United States:
What about the extensions that don't show up prominently in U.S. data? Budget top-level domains (TLDs) like .top and .vip that tend to be popular in other countries are virtually invisible in the United States. American registrants tend to pay more for extensions they perceive as trustworthy rather than hunt for the cheapest option available.
The weekly rhythm of U.S. registrations is also distinctive. Wednesday is the peak day at 16.8% of weekly volume, and weekends drop 35% below the weekday average. This is the steepest decline of any major market that we track. American domain registration is overwhelmingly a weekday, working-hours activity.
Seasonal patterns follow the business calendar, too. February sees a surge as businesses shake off the holiday slowdown and get moving on New Year plans. Mid-November picks up as Q4 kicks into high gear. And there's a notable spike around Presidents' Day week, suggesting that a long weekend gives entrepreneurs just enough breathing room to finally act on the business idea they've been sitting on.
Local domain extensions reign outside the U.S.
In much of the world, country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) are top choices:
- In the United Kingdom, the .co.uk ccTLD is 35.89% of registrations, which is nearly tied with .com at 36.68%. Add in the .uk extension, and these local domain extensions account for over 41% of all domains registered in the United Kingdom.
- For India, the .in extension alone captures 24.91% of Indian registrations. Add .co.in, and you're at nearly 32%, meaning almost one in three Indian domains is a ccTLD.
- Canada follows the pattern too, with .ca coming in at 34.78%.
So, what is the data showing us? If your business serves customers in a specific country outside the U.S., pairing a .com with a local extension can be a strategic move, as ccTLDs are the norm outside of the United States.
.ai was the breakout extension of 2025
Over 2025, .ai registrations grew 62.6% year-over-year, pushing the extension from #18 to #14 in the global rankings. And the growth wasn't driven by a few large buyers either. Total registrations and daily average registrations grew at nearly identical rates, which tells us this was a broad, sustained demand from thousands of individual businesses.
The United States is the main driver of the .ai boom, accounting for over 60% of all .ai registrations globally. Nearly 2% of all U.S. domain registrations are now .ai, which is a remarkable share for a relatively young extension.
The UK (6.3%), India (5.2%), and Canada (3.7%) round out the top markets for .ai registrations. One notable outlier: China accounts for less than 2% of .ai registrations despite being home to one of the world's most active AI industries.
The likely reason? Price. .ai domains cost significantly more than China's preferred budget extensions, and in a price-sensitive market, that gap matters.
Perhaps the most interesting .ai insight is when people register them. Peak registration day is Tuesday. Weekend activity drops 31% below the weekday average. Peak months are July and August, with August showing 83% year-over-year growth.
Whether .ai makes sense for your business depends on what you do. If you're building AI-powered products or positioning yourself in the tech space, it's becoming an increasingly popular choice.
China's domain market operates by its own rules
Every other major market in the world has .com at #1. China doesn't. In China, .top leads at 22%, followed by .com at 20.41%, and .vip at 20.12%. Together, .top and .vip outpace .com by a significant margin.
This is likely due to:
- Price: .top domains typically cost $1–3 per year compared to $10+ for .com. When you're a small business owner registering multiple domains, that difference adds up fast.
- Availability: Newer extensions offer more options, including short numeric domains that hold particular value in Chinese business culture.
- Cultural fit: .vip carries a prestige signal that resonates strongly in China's business environment. This nuance wouldn't translate the same way in Western markets.
China is also the only major market where weekend domain registration activity barely dips at all. It’s just 15% below weekdays, compared to 35% in the United States. Domain decisions in China are spread much more evenly across the week.
Mid-week domain registrations are most common
One of the most revealing patterns in the data isn't what people register, but when.
Globally, 48.7% of all domain registrations happen Tuesday through Thursday. Wednesday edges out the rest as the single busiest day at 16.4%, with Thursday and Tuesday close behind.
Weekends tell the opposite story. Saturday and Sunday combined account for just 21.5% of weekly registrations. In the U.S., weekend activity drops a full 35% below the weekday average, which is the steepest decline of any major market.
The pattern holds across regions, with some interesting local flavor:
- United States, India, Canada: Peak day is Wednesday
- United Kingdom: Peak day is Tuesday (the only major market where that's the case)
- China: Peak day is Thursday
Seasonal patterns follow business rhythms, too. The biggest global registration days in 2025 cluster around quarter-ends (late June, late September), pre-holiday periods (mid-November before Black Friday, mid-December before Christmas), and post-holiday restarts (late August, early February).
In other words, domain registrations track with business planning cycles. People register domains when they're in "building mode.”
Ecommerce extensions are becoming mainstream
A few years ago, extensions like .shop and .store felt experimental. Our 2025 data shows that they're growing in popularity.
The .shop extension ranks #4 globally at 2.82% of all registrations. And .store sits at #11 with 1.93%. Together, they represent millions of business owners choosing an extension that immediately tells customers what their website is all about.
What does this data mean for your business?
The domain landscape ahead in 2026 is more diverse and more strategic than ever. Here's a quick summary and a few additional tips to help you choose the best extension for your website:
- .com is still your foundation. At 50% of global registrations and 65% in the U.S., it remains the extension customers trust most instinctively.
- One domain often isn't enough. Businesses targeting the UK, Canada, or India should seriously consider pairing a .com with a local extension.
- .ai is having a real moment. If your business focuses on artificial intelligence or you want to position yourself in the tech space, .ai has moved from a novelty to a credible choice.
- Ecommerce has its own lane. If you're selling online, .shop and .store carry real recognition. They're established domain extensions with millions of users.
- Timing matters more than you'd think. Most domain registrations happen midweek during business hours. If you're worried about competition for a name you want, don't wait until the weekend to search.
Your next domain is out there. And based on what we're seeing from our 2025 data, you have more options than ever before.
