The auction market saw a significant contraction in total volume this week, with ended auctions falling by over 90,000 units. Despite this cooling in supply, the sell-through rate managed a modest gain, suggesting that while the sheer volume of inventory is thinning, the quality of the remaining assets is holding buyer interest.
Competitive bidding remains concentrated in the sub-$100 range, where the median price for non-closeout sales dipped. Investors are clearly pivoting toward surgical acquisitions rather than bulk accumulation, as evidenced by the sharp decline in total bids cast compared to the previous period.
Key takeaways
- 364,554 domain auctions ended this week; 7,044 sold (1.9% sell-through, +0.2pp week-over-week).
- Top sale: fx.io closed at $22,500.
- 2,427 sales closed above $1 (competitive segment); their median price was $65 (−8.5% vs last week). The remaining 65.5% of sales were $1-closeout pickups.
- Total bids cast on ended auctions: 24,314 (−17.8% week-over-week).
- Of 17,127 domains AI-classified this week, only 525 (3.1%) have a verifiably clean backlink history.
The week in numbers
The 20.7% drop in ended auctions suggests a tightening of supply, yet the 0.2pp increase in sell-through rate indicates that buyers are more decisive on the inventory that does reach the block.
| Metric | This week | Last week | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auctions ended | 364,554 | 459,601 | −20.7% |
| Sold (received bids) | 7,044 | 8,159 | −13.7% |
| Sold above $1 (competitive) | 2,427 | 2,722 | −10.8% |
| Sell-through rate | 1.9% | 1.8% | +0.2pp |
| Median winning price (all sales) | $1 | $1 | +0.0% |
| Median winning price (>$1 sales) | $65 | $71 | −8.5% |
| 90th-percentile price (>$1 sales) | $510 | $666 | −23.4% |
| Top sale | $22,500 | $20,361 | +10.5% |
| Total bids cast | 24,314 | 29,596 | −17.8% |
Top sales of the week
| Domain | Winning price | Bids | Valuation | DR | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fx.io | $22,500 | 41 | $15,546 | — | 2026-07-18 |
| incubators.com | $13,229 | 72 | $20,676 | 0 | 2026-07-17 |
| 86z.com | $7,488 | 67 | $9,796 | 1 | 2026-07-17 |
| dubai.me | $6,116 | 144 | $5,796 | 1 | 2026-07-18 |
| ellabella.com | $5,300 | 37 | $9,897 | — | 2026-07-18 |
| sarva.com | $5,100 | 79 | $11,743 | 32 | 2026-07-17 |
| aiadvertising.com | $5,100 | 71 | $5,309 | 31 | 2026-07-16 |
| camdenrockland.com | $4,800 | 31 | $1,289 | 36 | 2026-07-18 |
| azabuglobal.com | $4,261 | 38 | $1,251 | 45 | 2026-07-13 |
| 3106.com | $4,100 | 51 | $20,477 | — | 2026-07-17 |
| ab3.com | $4,050 | 59 | $10,095 | 3 | 2026-07-13 |
| ontheos.com | $3,636 | 24 | $2,045 | 34 | 2026-07-14 |
| controlgroup.com | $3,505 | 50 | $11,354 | 30 | 2026-07-16 |
| hyperloop-one.com | $3,050 | 47 | $1,376 | 61 | 2026-07-16 |
| winelovers.com | $3,000 | 57 | $16,854 | — | 2026-07-16 |
Bid wars: the most contested auctions
| Domain | Winning price | Bids | Valuation | DR | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dubai.me | $6,116 | 144 | $5,796 | 1 | 2026-07-18 |
| 45689.com | $2,250 | 82 | $2,825 | — | 2026-07-16 |
| sarva.com | $5,100 | 79 | $11,743 | 32 | 2026-07-17 |
| realoffers.com | $690 | 78 | $6,176 | — | 2026-07-14 |
| incubators.com | $13,229 | 72 | $20,676 | 0 | 2026-07-17 |
| aiadvertising.com | $5,100 | 71 | $5,309 | 31 | 2026-07-16 |
| alphaex.com | $2,750 | 70 | $6,489 | — | 2026-07-18 |
| 86z.com | $7,488 | 67 | $9,796 | 1 | 2026-07-17 |
| webhostingservice.com | $798 | 64 | $13,683 | — | 2026-07-17 |
| futurebanking.com | $1,315 | 63 | $8,362 | — | 2026-07-16 |
