Buy .ai Domain – How to Register, Regulations, and More

Buy .ai Domain – Complete Guide (2024)

Buy .ai Domain Complete Guide 2024 blog image

What Is .ai Domain?

The .ai domain is an Internet country code top-level domain, or ccTLD, for Anguilla. Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean; thus, the .ai domain is managed by its government. The .ai domain was introduced on the 16th of February, 1995.

In Which Scenarios Should You Use the .ai Domain?

As of December 2022, over 128,000 .ai domains had been registered worldwide. The .ai domain is used in Anguilla for business websites or personal websites, but it is mostly used for businesses worldwide that are in the Artificial Intelligence industry. So, you should use the .ai domain for the following:

  • Business websites for companies located in Anguilla
  • Personal websites for individuals located in Anguilla
  • Business websites for companies that operate in the Artificial Intelligence industry

Regulations

The .ai domain falls under the jurisdiction of Anguilla and is managed by “WHOIS.AI.” As of the 16th of February 1995, the .ai domain became available for registration to both local and foreign residents. So, unlike other domains, the .ai domain does not come with specific requirements or rules that you need to follow. Anyone can register such a domain, with the minimum registration period being two years.

However, even though regulations surrounding the .ai domain name are nonexistent, it can still be revoked if the .ai domain is used for illegal activity. So, when using your .ai domain name, make sure you comply with the laws of Anguilla.

Domains like .ai are easy to snatch up, and consequently, many popular .ai domains are in the hands of domain flippers. Also, domain flippers can easily get their hands on popular domain names that have recently expired and then ask you to pay them to bring your domain back, even though you’re the owner of that domain.

For example, an older man a few years ago did not renew his domain in a timely manner, and a domain flipper immediately got it from under him. The domain had been in the older man’s ownership for over ten years, so he contacted the flipper, offered $500, and got his domain back.

To avoid such unfortunate situations (cause not all domain flippers are this nice), make sure that you renew your domain immediately after it expires.

How to Register .ai Domain?

Registering .ai domains is quite straightforward as there are no requirements to fulfill or rules to follow. All you need to do is come up with a name for your domain, find a suitable domain registrar, check the availability of your domain name via Whois Lookup, and purchase it. Find a step-by-step guide below.

Steps on How to Register .ai Domain

It’s important to mention that not all domain registrars offer .ai domain names. So, make sure to find a reliable provider that does.

  1. Pick an appropriate domain registrar
  2. Enter your domain, add it to your cart, and buy it
  3. Ensure that your domain name is secure by getting Domain Privacy add-ons and other robust DNS-related features or services that your registrar offers
Note
If the .ai domain name you want isn’t available, you can try using second-level .ai domains, such as off.ai, org.ai, com.ai, etc.

Our Recommended Places to Register

Our top .ai domain name registrars include the following:

GoDaddy – GoDaddy is one of the best domain name registrars in the world. All .ai domain names come with free Privacy Protection forever, and you can also find a creative domain name via the GoDaddy domain name generator.

Namecheap – Namecheap is another popular domain name registrar that includes a free domain privacy subscription with every .ai registration or transfer. Also, you’ll get a free SSL certificate for the first year.

IONOS – IONOS also offers .ai domain names, which come with a free Wildcard SSL certificate, free private registration, and 2GB of email storage for free.

You can get a .ai domain name for as low as $68.18/year and as high as $220/year. However, like with many other domains, .ai domains are also subject to price hacks, meaning that they’re cheaper at the beginning but more expensive at renewal.

Perfect Partners for Your .ai Domain

Hosting – no matter which domain name you use, you need web hosting to get your website online. You can choose from thousands of web hosts to do so, and you can find the best ones here.

SSL Protection – SSL protection is a must if you want to rank higher on search engines. Also, it’s essential for websites that sell products directly to customers.

Premium DNS – With a premium DNS service, you’ll protect your site from online attacks and data leaks.

Private Email – Private emails allow you to look more professional, which means that you’ll be able to establish trust with your clients and stakeholders more easily.

Domain Information for .ai

TLDAI
TypeccTLD
Minimum Registration Period2 years
Maximum Registration Period10 years
Minimum Renewal Period2 years
Maximum Renewal Period10 years
Is Domain Privacy SupportedYES
Are IDN Domains SupportedNO
Is RegistrarLock SupportedNO
Is DNSSEC Supported NO
ICANN fee$0.18

Popular .ai Domains

Here are some of the most popular .ai domains:

  • character.ai (Ahrefs rank: 68) – character.ai is a website that lets you create characters and talk to them.
  • beacons.ai (Ahrefs rank: 84) – beacons.ai offers a suite of products for creators.
  • google.com.ai (Ahrefs rank: 74) – google.com.ai is Google’s research division that offers free open-source services and products.

.ai Domain Alternatives

.com – .com is the world’s most popular and recognized domain name.

.net – Use .net, the second most popular domain name, as an alternative for your .ai site.

.org – The third most common extension, .org, is another great choice for your website.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the .ai domain name launched?

The .ai domain name was launched on the 16th of February 1995 as the top-level domain for Anguilla, which is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean.

How long can my .ai domain name be?

.ai domains can be anywhere between 2 and 63 characters long. You can use A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and hyphens for your .ai domain.

What are .ai domains mostly used for?

The most popular use case for .ai domains is for businesses in the artificial intelligence sector. However, local businesses and individuals from Anguilla use them as well.

What is the most expensive .ai domain name?

The most expensive .ai domain name at the moment is Expert.ai, which was sold for $108,000. Other honorable mentions include Music.ai (sold for $101,500) and Analytics.ai (sold for $50,000).

What makes .ai domains so expensive?

.ai domains are on the pricier side of the spectrum because they’re short and memorable. Also, as AI progresses, more and more companies get into it and look for unique .ai domains, which, in turn, boosts their price.

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