New DNS Standard Allows Domain Owners to Signal Sale Intent Without Disrupting Traffic
By utilising a reserved subdomain and TXT records, the convention addresses communication gaps in the domain market, offering a low-cost verification method that distinguishes genuine sale intent from domain parking.
A new convention defined by RFC 10023 enables domain owners to signal that a registered domain is available for purchase without disrupting active web or email services. Published as an informational document in July 2026 and registered with IANA, the standard reserves the `_for-sale` leaf node name within the DNS hierarchy. This allows owners to publish a TXT record at a subdomain such as `_for-sale.example.com`, effectively advertising availability to brokers and automated availability services while the primary domain remains live and functional.
The mechanism is designed to operate alongside an active website, ensuring that the homepage continues to serve content and mail services remain uninterrupted. Unlike domain parking, which replaces a live site with a sales page and incurs costs per visitor, this approach leaves the existing infrastructure untouched. The DNS record is invisible to standard web browsers, meaning human visitors will not encounter the sale signal, while the record can be added or removed at the owner’s discretion.
This technical solution addresses a significant gap in the domain market where existing protocols fall short. While WHOIS and RDAP data indicate whether a name is registered, they do not reveal if the owner is willing to sell. Furthermore, privacy redaction often obscures contact details, making cold emailing ineffective and resulting in enquiries that are indistinguishable from spam. The new convention provides a channel for owners to signal intent to parties who can act on it, bypassing the noise of untargeted outreach.
Brokers and automated services are the primary audience for this signal, as they already perform DNS lookups as part of their verification processes. Adding a single TXT record lookup is a low-cost method for these entities to determine if a domain is negotiable. The record structure includes a mandatory version tag followed by at most one `tag=value` pair, providing a concise and externally checkable assertion of sale intent that a rendered homepage cannot offer.
To ensure the integrity of this signal, the source material recommends signing the DNS zone with DNSSEC to prevent forgery. An unsigned TXT record asserting sale intent, price, and contact information could be easily fabricated by third parties. The specification explicitly notes that the hosting site, specification.website, does not utilise this record and is not for sale, underscoring the voluntary nature of the convention.
