Notion is an all-in-one application that combines note-taking, task management, and project management in a single platform. It enables individuals and teams to collaborate and manage their work seamlessly. Founded in 2016 and based in San Francisco, California, Notion also has offices in New York City, Tokyo, Seoul, Dublin, and Hyderabad.

Notion launched on the Notion.so domain name. While choosing a country-specific domain like .SO (associated with Somalia) offers availability, it also comes with several risks and challenges:

• Control and Stability: The .SO domain is managed by Somalia, meaning any changes in the country’s political situation or regulations could affect the domain. For example, new rules or political instability could impact all websites using the .SO extension, including Notion.

• Security Risks: There is always a risk of domain hijacking or cyber-attacks, especially if the domain registry does not have strong security measures.

• Political and Geopolitical Risks: If Somalia were involved in international sanctions or political disputes, companies using the .SO domain might face restrictions or even have their domains seized.

• Trust and Credibility: Users might be hesitant to visit websites with less familiar domain extensions like .SO, as they might not trust them as much as more common extensions like .com.

• DNS Security: The security of the domain name system (DNS) is crucial. If the .SO registry does not have strong security practices, there could be risks like DNS spoofing, where hackers redirect users to malicious websites.

2019 Notion faced a significant problem when many users found that the .SO domain was automatically blacklisted due to concerns about malware or phishing. This incident highlighted the potential dangers of using a less common domain extension and made it clear that a change was needed.

To address these issues and provide a more secure and reliable user experience, Notion invested in the Exact Brand Match (EBM) domain Notion.com, bringing several benefits:

• Greater Security: With Notion.com, the company no longer has to worry about the risks associated with a foreign domain extension. The .com domain is globally recognised and generally considered more secure.

• Improved Trust and Reputation: The change to the EBM domain helps Notion build credibility and ensures users feel confident visiting the site.

• Stable Operations: Moving to a .com domain reduces the risk of being affected by political or regulatory changes in another country, providing a more stable foundation for Notion’s website and services.

David Tibbitts, a Notion employee, explained the move by saying:

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We chose .so when we were starting out (lots of other companies named Notion, and .so was available). We own Notion.com now. There’s an automatic redirect for now, but we’ll be switching to .com as soon as our engineering team has the bandwidth.

David Tibbitts, a Notion employee

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The acquisition of the EBM domain Notion.com demonstrates Notion’s commitment to providing a safe and reliable platform for its users as the company continues to grow and expand globally.

Note: As of September 2024, Notion still primarily operates on Notion.so, with Notion.com redirecting to it.

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While the cost of a premium domain name may be intimidating, the potential loss in terms of brand recognition and revenue is much greater. Contact us to learn more about premium domains and how they can help your business thrive.

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