To make an offer for a domain name, first find out whether it is listed. A listed name has a set process; an unlisted one means writing to the owner. The third route is a broker, who contacts the owner for you; fees and process are in domain broker. Venue terms below were checked on 26 October 2026. For the price itself, see domain name negotiation.
Making an offer on a marketplace listing
Marketplace offers share one rule that catches buyers out: once submitted, they are binding for a set period. Do not offer a number you would not pay.
GoDaddy Auctions
GoDaddy’s help page, Submitting offers on GoDaddy Auctions domains, sets out the steps. Sign in on the GoDaddy Auctions page, search for the domain, and under Enter Bid/Offer type an offer in US dollars. The watermark in the box shows “the minimum amount you can offer”. Select Continue to Review, agree to the terms, then select Submit.
You do not need an Auctions membership to make an offer; GoDaddy says it “isn’t required for submitting offers”. The seller “can accept, decline (by not responding) or counter your offer” and “has 7 days to accept your offer, even if they send you a counter-offer.” Silence is a decline: the offer lapses after seven days. Offers cannot be cancelled, and the highest offer does not automatically win. Your price “won’t exceed your maximum offer amount plus the one-year renewal fee, if applicable”.
GoDaddy and Afternic for-sale pages
A name parked on a GoDaddy for-sale page (say, example.com) shows “Make the owner an offer for the domain”, a Make an offer button and Next. We did not submit one, so the later steps are not recorded here. The seller sets a Minimum Price, “the lowest amount anyone can submit”, which defaults to 65% of the Buy price but can be changed. The seller is emailed and has 7 days to respond before the offer expires. An Afternic sales executive may negotiate, and can close at a floor price that “Buyers do not see”. Some pages offer lease to own instead.
Sedo
Sedo asks you to log in or create a free account after your first offer, and all buyers must complete its Buyer Certification. Offers below the seller’s minimum are “automatically rejected by the system”. The seller can accept, counter by email, or push the name into an auction, and negotiations are anonymous. Your offer is binding for seven days, during which you cannot lower it. A counter-offer releases your earlier offer from that commitment.
| Route | Minimum | Seller’s window | Once accepted |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy Auctions offer | Shown in the offer box; USD only | 7 days, even after a counter; silence lapses it | Binding; pay within 48 hours; domain typically in your account in 1–15 days |
| GoDaddy/Afternic for-sale page | Seller’s Minimum Price (default 65% of Buy Now) | Seller emailed; 7 days to respond | Afternic Transaction Assurance or Fast Transfer |
| Sedo listing | Seller’s minimum; lower offers auto-rejected | Your offer binding for 7 days | Sedo invoices, holds payment in escrow, releases it after transfer |
| Unlisted name | None | None | Your own deal; use escrow |
Reaching the owner when the name is not listed
Look the domain up in ICANN Lookup (lookup.icann.org). Expect gaps: ICANN says “not all domain name registration data is required to be returned”, and hidden fields carry a “redacted” label. Reading the output is covered in RDAP lookup.
Where the email is redacted, the registrar must publish either an email address or a link to a web form to reach the contact. Be realistic about forms. ICANN accepted one registrar’s form where you only pick a reason from a list, and the owner receives that with your email address. Free text is not required, so the owner may never see your message, only that someone wants to talk. Make your reason clear, and expect silence to be common. The full process is in how to buy a domain that is taken.
Three offer emails you can adapt
These are our own wording. They follow advice from Andrew Allemann, editor of Domain Name Wire, writing on the Namecheap blog: say you are interested and ask if it is for sale and at what price; “Ideally, get the domain owner to suggest a price before you do”; never call the owner a squatter; and “avoid lying”. If the owner thinks you have lots of money, “they might ask for a higher price”. Before writing, “figure out the absolute maximum you’re willing to pay”.
First contact
Subject: Enquiry about buying example.com
Hello, I am interested in buying example.com. Is it for sale, and if so, what price would you accept? I can pay through a licensed escrow service so we are both protected. Thanks, [your name]
Counteroffer
Subject: Re: example.com
Thank you for coming back to me. [Asking price] is more than my budget for this name. I can offer [your offer] through escrow, and I am ready to start the transaction this week. Would that work for you? Best, [your name]
Final offer
Subject: Final offer for example.com
Thanks for your time on this. My final offer is [amount], paid through escrow, and it stands until [date]. If it does not suit you, no problem, and I wish you well with the name. Kind regards, [your name]
Keep each one short and polite. If a channel gets no answer, Allemann’s advice is simple: “If one doesn’t work, try another.”
What happens after the offer is accepted
On GoDaddy Auctions an accepted offer “is considered binding, and must be completed”. You pay within 48 hours, and the domain typically reaches your account 1–15 days after the sale. Sedo invoices you, holds the payment in its escrow account, has the seller transfer the domain, and pays the seller once your control is confirmed.
In a private deal, use escrow you opened yourself. Escrow.com holds the payment until it confirms through the registrar that you are the registrant, then pays the seller. Its standard fee on deals up to $5,000 is 2.6% with a $50 minimum. The full sequence is in the safest way to buy a domain.
Making an offer on SERPHeroes
The SERPHeroes marketplace is built for aged domains bought by SEOs, and is smaller than GoDaddy Auctions or Sedo. A listing has a fixed Buy now price or accepts offers. A seller may set a minimum (“Offers from $X”), and offers below it are refused. Offers are whole US dollars, from $10.
Your offer goes to the SERPHeroes team, who put it to the seller. You and the seller never contact each other directly, and contact details are removed from messages. The seller can accept, decline or counter, you can counter back, and every price stays in the conversation. When you agree, the domain is reserved for you, 72 hours by default, while you check out through Escrow.com or pay SERPHeroes directly by another method the team arranges. Buyers pay no SERPHeroes fee.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel an offer on GoDaddy or Sedo?
No. GoDaddy says offers “can’t be canceled”, and a Sedo offer is binding for seven days, during which you cannot lower it.
Do I need a GoDaddy Auctions membership to make an offer?
No. GoDaddy says membership “isn’t required for submitting offers”. It is needed for bidding on expired and valued priced domains.
Will the owner see my message if I use a registrar’s contact form?
Not necessarily. ICANN does not require free text, so some forms only tell the owner that someone wants to reach them, along with your email address.
What if the seller does not reply?
On GoDaddy Auctions no reply is a decline, and the offer expires after seven days. For an unlisted name, try another channel.
The takeaway Offer only what you would pay, because listed offers bind you. If you want offers handled for you, browse aged domains on the SERPHeroes marketplace, where the team puts your offer to the seller.
