A linkname is a name that’s also a valid website.

Examples

will.i.am (musician)

del.icio.us (defunct social sharing site)

last.fm (music discovery site)

join.me (defunct online meeting site)

Radiat.in/g (musician)

Definition

• A noun used as the primary name to represent something
• Which contains at least one period (‘.’) so that it becomes a valid website
• Optionally contains ‘/’ and any other characters that are valid in a URL
• Is a valid URL, if the implicit ‘http://’ is added at the start

Test: does it work if you type the linkname into a browser and hit enter?

And yes, linknames are different (although related) to domain hacks.

Rationale

• Platforms (Instagram, TikTok, X) increasingly own the internet
• Creators are highly dependent on them
• Linknames can reduce platform dependency for creators
• Using a linkname:
  • Signposts a website outside of platforms
  • Tells your audience you’d like a direct relationship with them
  • Makes your name stand out
  • Simplifies marketing (name and website are one)
  • Gently ‘hacks’ platforms which limit cross-promotion (e.g. Spotify)
  • Bonus: turns your name into a link when used in many places
• Talking about linknames:
  • Will increase their recognition and adoption

Hopes

• As direct-to-subscriber models become increasingly popular, so will linknames
• Various linknames will become famous as linknames become more popular

Types

Strong linknames:

• Used as the primary name to represent something
• Examples above

Weak linknames:

• Not used as a primary name, and therefore often the same as domain hacks
• Examples:
  • Bit.ly
  • AllEvents.In/London
  • Linktr.ee

Issues

• May not be recognised as signposting a website
• Contain fiddly punctuation

FAQ

How are linknames different to domain hacks?

Linknames are related to, and can overlap with, domain hacks. However:

• A linkname is used as the primary name for something, not just as its domain
• A linkname can optionally use pages at the domain to form the name, for instance the ‘/g’ in Radiat.in/g. This makes linknames easier to create vs. the more limited number of domain hacks

Are linknames a protocol?

No. They are a naming convention, a bit like hashtags or handles beginning with ‘@’.

Why should I use a linkname?

See Rationale.

What’s the point of linknames?

See Rationale.

Are linknames new?

In a way, no:

• Linknames have existed in some form for almost as long as domains

But also, yes:

• Although linknames have been in use a long time, there has been no term for them beyond domain hacks — and as explained above, a linkname is more than a domain hack
• The practice of using a linkname as a primary name is still relatively niche

What are examples of how linknames can be used?

Here are three:

1. RandomW.al/k, a street artist who paints their name in a way that makes it possible for people to find them online and connect with the rest of their art
2. Cinnamon.Soy/Latte: a specialist coffee truck that’s been stung in its reliance on increasingly expensive Instagram ads, and wants loyal customers to join a newsletter hosted at their site where they’ll get updates on the truck’s location
3. Wispy.World: a podcast about clouds which lists as a linkname across all podcast platforms to nudge fans towards content and cloud t-shirts on their site

Note: these are hypothetical.

How do I make a linkname?

Instructions:

1. Figure out a name you want to call your project or organization
2. Try to devise a linkname for it by adding ‘.’ and ‘/’ in a way that makes it a valid website
   1. You may use one of hundreds of TLDs
   2. You may prefer to devise your linkname by starting with the list of available TLDs
3. Check if the domain is still available, and if so purchase it
   1. These tools may help:
      1. Domain.Garden, to search through hundreds of TLDs for domains that are available
      2. Namecheap, GoDaddy, Gandi etc., to purchase domains
      3. Cloudflare, which can manage your domain for free, and help you create redirects for any pages that would form part of your linkname
4. Use the linkname as the primary name for your project or organization

Tips:

• You can also use subdomains if it helps you stylistically, e.g. will.i.am, del.icio.us
  • You would first purchase icio.us or i.am, and then set up a subdomain at the site
• You can immediately redirect from your linkname to another website, if you don’t want to directly host a website at your linkname

Where can I use my linkname?

• Anywhere across the real and digital worlds, provided it’s a place that allows the characters in your linkname to be used
  • Spotify supports linknames
  • Instagram supports some linknames (not those with ‘/’)