Hyphens in Domain Names: Good or Bad? (with Use Cases)

1. What Is a Hyphenated Domain Name?

A hyphenated domain name is simply one that includes dashes or hyphens between words. For example, instead of registering "bestfinancialservices.com," you'd register "best-financial-services.com." The hyphen acts as a word separator, making it easier to read.

You might also see them referred to as "dashes in domain names" as the terms are interchangeable, and hyphens are one of the few special characters that ICANN actually allows.

However, just because you can register a hyphenated name doesn't necessarily mean you should.

2. Historical Use of Hyphens in Domains

Hyphens in domains became popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s during the height of the dot-com boom. As valuable single-word domain names became increasingly scarce, marketers and business owners started using hyphens as a workaround. The thinking was straightforward: if you couldn't get "bestdeals.com," you'd grab "best-deals.com." It was one of the only ways to get a lucrative .com name.

Back then, this strategy made some sense. Search engines were newer, domain optimization was less developed, and convention hadn't firmly established what worked best. But during that same era, hyphenated domains became associated with spammy, low-quality websites. A lot of questionable sites used them as a cheap way to grab multiple variations of a domain and redirect them to the same place.

Unfortunately, that reputation has largely persisted, even as the internet evolved and legitimate businesses started using the only available punctuation option for legitimate reasons. Today, a hyphenated domain doesn't automatically mean your website is spam, but the stigma remains.

3. Pros of Using a Hyphen in Domain Names

The most obvious advantage of a hyphenated domain name is improved readability and clarity since they act as natural word separators. For an easy example, look at "fastcheappizza.com" with "fast-cheap-pizza.com." The second one is instantly clearer about what the business offers, as users immediately understand the individual words without having to parse them mentally.

Secondly (and perhaps more importantly), if your preferred domain name is taken, a hyphenated version is often thought of as the next best thing. For businesses with limited budgets, this can be the difference between launching your website on your intended domain name or having to completely rebrand (which can be costly in time, money, and market exposure).

Some SEO practitioners also argue that hyphens provide keyword clarity by separating distinct terms (which we'll discuss later).

In certain niche industries or among creative communities, a hyphenated domain name can actually serve as brand differentiation. Some brands intentionally use hyphens to stand out or create a modern, deliberate aesthetic. It's rare but possible.

4. Cons of Domains with Hyphens

The typing burden is the real issue here. Users have to remember not just your domain name, but the exact placement of the hyphen(s). While people seldom type out URLs manually, they might often do so if they've heard of your website on a commercial or ad, or from someone else. And that moment allows them to accidentally put in the wrong thing, which might mean they bounce completely or even go to your biggest competitor, who has the non-hyphenated domain name.

Speaking of, telling people about your domain name verbally becomes awkward. "Visit us at... uh... my-company-name... with hyphens... dot com" sounds unprofessional compared to simply saying "mycompanyname.com." This matters more than you'd think for word-of-mouth marketing and referrals.

The second big problem is the aforementioned stigma. Since hyphenated domains were historically associated with spam, some people still view them as less legitimate. When a user lands on your hyphenated-domain website for the first time, there's a tiny credibility gap you're starting from.

5. SEO Considerations for Hyphenated Domains

Having a hyphen won't impact your SEO, at least not directly. Google and other search engines treat hyphens as simple word separators from a technical standpoint.

Name-wise, the benefit here is that the search engine can more easily identify that "home-renovation.com" contains the separate keywords "home" and "renovation" rather than one combined term. This can be important if the joined word form can be split up differently to have different meanings. However, this won't necessarily boost rankings, as it only helps search engines better understand your website's focus.

This is an important distinction because a lot of outdated advice online claims hyphens hurt rankings. That's simply not accurate. In fact, Google itself recommended using a hyphenated name if it allows you to get one of the most popular TLDs.

The indirect SEO impact is where the real consideration comes in. If your hyphenated domain name discourages users from visiting or reduces your click-through rate from search results, that behavioral signal can indirectly affect your rankings over time. Additionally, if the hyphenated version means you attract less organic traffic, fewer backlinks, or weaker user engagement, those factors compound the problem. So the issue isn't the hyphen itself, but everything the hyphen might negatively influence about your site's growth.

