name.com, the domain platform that makes building simple at any scale, today released The Empowered Builder: Digital Identity in the Age of AI, a report revealing how AI is fundamentally changing the way people discover, evaluate, and trust information online. It finds that a domain is one of the most important ways to establish authority and control in an AI-first internet. The report finds that AI is significantly lowering the time, cost, and expertise required to build software and websites, fueling rapid growth in new digital products and enabling a new wave of independent builders.
In an environment where Agentic AI accelerates digital creation and serves as the search interface, the report validates a broader shift in value from code to identity. Domain names are emerging as a critical asset, helping builders recognize, validate, and trust digital properties in a rapidly expanding content landscape.
Key Findings
- Rising Importance of Domains: 77% of respondents expect strong domain names to increase in value as AI reshapes how products are built and discovered.
- AI-Driven Discovery: 40% expect keyword-rich domains to perform best in AI-generated results, while 19% believe descriptive industry TLDs will outperform traditional extensions.
- Trust and Credibility Gap: 65% trust AI-recommended sites, yet 30% cite misinformation and fake sites as a top concern, reinforcing domains as a key trust layer online.
AI is transforming not only who can build, but how quickly ideas move from concept to product. Individuals and small teams can now launch digital businesses at near-zero marginal cost, driving an expansion of online products and experimentation. As a result, value is shifting from the software itself to the domain name.
This shift is already visible in domain adoption trends. In 2025, name.com .dev registrations surged 8x, while .app, .codes, and .software also saw strong growth, reflecting rising demand for domains that signal intent, expertise, and technical credibility.
“As development becomes more accessible, a new wave of founders and builders are launching products and choosing domain extensions that reflect their purpose,” said Sammy Ahmed, VP and General Manager at name.com. “In a world where anyone can publish instantly, domain names are becoming critical signals of trust and identity.”
The Rise of the Agentic Web
The report frames these changes within the emergence of the Agentic Web, where AI agents and generative interfaces increasingly shape how information is discovered, replacing traditional search and social-first behaviors.
“The way we interact with the internet is undergoing yet another transformative expansion. Search, social and now AI are all key drivers of information and innovation,” said Kobi Gamiliel, VP of Partnerships & AI Ecosystem at Wix. “Success today means ensuring your digital identity is robust enough to serve as a beacon of trust across all these evolving discovery channels.”
As content becomes easier to generate and replicate, the report highlights growing demand for stable markers of authenticity. Domain names are increasingly serving this role, acting as a consistent layer of control, identity, and credibility across rapidly evolving digital systems.
Explore the full findings and learn how AI is reshaping digital identity at name.com.
Research Methodology
Research findings are based on a survey and 1:1 interviews in partnership with a third party research firm. The survey included 1,120 decision-makers across the US and the UK who actively manage domains, websites, or digital products. Respondents were predominantly Millennial (53%) and Gen X (24%). The 1:1 interviews consisted of 12 thought leaders in the AI, domains, and internet culture spaces. Research was conducted jointly by name.com and Identity Digital.
About name.com
name.com is the domain platform that makes building simple at any scale, serving entrepreneurs, developers, and business leaders. As the first AI-native registrar, name.com is modernizing domains for the era of agentic AI with a simple, fast, and modern domain API. name.com also offers an all-in-one launchpad for small businesses, enables development teams to integrate domains in days, not months, and helps creators manage their entire online presence with transparency and confidence. In 2025, name.com was listed as a Best Domain Registrar by TechRadar. Visit www.name.com for more information.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260527394760/en/
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