Engine v3: what changed and what it means for your appraisals
Engine v3 is the next step in how we value domains, and it is now rolling out across the site. It builds on Engine v2.5, keeps the same strengths, and fixes the one thing we heard most often from the community: not every extension deserves the same treatment.
What changed
- Every extension is valued on its own market. We calibrate each extension's valuation curve against publicly reported comparable sales: whether that market is growing, holding, or fading, and whether the extension is even generally available yet. Extensions with a deep, active market keep their room to run. Extensions with a thin or fading record are valued more conservatively.
- Valuations stay tied to what an extension has actually sold for. A strong name can still be valued above the best recorded sale on its extension, because markets move forward, but not many times above it. Where Engine v2.5 was too generous at the top end of some extensions, v3 brings those figures back within reach of the real market.
- Extensions with no sales record get cautious values. If an extension has little or no recorded aftermarket, v3 says so in the report and keeps the number modest until real sales arrive. Blockchain-only names that are not part of the DNS are no longer valued as domains.
- .com and most other extensions carry over unchanged. The .com curve, and the curves of most extensions with healthy markets, are exactly what they were under Engine v2.5.
- Older appraisals now show current figures. When Engine v2.5 launched, some appraisals kept displaying their earlier Engine v2 figure where it was higher. Engine v3 retires that: every appraisal now shows its current value. For some names, most of them brandable .com names, this is a noticeable step down from the figure you were seeing. The underlying valuation had not changed; the display had been holding on to the old one.
What to expect by extension
For extensions with at least twenty appraisals on our books. "Top end down" means typical names are unchanged and only the strongest names come down. Extensions with little or no sales record are valued cautiously regardless of row. Appraisals that were still showing an Engine v2 figure change on any extension, including .com.
| What to expect | Extensions |
|---|---|
| Unchanged | .com, .ai, .xyz, .us, .ca, .bet, .top, .nl, .es |
| Top end down, typical names unchanged | .org, .net, .io, .me, .live, .win, .ml |
| Slightly down | .co, .de, .app, .si, .now, .uk, .club, .chat, .in, .eu, .cash, .fr, .link, .it, .at |
| Down | .gg, .so, .casino, .ag, .info, .vc, .fi, .finance, .ae, .digital, .mx, .tv, .cc, .bio, .financial, .one, .network, .ws, .dev, .ly, .art, .bot, .global, .money, .is, .capital, .pt, .pay, .health, .br, .group, .energy, .shop, .id, .to, .pro, .markets, .ch, .quest, .games, .online, .tech, .vip, .au, .buzz, .cloud, .world, .news, .domains |
| Up | none |
What you need to do
Nothing. We are updating all Engine v2.5 valuations to v3 free of charge, automatically, whether or not you subscribe. There is nothing to refresh. Certificates already issued remain valid as issued; they are dated and carry the engine version they were produced with. New certificates carry Engine v3. If you need a v2.5 certificate and appraisal restored, contact us and we will do it. Appraisals produced before Engine v2.5 are considered obsolete: they stay on your account, and you may refresh any of them at the normal reduced refresh rate, which values them directly on Engine v3.
What happens next
Markets change, and Engine v3 is built to follow them. As new sales are recorded on an extension, or as it falls out of favor, we re-evaluate it, and when that materially changes an existing appraisal we update it and let subscribers know. Engine v3 is our stable baseline from here: improving by evidence, never by surprise.
Questions about a specific appraisal? Reply to any of our emails or write to support@appraise.net.
See also: Roadmap for the full timeline of engine and platform updates.