Typosquatting

Typosquatting (also called URL hijacking) is the practice of registering domain names that resemble a legitimate one through typos, swapped letters, missing dots or alternate TLDs, such as exmaple.com or example.co for example.com.

Why it matters

Squatters monetize stray traffic with ads, redirect visitors to competitors, distribute malware or host phishing pages and credential harvesters. Lookalike domains are also used in business email compromise, where an invoice arrives from a nearly identical address. Brand owners often register the most likely variants defensively and monitor new registrations for similar names.

Example

Common patterns for example.com:

exmaple.com      transposed letters
examp1e.com      digit lookalike
example-login.com added keyword
example.co       different TLD
wwwexample.com   missing dot

Checking a suspicious domain's registration date with WHOIS often shows it was created days ago.

Common mistakes

• Trying to register every possible variant, which is impractical. Prioritize likely typos and key TLDs.
• Ignoring email, where lookalike senders are as dangerous as lookalike sites.
• Treating all lookalikes as legally actionable. Rules differ by country, so seek proper advice.

Related

• Cybersquatting
• Phishing
• IDN and Punycode
• Tool: WHOIS lookup

This page is general information written by our editorial team and updated when documentation changes. Servers and providers differ, so test changes safely first. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.