Domain investors and end users alike are frustrated with GoDaddy’s domain search tool — and for good reason.

Recently, investor Nikul Sanghvi posted a video on X showing that GoDaddy often lists domains as “available” when they’re clearly already registered. For example, a search for fusion showed that fusion.com was taken, but GoDaddy suggested other extensions such as fusion.io and fusion.tv — both of which are also registered.

It’s not an isolated case. Searching for candy.com results in “great alternatives” like candy.io and candy.tv, despite both being unavailable. Worse still, one user noted that searching for megaverse prompted GoDaddy to suggest registering metaverse.com — which is obviously taken.

Why This is a Problem

It appears GoDaddy is relying on cached availability data rather than real-time checks. While this speeds up results, it undermines credibility when customers attempt to register domains only to find out they aren’t available.

This isn’t just an inconvenience; it erodes trust. Many users mistakenly believe registrars or third parties are “front-running” — snapping up domains after they’re searched. GoDaddy has even added a disclaimer stating it does not engage in front-running. Yet, the inaccurate search results only fuel this suspicion.

The Bigger Picture

For casual users, this poor experience could drive them away from registering domains altogether. For investors, it creates unnecessary friction and skepticism about the industry.

GoDaddy has invested in technology to reassure users it isn’t front-running. Now it needs to apply the same focus to fixing its search availability checks. Doing so will not only help its own customers but also protect the reputation of the entire domain industry.