How to research, buy, and sell .ai and .si domains

Research domains ending in .ai and .si, find a strong name, buy it, and put it in front of potential buyers. The main low-budget workflow is to research .ai naming ideas and buy a suitable .si alternative. This guide walks through that process with a small test budget, reported sales, and the checks to do before spending money.

Checked October 6, 2026. Prices, marketplace rules, and domain availability can change. Source numbers below match the clickable references at the end.

About engine.ai: At the time of research, engine.ai was a domain-for-sale page, not a domain research engine [1]. This guide uses NameBio, marketplace searches, and registrar searches instead. If you meant another tool, use its suggestions in the same research process; verify availability at the registrar before buying.

1. Understand the strategy

A domain is the address, such as example.si. You register the right to use it for a set period, keep it renewed, and can transfer that right to a buyer. A registrar manages the registration. A marketplace advertises the name and handles the sale.

The idea: Find generic words or original names that make sense for an AI product, check the same word with .si, and buy only if there is a plausible buyer and acceptable holding cost. You do not need to own the .ai version first.

.si is Slovenia’s country-code extension. Some buyers also interpret SI as “superintelligence”; that is a branding angle, not a guarantee that it will replace .ai. International registration is available [2, 3].

An expensive .ai listing does not establish the value of its .si counterpart. Neither an automated appraisal nor a crowded trend creates a buyer. Treat this as a speculative resale project: the domain may never sell, and renewals continue while you hold it.

Start small: Research 20–30 candidates, shortlist five, and register one to three. Decide your spending limit and renewal limit before checkout. You are testing demand, not collecting every available word.

2. Social proof: reported .si sales

These examples show that people have sold .si domains. They do not establish typical returns or verify the exact “find a .ai name, buy its .si twin, flip it” method.

• Recursive.si — reported sale of $20,000. Dynadot identifies the buyer as Recursive, a superintelligence company. Domain Name Wire also examined the transaction and buyer [3, 4]. A name with a clear use for an actual business can find an end user.
• Otherwise.si — reported sale of $18,888 on September 24, 2026. Dynadot’s September roundup reports this transaction [5]. A recognizable English word can sell on this extension, though one transaction cannot tell you what another word will achieve.
• Military.si — reported sale of $1,795. Dynadot identifies the buyer as the company behind Militaria.pl [3]. This example also shows demand can come from ordinary business use, beyond AI branding.

What the reports do not show: the sellers’ purchase prices, renewal expenses, commission, taxes, hours spent, or full portfolio losses. Sale price is gross revenue, not net profit. Seller identities and complete financial results are not disclosed in these sources.

There is also a useful reality check: Domain Name Wire’s June 2026 review found investors drove nearly all the recorded .si transactions it examined [4]. Investor-to-investor sales are a different demand signal from businesses buying names to use. Track both separately.

Save each comparable sale with its source, date, extension, price, venue if disclosed, and buyer type if known. Ignore “for sale at $50,000” screenshots as proof of earnings.

3. Research .ai names and build your shortlist

Find words with a real use

Begin with a product category you understand: scheduling, workflow automation, voice tools, analytics, developer tools, or customer support. Write down the job a buyer would want the name to communicate.

Use NameBio to research reported domain sales [6]. Look for the extension or TLD filter, choose .ai, and try relevant keywords. Then research .si separately. Where the interface allows, compare date ranges, name length, and venues. Some searches or history may require an account or paid access; do not buy a subscription before checking what you can access.

Browse marketplace listings for both .ai and .si to learn naming patterns. On Dynadot’s marketplace, use the search and available extension filters to compare domains for sale [17]; try the same generic keyword under each ending. On Sedo, search the keyword and narrow results by extension. Record the asking price and listing URL, but do not assume the name has sold. Label each observation completed sale, asking price, or active business. These are different kinds of evidence. An active business may validate a category, but its distinctive name is not a name to copy.

Prefer clear generic terms and original combinations. Examples such as “workflow,” “forecast,” or “voice” illustrate categories only; their .si versions are not recommendations or claims of availability.

Ask who would buy the name

For each candidate, write a sentence: “This could suit a [type of business] offering [specific product].” Then identify at least three independent potential uses or buyer groups. A name that only makes sense as an imitation of one company should leave your shortlist.

Search the exact word and likely spelling variations. Review existing businesses and trademark records in the markets you would target. Check USPTO Trademark Search, EUIPO, and WIPO’s Global Brand Database [7–9]. A clean search is not legal clearance: avoid distinctive company names, product names, misspellings of brands, and names whose only value is another owner’s reputation. .si has its own dispute rules [10].

Look at historical website use with the Wayback Machine [11], search the full candidate domain in quotes, and check for previous spam or misleading uses. No archived page does not prove a clean history.

