When it comes to cold email success, your domain names matter more than you might think. They’re among the first things email providers and recipients use to judge whether you’re a trustworthy sender. While domain setup is just one piece of a successful cold email strategy, it’s often the make-or-break factor in whether your emails reach the inbox at all.
The Golden Rule of Domain Selection: If you want to be treated like a trusted sender, act like one. This starts with choosing the right domain extensions (TLDs).

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Which Domain Extensions Work Best?

The hierarchy is clear: .com - The gold standard for trust and deliverability .co - A strong second choice Everything else (.io, .net, etc.) typically sees lower deliverability rates and trust scores. While these other extensions might be trendy, they’re not ideal for cold email campaigns.

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Domain Naming Best Practices

Creating your domains isn’t just about picking available names. Here are the key principles to follow: Keep it simple and meaningful. Your domains should make sense at first glance. Avoid red flags. Skip numbers and dashes (-) in your domain names. They often appear in spam domains. Less is more. Only add prefixes or suffixes if needed, not both. The simpler your domains, the better.

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Proven Domain Patterns to Consider

Here are some effective patterns you can use when building your domains. Remember, these are examples to inspire you, not an exhaustive list.

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Prefix Options

  • use[name].com
  • hey[name].com
  • get[name].com
  • try[name].com
  • hello[name].com
  • weare[name].com
  • join[name].com
  • team[name].com
  • my[name].com
  • all[name].com
  • go[name].com
  • meet[name].com
  • run[name].com
  • on[name].com
  • with[name].com

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Suffix Options

  • [name]app.com
  • [name]team.com
  • [name]hq.com
  • [name]labs.com
  • [name]+category.com
After securing your domains, you’ll need to set up proper authentication and warming protocols. Our Cold Email Infrastructure Guide walks you through the entire process, including:

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Final Thoughts

Your domain names are your first impression in cold email. While following these guidelines won’t guarantee success, they’ll help you start on the right foot by signaling trustworthiness to both email providers and recipients. Remember: The best domains are simple, professional, and aligned with how legitimate businesses present themselves. When in doubt, go with .com and keep it clean and straightforward. Ready to take your cold email to the next level? Dive into our Cold Outbound Playbook for a complete guide on infrastructure setup, crafting winning copy, and scaling your campaigns with AI-powered personalization.

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