A new DNS record standard, called _for-sale, was defined in RFC 10023 and registered with IANA in July 2026 to indicate that a domain is available for purchase without disrupting its normal operation. The record uses a TXT entry at _for-sale.example.com to advertise the sale status alongside a live website, allowing domain owners to signal availability to brokers and services while keeping the site and email fully functional, according to specification.website.
The _for-sale DNS record includes a mandatory version tag and optional key-value pairs such as ftxt for human-readable text, furi for contact or information links, fval for asking price, and fcod for proprietary codes. Unlike traditional domain parking, which replaces the site with a sales page and loses visitors, the _for-sale record coexists with the active domain, ensuring uninterrupted visitor access and mail flow. Domain owners can add or remove the record at will without affecting the website's operation.
This development addresses a common challenge in domain sales by providing a standardized, non-intrusive method to advertise availability directly in DNS. It contrasts with domain parking, which often results in lost traffic and revenue. The new approach could streamline domain brokerage and availability services by enabling automated detection of domains for sale while preserving user experience on the live site.
The _for-sale record specification was published on August 8, 2026, on specification.website, marking the first formal DNS mechanism to signal domain sale status without downtime or site disruption.