Use a simple decision score

Give one point for each item:

• Easy to say, spell, and remember.
• Clear product meaning or an original brand idea.
• At least three plausible independent uses or buyer groups.
• Relevant completed sales, ideally on .si.
• Purchase and renewal costs fit your test budget.

Four or five points earns further review; it does not estimate market value. Skip any candidate with unresolved brand conflict, regardless of score.

4. Check .si availability and buy the domain

Open the official Register.si lookup [2] and search the exact domain. A missing website is not proof of availability. Confirm the result in a registrar’s checkout because a name can be registered or reserved without loading a page.

For a straightforward starting path, compare Dynadot’s .si offering [12] with other registrars on Register.si’s official list. On October 6, 2026, Dynadot’s page displayed $12 registration and $13.46 renewal in USD. These are a dated reference, not a promised checkout price. Confirm taxes, currency, special pricing, and the term before paying.

Before buying, confirm that your chosen marketplace currently accepts .si listings and can complete the ownership transfer. A registrar supporting registration does not automatically mean every marketplace feature supports that extension. Dynadot explicitly says marketplace support varies by TLD [13].

1. Create the registrar account, use a unique password, and turn on two-factor authentication.
2. Search the exact spelling plus .si. Check every character in the cart.
3. Choose the initial term, usually one year for a small test. Review the renewal price and any account-specific transfer or sale restrictions.
4. Enter your own accurate holder details and an email address you control. Complete the verification requested by the registrar.
5. Remove optional hosting, email, and website-builder products unless you actually need them. Reselling a bare domain does not require a full website.
6. Pay only within your planned budget. Save the receipt and registration confirmation.
7. Verify that the domain appears in your account. Record expiry and set renewal reminders, for example 60 and 30 days ahead. Decide deliberately whether to enable automatic renewal.

Register.si requires accurate holder information and a working contact email. New ownership and registrar changes are distinct processes, managed through your registrar [2]. Ask about both before assuming a sale can close immediately.

If you want to buy and resell .ai too

The same shortlist, brand checks, buyer research, and marketplace process apply, but check .ai costs separately. Dynadot’s .ai page displayed $85.60 per year on October 6, 2026 and stated a two-year minimum registration and renewal term [18]. That makes the ordinary two-year registration $171.20 at the displayed rate before taxes, rather than a $12 .si test. Premium names can cost more. Confirm the actual term and checkout total.

An already-owned .ai or .si domain listed for sale is an aftermarket purchase, not a fresh registration at the basic price. If you buy one, review the negotiated or fixed price, transfer charges, remaining registration term, renewal cost, and transaction protection. Complete payment through the marketplace, then confirm ownership in your registrar account before listing it again.

You can choose .ai, .si, or both; value each exact name and extension on its own evidence. Do not buy a pair just because both versions are available.

5. Price for the market and calculate your costs

Find several completed sales with similar words, length, extension, and buyer use. Recent .si retail sales are more relevant than an unrelated .com record. Auction prices paid by investors may represent wholesale demand. Asking prices and AI appraisals are secondary context.

Set two numbers privately: your public asking price and the lowest net amount you would accept. Account for purchase cost, renewals, selling fees, payout fees, and any advertising. If comparable .si data is thin, acknowledge that uncertainty and avoid treating .ai sale prices as interchangeable.

Net result before tax = sale price − marketplace commission − acquisition cost − renewals − other fees. Your time is a separate economic cost.

One-domain illustration

Using the dated $12 registration and $13.46 renewal figures above, imagine a sale for $500 after one renewal on a marketplace charging 10%. The result would be $500 − $50 − $12 − $13.46 = $424.54 before tax, other fees, and your time. The $500 sale is hypothetical; this is arithmetic, not an earnings forecast.

Why the whole portfolio matters

Ten domains at those prices cost $120 initially and another $134.60 to renew once: $254.60 total. If one sells for $100 with a 10% fee and nine remain unsold, the portfolio result is $90 − $254.60 = a $164.60 loss before other costs. The unsold names may have future value, but they have not produced revenue.

To estimate a portfolio break-even sale price, divide total portfolio costs plus fixed sale fees by one minus the percentage commission. For $254.60 in costs and a 10% commission, one sale needs about $282.89 just to cover those costs. Use actual fees in your own calculation.

6. List it on a domain marketplace

“Hosting it on a marketplace” usually means listing the domain and connecting a for-sale landing page. The marketplace provides the sale page; your registrar continues managing the registration. You can list first and configure the landing page afterward.

Option A: Dynadot listing and sale page

Confirm .si eligibility with Dynadot first. Its published help lists a 10% marketplace commission and no listing fee; verify payout eligibility and current terms before relying on that figure [13, 14].

For an eligible .ai or .si domain held at Dynadot:

1. Sign in and open My Domains → Manage Domains.
2. Select your domain, choose Sell Domain, and select Marketplace.
3. Enter the available pricing option and your asking price. Add a concise, accurate description of possible uses without inventing traffic or revenue.
4. Review Display and the for-sale landing-page setting, then save.
5. Open the domain in a private browser window and confirm it shows the correct spelling, price, and purchase or inquiry flow.