Live now: the auctions to watch this week
| Domain | Current price | Bids | Valuation | DR | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50000.com | $20,500 | 27 | $14,715 | 3 | 2026-07-24 |
| 36000.com | $12,260 | 21 | $7,457 | — | 2026-07-24 |
| seaturtle.com | $10,099 | 30 | $14,011 | 2 | 2026-07-22 |
| paym.com | $8,500 | 70 | $14,596 | — | 2026-07-22 |
| techcloud.com | $5,500 | 61 | $10,260 | — | 2026-07-20 |
| cleanliving.com | $5,101 | 60 | $12,823 | 0 | 2026-07-24 |
| 50v.com | $4,851 | 36 | $9,712 | — | 2026-07-24 |
| bankasia.com | $4,300 | 97 | $12,793 | 28 | 2026-07-19 |
| 9465.com | $4,020 | 42 | $14,260 | — | 2026-07-20 |
| exro.com | $3,450 | 68 | $11,754 | 50 | 2026-07-19 |
Value picks: clean-history aged domains under $100
| Domain | Registered | Price | Ref. domains | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| balloondb.com | 2010 | $1 | 302 | A technical domain for a database or software service. |
| chapmansoundlab.com | 2013 | $1 | 304 | A professional domain for a recording studio or audio production business. |
| thelostcoastranch.com | 2003 | $1 | 372 | A descriptive, evocative domain name for a ranch or property brand. |
| yoursimplifiedbusiness.com | 2016 | $1 | 312 | A professional domain name for a business consulting or productivity brand. |
| transformedx.com | 2016 | $1 | 315 | A modern, brandable domain for a health or tech transformation brand. |
| casatelma.com | 2016 | $1 | 322 | A professional domain name for a real estate or home decor project. |
| soccerkitdesigner.com | 2012 | $1 | 305 | A niche-specific domain name perfect for a soccer apparel design service. |
| transitionleaders.com | 2000 | $1 | 317 | A professional domain name for a leadership consulting or coaching business. |
| sohaberta.com | 2014 | $1 | 307 | A short, brandable domain name suitable for a variety of modern businesses. |
| drwilliamwashington.com | 2012 | $1 | 418 | A professional domain for a medical practitioner. |
| activeskyphotography.com | 2016 | $1 | 376 | A professional domain name for a photography business or portfolio. |
| reimagineeducation.com | 2007 | $1 | 292 | A professional domain name for an education or innovation platform. |
| reliablefiresprinkler.com | 2015 | $1 | 294 | A descriptive domain for a fire sprinkler installation or maintenance business. |
| magneticshield.org | 2007 | $1 | 303 | A technical and authoritative domain name for a science or tech brand. |
| homedefense.org | 2003 | $1 | — | A strong, descriptive domain name for home security and safety services. |
Category landscape: what entered the market
| Category | Domains | Share | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Services | 4,406 | ███░░░░░░░ 31.1% | $1 |
| Generic / Brandable | 1,438 | █░░░░░░░░░ 10.1% | $1 |
| Health & Medical | 1,270 | █░░░░░░░░░ 9.0% | $1 |
| Tech & Software | 1,253 | █░░░░░░░░░ 8.8% | $1 |
| Entertainment & Media | 932 | █░░░░░░░░░ 6.6% | $1 |
| Home & Garden | 908 | █░░░░░░░░░ 6.4% | $1 |
| Food & Drink | 870 | █░░░░░░░░░ 6.1% | $1 |
| Fashion & Beauty | 859 | █░░░░░░░░░ 6.1% | $1 |
| Finance & Insurance | 702 | ░░░░░░░░░░ 4.9% | $1 |
| Real Estate | 621 | ░░░░░░░░░░ 4.4% | $1 |
| Travel & Tourism | 511 | ░░░░░░░░░░ 3.6% | $1 |
| Sports & Fitness | 413 | ░░░░░░░░░░ 2.9% | $1 |
Niche radar
| Niche | Domains | Example domains |
|---|---|---|
| tech | 1,184 | abbez.com, abettau.com, abilityautomation.com |
| business | 1,086 | abcoprinttogo.com, abebebx.com, abettau.com |
| consulting | 753 | aadvisorygroup.com, abacusengineeringinc.com, abneycorp.com |
