Domain due diligence for website and micro-M&A buyers

Buying a site is buying a story: traffic, brand, and legal continuity. Public-source domain due diligence catches aged domains with thin histories, WHOIS privacy flips, and seller claims that do not match Wayback or registry.

Check age, redirects, and prior brands

Confirm creation date, nameserver stability, and whether the domain previously hosted an unrelated niche. Sudden vertical changes plus aggressive outbound links are a common spam pattern.

Separate operating company from the domain

The LLC on the purchase agreement should match bank details and any trademark claims. A verification dossier that surfaces conflicting legal names is a reason to renegotiate escrow terms.