What is a Parked Domain?
So you registered the perfect domain name… but now you don’t know what to do with it or you don’t have a site to match. If you don’t want to spend the money to host your domain on its own IP address, you can “park” it on an already functioning domain’s IP address.
How Does It Work?
A parked domain is a registered domain name that you have placed on the same IP address as another domain. For those of you familiar with IP hosting, this may sound very similar to sharing an IP address. However, a parked domain does not share the IP address; it instead redirects all traffic from the parked domain to the primary domain. So, if you were to visit your parked domain, you would end up on the primary domain’s homepage.
You can think of it like a truck towing a car. The truck (primary domain) is fully up and running, while the towed vehicle (parked domain) is being pulled along. However, both vehicles will reach the same destination, even though the towed vehicle isn’t actually running. The primary domain still functions, while the parked domain only sends visitors to the functioning primary domain.
Why Would I Want to Park a Domain?
There are many different reasons why you may want to park a domain.
You don’t want to use it right away. Registering the perfect domain is only one step of the journey. If you want to save the parked domain for later, parking the domain is the way to do it. This way, if anyone tries to visit it, they will be rerouted to your primary domain’s site.
You don’t have a website ready yet. If the website is still under maintenance, it is common to park the domain until its own site is ready. That way, you don’t have to pay for a dedicated IP address before there is a functional site.
No longer need the website. If you no longer want the website up and are waiting for the domain to expire, an easy solution is to park it. That way, the site is removed and the domain will be inaccessible until it expires.
You have more than one domain that should lead to a primary domain. If you were to register other domains that should lead to your primary domain – such as common misspellings of your primary domain – you could park these domains on your primary domain. That way, anyone who enters these domain names will be automatically sent to the primary domain.
You’re holding the domain name to sell it. Some people will buy domains, then sell them at a higher price. You can park domains you want to sell on the site where customers can purchase the domain name from you. For example, if you have a site that hosts a commerce page that allows them to purchase the domains, you could park your domain there, allowing them to easily purchase the domain.
How Do I Park a Domain?
How do you park a domain? Simple. You can do it on your hosting platform or registrar. With pair Networks, and on some registrars, domain parking for domains you own is absolutely free. If you’re trying to resell domain names, there are also third parties that will allow you to park your domain if you give them a percentage of your sale.
What to Remember about Parked Domains
Domain parking can be utilized in many different ways, from holding a domain until its site is ready or reselling. By parking a domain onto another domain, you can cut hosting costs for a domain you don’t want to use. Whether you’re just starting a site or waiting for your domain to expire, domain parking is an option to remember. Especially if you host with pair Networks – parking a domain you own is free with us!