| finance | 625 | abundiacc.com, access-ventures.com, accountingonthemove.com |
| seo | 612 | aapppe.com, aaronkeener.com, activevoip.com |
| health | 566 | aatmantan.com, aboutpsilocybin.com, abundancehealthcare.com |
| fashion | 487 | actupapparel.com, adornempress.com, aesthetictrash.com |
| seo-services | 461 | aatishji.com, abortionaccess.net, ackeepak.com |
| travel | 450 | accra.fun, adventureiscallingme.com, adventureromancekauai.com |
| lifestyle | 447 | activemojo.com, acupofhappy.com, aesthetictrash.com |
| software | 435 | abbez.com, abetterdemo.com, aboco.io |
| wellness | 428 | aatmantan.com, acupofhappy.com, adaptozenhealth.com |
| real-estate | 422 | abandonedbirmingham.com, addurban.com, affordablehomesct.com |
| food | 379 | abiteofcharcuterie.com, abritishbaker.com, acicecreamtruck.com |
| marketing | 369 | academiadeinfluencers.com, acumendigitally.com, adcubby.com |
Spam-risk read on the week's inventory
With over 72% of classified domains showing toxic signals, the 3.1% of clean inventory represents a high-value, low-supply segment that requires aggressive filtering to identify.
- 17,127 domains were AI-classified this week from their full enrichment bundles (backlink anchors, archive history, traffic).
- 525 (3.1%) came back clean — no spam signals in their history. These are the rare ones worth a closer look.
- 4,144 (24.2%) carry caution flags; 12,458 (72.7%) show outright toxic signals (pharma/casino anchors, PBN patterns) — the expired-domain reality the classifier exists to filter.
Domains worth a closer look
- fx.io — The top sale of the week commands a premium valuation that significantly outpaces its automated estimate, reflecting the scarcity value of two-letter .io assets.
- dubai.me — Attracting 144 bids, this domain demonstrates that geo-specific TLDs remain the primary target for high-engagement bidding wars.
- realoffers.com — Despite a low closing price, the high bid count relative to its valuation suggests a disconnect between market sentiment and algorithmic pricing models.
Takeaway
Focus your capital on the 3.1% of inventory flagged as clean by our classifier. With overall bid volume down, you have a tactical advantage to secure high-authority, aged domains at the $1 floor price before the broader market corrects for the current supply shortage.
Methodology & data notes
This report is generated from CatchSEO's own auction database: 364,554 auctions that ended during 2026 · Week 29 (UTC), benchmarked against 459,601 from the prior week, alongside 549,742 live auctions currently tracked.
Domain intelligence comes from CatchSEO's enrichment pipeline — backlink profiles and authority metrics, Wayback Machine archive history, and an AI classification pass that reads each domain's complete evidence bundle and issues category, spam-risk, and quality verdicts. 17,127 domains were classified this week; classification covers enriched inventory only, so older or unenriched domains may appear without AI fields.
"Sold" means an auction ended with at least one bid; prices are final listed auction prices in USD. Every figure in this report is computed directly from the database — the narrative text is AI-assisted and reviewed before publication. Explore the underlying inventory with the live auction filters, including clean-history domains.
Generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite · data snapshot 2026-07-19 · prompt v3. Figures are computed directly from CatchSEO's auction database; the narrative around them is AI-written and reviewed before publication.