Jun 18, 2024
Domain hopping: why pirate sites keep changing their address
The domain changes. The site, its pages and its files often stay the same.
In short: pirate sites keep spare domains and move when the current one is blocked by internet providers, removed from search results or suspended by a registrar. Visitors follow through social posts, mirror lists and search.
How sites move
- Registering several similar names in advance, often across different domain endings.
- Running mirrors and proxy copies of the same site at the same time.
- Announcing the new address on social accounts and messaging channels.
- Redirecting old addresses to the new one where they still can.
How to keep up
Track sites by what they are, not only by their address: the same layout, the same file hosts and the same uploads. When a new domain appears, report it to search engines and to its providers as you did the old one.
Search is the pressure point
Every new domain has to rebuild its search presence. Reporting new URLs quickly through search delisting makes each move less useful to the site.
Related service: Search delisting.