To configure the landing page separately, its documented route is Manage Domains → DNS Settings → For Sale Landing Page, followed by pricing and display settings [13]. Changing DNS affects any existing website or email, so use a newly registered resale name for this first test.

If the domain is registered elsewhere, Dynadot’s Open Marketplace process requires adding it and verifying ownership before listing [15]. Follow its current instructions for the requested DNS record or nameserver configuration. Do not substitute guessed values. Confirm .si can complete that external-domain sale route.

Option B: Sedo

Sedo’s published price list includes .si [16]. Add the domain, complete ownership verification, choose a supported price format, and follow the current instructions to activate its sales lander if desired. Check acceptance and transfer requirements for your exact name.

The listed commissions are 10% for qualifying direct marketplace fixed-price sales using Sedo parking or a sales lander, 15% for other qualifying marketplace sales, and 20% through SedoMLS, with applicable fees and taxes to check [16]. A 10% rate is conditional, so budget for the channel your sale actually uses.

Start with one marketplace and a working lander. If you later cross-list, keep prices consistent and remove all other listings immediately after a sale. Two binding purchases of the same domain can create a serious problem.

7. Put the name in front of buyers

A listing gives buyers somewhere to transact. It does not guarantee anyone will discover the domain or make an offer.

Write a short description grounded in use: “A concise name suitable for a voice-tool project or speech-analysis product.” Avoid claiming an established audience, search traffic, business revenue, or trademark rights you do not have.

You can share the actual listing with relevant communities where domain promotion is allowed. If you choose individual outreach, focus on independently suitable buyers and follow the rules for commercial messages in your location and theirs. Do not imply affiliation with an existing brand or pressure a trademark owner to buy a confusingly similar domain.

Track genuine inquiries, offers, and completed payouts. Landing-page views can include bots. An email offering your asking price is not a completed sale.

8. Close the sale and receive the money

1. Negotiate within the marketplace and agree on a price that clears your private net minimum.
2. Check the transaction in your account. Wait for the marketplace’s confirmation that funds are secured; do not act on a buyer’s screenshot or email alone.
3. Follow its transfer instructions. For .si, changing the holder requires registrar processing and confirmation from both parties. Changing registrar uses an authinfo code [2]. One is not automatically a substitute for the other.
4. Share transfer credentials only through the verified transaction process. Never give a buyer your registrar password.
5. Confirm completion and payout. Dynadot describes proceeds going to Sales Balance, which can be paid out subject to its requirements [13]. Account credit is not cash in your bank account.
6. Remove duplicate listings and update your ledger with the actual fees, net proceeds, and holding period. Keep records for applicable tax reporting.

Decline buyers who make you purchase a paid appraisal from their chosen site before proceeding. Keep payment and domain transfer inside the verified marketplace workflow or an independently verified transaction service.

9. Run a small experiment and review it

First session: Choose a category, research 20–30 names, collect completed-sale evidence, and shortlist five.

Before buying: Finish the history and brand checks, verify marketplace support, set a maximum loss budget, and choose no more than one to three names.

After buying: Publish the listing, configure the lander, test it, and record costs and expiry dates.

Monthly: Review real inquiries and offers. Improve the listing or price based on evidence. Buy more only if results justify expanding.

Before renewal: Re-evaluate each name. Keep the ones with a credible buyer case and affordable holding costs; allow weak names to expire after removing their listings. Silence for a month does not prove a name is worthless, but repeated renewals without a buyer case increase your loss.

Copyable research prompt

Use this to organize ideas in an AI assistant. Check every result yourself; the assistant cannot establish availability, trademark clearance, or future sale value.

Help me evaluate generic or original domain ideas for resale on .si.
Product category: [category]
Maximum initial budget: [amount and currency]
Maximum annual renewal budget: [amount]
Candidates and evidence I collected: [paste names, costs, and source links]

For each candidate, explain possible independent buyer uses, spelling and memorability, relevant completed sales, and missing evidence. Separate completed sales from asking prices. Do not copy distinctive company or product names. Do not claim availability, legal clearance, a guaranteed valuation, or future profit. If evidence is missing, say unknown. Return a shortlist with reasons to keep or skip each name. Do not register domains or contact buyers.

Your tracking checklist

Keep one record per domain: name, buyer uses, comparable-sale links, history notes, brand checks, marketplace eligibility, purchase date and cost, renewal cost, expiry, asking price, private minimum net, listing URL, real offers, selling fees, payout, and total portfolio result.

The next action: Research a shortlist before registering anything. A useful name, a plausible buyer, controlled costs, and a working sale process give you a testable business idea. The reported sales above show possibility; your own completed payouts determine whether the project makes money.