Show HN: I built a free tool to find valuable expired domains using AI (opens in new tab)

(pendingdelete.domains)

6 pointshikerell8mo ago7 comments

Hi HN,

I’ve been collecting and analyzing expired domains for years — especially those about to drop. Every day, tens of thousands expire. Most are junk, but a few still have traffic, backlinks, SEO value, or just great names. Finding them used to take hours.

Last week I put my internal tools online: https://pendingdelete.domains No login, no paywall Updated daily Combines domain history, traffic, SEO data and AI-driven insights to identify valuable expirations The goal: help spot valuable domains quickly and skip the noise.

Still a work-in-progress — would love feedback: Is this useful? What signals or filters would you add? Any UI or speed improvements?

Thanks!

7 comments

bouyaveman68mo ago

I think it’s an excellent idea, but since I don’t really know the criteria, I quickly find myself wondering, “how is this calculated?” and my lack of knowledge turns into doubt. Maybe a small explanatory page on how it works (or some tooltips near the prices?) would add more clarity?

In any case, I’m going to go make sure my domains are set to auto-renew!

hikerellOP8mo ago

Good point — I’ll add more explanations soon. auto-renew is super important. I’ve seen many good domains expire just because someone forgot to turn it on. I've helped a few clients recover theirs in time.

dudeWithAMood8mo ago

I realize this is out of scope for your site, but where do you recommend going to purchase domains that are expiring? It seems a bit different process from buying a brand new domain.

Also you have a spelling error in the bottom left of the search screen. For today I see, "Total 395 doamins"

hikerellOP8mo ago

Thank you for your feedback — I’ll get that spelling error fixed!

My site doesn't directly handle domain purchases. Based on my personal experience, here's what I recommend:

1. For valuable domains that are about to expire, there’s often a lot of competition, and they typically require backordering. I suggest using platforms like DropCatch, Cached, or Dynadot Backorders to improve your chances of securing them.

2. For domains that have already expired and become available again, I usually compare prices across platforms like Domnest to find the best deal.

dudeWithAMood8mo ago

I appreciate the tips!

AnnaMere8mo ago

What is role of AI here? Ain't this all about WHOIS data and domain records

hikerellOP8mo ago

Whois data is the basic source to check if a domain is in PendingDelete status. With 30,000–50,000 domains expiring daily, it's crucial to filter out the valuable ones. I use an LLM in the first round to screen based on name and brand potential, and in the final round, I combine SEO data for a full quality assessment.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

Show HN: I built a free tool to find valuable expired domains using AI (opens in new tab)

(pendingdelete.domains)

6 pointshikerell8mo ago7 comments

Hi HN,

Still a work-in-progress — would love feedback: Is this useful? What signals or filters would you add? Any UI or speed improvements?

Thanks!

7 comments

bouyaveman68mo ago

In any case, I’m going to go make sure my domains are set to auto-renew!

hikerellOP8mo ago

dudeWithAMood8mo ago

I realize this is out of scope for your site, but where do you recommend going to purchase domains that are expiring? It seems a bit different process from buying a brand new domain.

Also you have a spelling error in the bottom left of the search screen. For today I see, "Total 395 doamins"

hikerellOP8mo ago

Thank you for your feedback — I’ll get that spelling error fixed!

My site doesn't directly handle domain purchases. Based on my personal experience, here's what I recommend:

2. For domains that have already expired and become available again, I usually compare prices across platforms like Domnest to find the best deal.

dudeWithAMood8mo ago

I appreciate the tips!

AnnaMere8mo ago

What is role of AI here? Ain't this all about WHOIS data and domain records

hikerellOP8mo ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse