| Tag | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ftxt | Short human-readable note | Call for info. |
| furi | Web page, email address or phone number | https://example.com/domain-sale |
| fval | Asking price and currency | USD750 |
| fcod | A code understood by a registry or marketplace | Provider-defined value |
Registered no longer has to mean unavailable
Domain searches normally answer one question: is this name registered? That leaves a large part of the market invisible. A name can be registered, in active use and still available to buy if its holder receives the right offer.
RFC 10023 adds a simple public sign to DNS. The holder creates TXT records at _for-sale followed by the domain name. A valid record begins with v=FORSALE1; and can stand alone or publish a short message, a contact address, a sale page or an asking price.
The website and email can keep working
Today, many sellers replace the homepage with a parking page to show that a domain is for sale. The DNS signal does not require that trade-off. The original website, email and other services can continue running while the sale notice is available to domain search tools and interested buyers.
The holder also keeps control of the signal. Removing the records turns it off, and changing them updates the contact route or asking price without waiting for every marketplace to refresh its listing.
A shared discovery layer for the aftermarket
Domain sale listings are scattered across parking pages, brokers and marketplaces. The new record gives registrars, search tools and marketplaces one owner-controlled place to check. A search result could distinguish “registered” from “registered and explicitly for sale” instead of ending the conversation at the first status.
That can make the aftermarket easier to discover without forcing a holder to depend on one marketplace. Different services can still compete on search, negotiation, payment, escrow and transfer while reading the same owner-published sale signal.
It is a sign, not a completed transaction
RFC 10023 is an informational IETF publication, not a mandatory Internet standard. Publishing a record does not oblige the holder to sell, and an asking price in DNS is not a binding checkout price. Buyers still need to verify who controls the domain and use a safe payment and transfer process.
The contents also deserve the same caution as any public link or contact detail. A sale page could be malicious, an old price could remain in DNS, and a public email address may attract spam. Automated systems should display the information, not make a purchase commitment from it.
The early debate is about consequences, not DNS syntax
The first public discussion quickly split in two. Supporters see a cleaner way to discover domains whose owners actually want offers. Critics expect easier bulk scanning, more spam and another advantage for domain investors. Both outcomes are plausible: the record makes sale intent easier to find, but it does not decide who will use that information or how responsibly a search product will present it.
Trademark disputes are the sharper concern. Publishing a sale record does not automatically decide a UDRP complaint; the complainant still has to prove all three required elements, including bad-faith registration and use. ICANN's policy does, however, list acquisition primarily to sell a name to a trademark owner or competitor for more than documented costs as possible evidence of bad faith. Holders of names that overlap trademarks should get appropriate legal advice before publishing a sale signal.
What this could change in domain search
For a comparison service, availability is no longer only a green or red answer. A third useful state becomes possible: registered, but offered for sale by the party controlling its DNS. That is much more helpful to someone searching for a specific brand name.
Adoption will decide how useful the convention becomes. Registrars and DNS providers can make it practical by adding a simple “list this domain for sale” control, while search products can surface the signal without pretending that it guarantees a deal.