6. Branding and Marketing Implications

Memorability is everything in branding. Your domain becomes part of your brand identity. A hyphenated domain name simply isn't as memorable or brandable as its non-hyphenated equivalent. When people remember your company, do they remember "best-gadgets" or "bestgadgets?" Adding more symbols means more to remember, and can also clash with other brands.

Visual branding can also be a logistics issue. In logos, marketing materials, and advertisements, including a hyphen always looks less polished than a single unified name. You can't ignore that aesthetic impact on how potential customers perceive your brand.

Then there's the offline advertising angle. If you're running billboards, radio ads, or print campaigns, telling people to visit "best-gadgets.com" is clunky. You're adding unnecessary complexity to your marketing message.

These can all be "solved" with other SEO tactics for online growth, but they need to be kept in mind.

7. When Hyphenated Domains Make Sense

There are a few genuine scenarios where a hyphenated domain name makes sense:

8. Best Practices for Choosing a Hyphenated Domain

If you decide a hyphenated domain name is right for your situation, limit their actual number. One is manageable; multiples get unwieldy fast. "Best-gadgets.com" works. "The-very-best-gadgets-in-the-world.com" does not.

With that in mind, the hyphen should also fall at a natural word boundary. "Fast-growing.com" is good. "Fas-tgrowing.com" is just confusing and bordering on being seen as an attempt to intentionally infringe on another brand.

Before you register a domain name, you need to check the availability and trademark status of the non-hyphenated version. If the "original" is already registered, you may need to contact the owner (whom you can find with a detailed WHOIS search) or check the trademarks database to ensure they can't legally prevent you from using the name.

Finally, consider future rebranding or upgrades. If you eventually want to switch to the non-hyphenated version, it might be best to just go all out and use that version from the get-go.

9. Case Studies and Examples

Some well-known brands successfully use hyphenated domains, though they're less common than you'd think, and is usually simply because the hyphen is in the actual name of the brand.

For example, Merriam-Webster (one of the most popular online dictionaries) uses "merriam-webster.com." The same goes for Coca-Cola or Mercedez-Benz, where the hyphen is directly a part of the branding.

In some cases, those brands also acquire the equivalent non-hyphenated name (like cocacola.com redirecting to coca-cola.com) to avoid having duplicated names in the industry. Similarly, brands might also lose hyphens from their names to make them easier to find, like what happened to Walmart in 2017 (as it was previously known as Wal-Mart and used a hyphenated domain name).

One of the most notable examples of brands that don't have a hyphen in the name but do in the domain name is "Experts Exchange," a Q&A website similar to Stack Overflow or Quora. As written, it's easy to mistake the full brand wording of "expertsexchange" for something else. It's one of the few examples where writing out a multi-worded brand name without spaces (since spaces can't exist in domains) can make people perceive entirely different words.

In general, large corporations have sunk thousands into their marketing budget to be able to get any domain name they want, and they gravitate toward the simpler-to-use non-hyphenated version.

10. Decision Framework

Before you register a hyphenated domain name, ask yourself these key questions:

• Is the non-hyphenated version truly unavailable, or can you purchase it from the current owner?
• Does your target market care about domain aesthetics, or are they more focused on your actual services or products?
• Can you build a strong enough brand identity that transcends the domain issue?
• Is this a long-term business or a short-term project?
• How important are word-of-mouth referrals and verbal communication for your business?

11. Recommendations

So, hyphens in domain names, good or bad? It really depends on your situation, but for most businesses, it can be worthwhile to explore an alternative first.

If you're a startup or small business with a limited budget, try to negotiate for the non-hyphenated version, or consider a completely different brand name that's available without hyphens. The investment in rebranding might actually save you money on marketing efforts later.

If you're already an established brand, the question becomes whether your existing brand equity can overcome the domain issue. If you're considering a hyphenated domain name for a specific campaign or subsidiary, it's less risky than using it for your primary website.

Hyphenated domain names aren't inherently bad, but they require more branding work, face perception issues, and present practical challenges. If you can avoid them, you should.

Compare different domain options and register the right one with Register.Domains. Our platform lets you search for hyphenated, non-hyphenated, and alternative domain extensions side-by-side, so you can compare availability and pricing before making your final decision.

12. FAQs