Google Domains shuts down, assets sold to Squarespace
Google has announced the winding down of its domain registrar business, which launched almost a decade ago, as it looks to “sharpen [its] focus” in a time when all companies globally are being forced to reconsider their finances and operations.
The announcement on June 15 discloses Squarespace as Google’s chosen partner, who will be acquiring all Google Domains assets, including the estimated 10 million domains owned by millions of customers hosted on the platform, during an extended transition period.
In a statement, VP and General Manager for Merchant Shopping of Google, Matt Madrigal, said: “Supporting a smooth transition for customers over the coming months, with the help of the Google Domains team, is our top priority.”
Squarespace is taking over Google Domains
Both companies hope that the transaction will have closed in the third quarter of 2023, subject to certain regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
Citing the company’s pride and excitement to have been chosen by Google, Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena said: “Domains are a critical part of web infrastructure and an essential piece of every business’s online presence.”
Squarespace is likely to offer incentives and deals to ex-Google Domains customers on its portfolio of products, including web hosting. The company is also committed to honoring Google Domains renewal prices for 12 months following the closing of the transaction.
To make the process as painless as possible for customers, Squarespace plans to use Google’s own infrastructure to migrate the Domains assets to its own systems.
As part of the agreement, Squarespace will become the exclusive domains provider for Google Workspace customers for at least three years.
TechRadar Pro has asked Squarespace for more information about what the transition means for customers and end users.