Google Domains exits beta after seven years

Google Domains is officially out of beta after a full seven years. Some Google products are launching (and shutting down) at breakneck speed, but the domains have received years of old-school beta, just like they did in the early days of Gmail. The domains were launched for everyone in the US in 2015 and have since expanded to 26 countries.

Google Domains is a simple service that allows you to buy a domain with over 300 different domain endings. It’s not the cheapest registrar available, but it has a great interface and generic TLD fees are only $12/year, every year, without any of the extra fees or renewal increases that some sites charge. Domain owners’ privacy is free, as is access to Google’s DNS.

Of course, you can secure all your domain settings with the two-factor authentication security settings you have in your regular Google account. You can forward emails to your Gmail inbox or use a domain to create a Google Workspace organization. If you’re using a Google Cloud or Ads product, domains also support simple domain verification with one of these services. Google does so many things on the web that it just makes sense to have such a service to reroute customers.

Building a real website in the Google ecosystem is not really the main task. Domains can easily be connected to Blogger or Google Sites, but none of these products are under active development anymore. Google can link your domain to “trusted partners”like Shopify, Squarespace, WIX, Bluehost, and Weebly to help build your website.

To celebrate, Google is offering a 20 percent discount on the registration or transfer of a single domain until April 15th.

Image in Google listing