GoDaddy
| File:GoDaddy logo.svg Logo used since January 2020 | |
| Company type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet domain registry, domain registration, web hosting services |
| Founded | January 1, 1997 in Phoenix, Arizona, United States |
| Founder | Bob Parsons |
| Headquarters | Tempe, Arizona , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (primarily small and micro enterprises) |
Key people | Aman Bhutani (CEO), Brian Sharples (Chairman) |
| Products | Domain registration, web hosting, SSL certificates, website builder solutions |
| Revenue | US$4.6 billion (2024) |
| US$932 million (2024) | |
| Total assets | US$7.56 billion (2023) |
Number of employees | 6,100+ (2024) |
| Website | godaddy |
GoDaddy Inc. is a publicly traded American company specializing in Internet domain registry, domain registration, and web hosting services. Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona and incorporated in Delaware, it ranks as the fifth largest web hosting provider worldwide by market share as of 2023, overseeing more than 62 million domain registrations. The firm primarily caters to small and micro enterprises, supporting around 20 million clients.
Established in 1997 under the name Jomax Technologies by Bob Parsons, GoDaddy has broadened its offerings to encompass domain registration, web hosting, SSL certificates, and website builder solutions. Its emphasis on serving small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) has been a key factor in its steady revenue increase.
In 2024, GoDaddy reported revenues totaling US$4.6 billion with an operating income of US$932 million. By 2023, its total assets were valued at US$7.56 billion. The company employs over 6,100 individuals worldwide and is led by CEO Aman Bhutani alongside Chairman Brian Sharples.
History
The company was initiated in 1997 in Phoenix, Arizona by entrepreneur Bob Parsons, who had previously sold his software firm Parsons Technology to Intuit for $65 million in 1994. The original name, Jomax Technologies, was inspired by a local Phoenix street.
In 1999, the team sought a new brand identity; after "Big Daddy" was unavailable, they settled on "Go Daddy," which Parsons found easy to recall and distinctive. The official rebranding from Jomax Technologies to GoDaddy took place in February 2006.
By 2001, GoDaddy had grown to rival competitors such as Dotster and eNom. In April 2005, it ascended to become the largest ICANN-accredited registrar globally. In 2011, private equity firms including KKR, Silver Lake, and Technology Crossover Ventures invested strategically in the company.
GoDaddy pursued growth through acquisitions like the security firm Sucuri in 2017 and the Host Europe Group—which includes the UK’s largest domain registrar 123 Reg, along with Domain Factory and Heart Internet—acquired for €1.69 billion (approximately $1.82 billion). Starting in 2018, GoDaddy began transitioning most of its infrastructure to Amazon Web Services (AWS) via a multi-year contract.
In January 2020, GoDaddy unveiled a redesigned logo featuring a minimalist sans-serif font combined with a heart-shaped element forming the letters "GO." The corporate headquarters relocated from Scottsdale, Arizona to Tempe, Arizona in April 2021.
As of 2024, GoDaddy remains focused on serving small businesses. That year saw the launch of GoDaddy Airo, an AI-driven platform designed to automate tasks such as logo design, website content creation, and email marketing campaigns. In June 2024, GoDaddy was included in the S&P 500 stock market index.
Infrastructure
By 2013, GoDaddy held the position as the world’s largest ICANN-accredited domain registrar—surpassing its closest competitor by a factor of four. The company operates a data center located in Phoenix, Arizona.
According to PeeringDB, GoDaddy manages two autonomous systems for global internet connectivity. Its primary system, AS-26496, is connected through six metropolitan areas via nine public and private peering facilities.
GoDaddy Registry
In 2020, GoDaddy took over Neustar's domain registry operations, rebranding the service as "GoDaddy Registry." This entity administers various country code top-level domains such as .co and .us, alongside generic domains like .biz and .club.
By January 2025, functioning under the name "Registry Services, LLC," GoDaddy Registry manages a wide array of top-level domains listed in the IANA root zone database. These include abogado, .beer, .biz, .blackfriday, .boston, .casa, .club, .compare, .cooking, .courses, .dds, .design, .fashion, .fishing, .fit, .garden, .gay, .health, .horse, .ink, .law, .luxe, .miami, .photo, .rodeo, .select, .study, .surf, .tattoo, .us, .vip, .vodka, .wedding, .wiki, .work, and .yoga.
Marketing
GoDaddy is widely known for its broad television and print advertising campaigns within the United States.
The company has utilized endorsements from a diverse group of celebrities including WWE Diva Candice Michelle, racecar driver Danica Patrick, motorcycle racer Valerie Thompson, NASCAR competitors such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin, racing icons Michael and Mario Andretti, IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe, Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard, professional golfer Anna Rawson, internet personality Marina Orlova, vocalists Ella Koon and Leeann Dearing, model Natalia Velez, fitness expert Jillian Michaels, NFL athlete Chad Johnson, professional poker player Vanessa Rousso, model Bar Refaeli, actor Jean-Claude Van Damme, comedienne Joan Rivers, actor Walton Goggins among others—boosting brand recognition across multiple sectors.
Sports sponsorships
Starting in 2005 with Super Bowl commercials, GoDaddy expanded its sports sponsorship portfolio to include co-sponsorship of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 held in England and Wales.
Super Bowl advertisements
GoDaddy’s 2007 Super Bowl commercial attracted controversy due to its provocative nature. The following year’s ad also faced criticism for subpar production quality. In 2009, two commercials featuring Danica Patrick titled "Shower" and "Baseball" contributed to a 110% increase in domain registrations compared to 2008 figures. According to TiVo data, the "Baseball" spot was the most viewed commercial that year, while Comscore reported GoDaddy led in website engagement following the ads' airing. CEO Bob Parsons emphasized that integrated campaigns across multiple channels were key drivers of conversion rates.
In 2010, GoDaddy released two additional Super Bowl ads starring Danica Patrick that resulted in substantial growth in web traffic and sales volumes. By 2013, the company transitioned away from risqué advertising to enhance its brand reputation. After not participating in the 2016 Super Bowl advertising lineup, GoDaddy returned in 2017 with the campaign "The Internet Wants You." In 2025, it resumed its Super Bowl presence with a commercial promoting its AI platform Airo featuring Walton Goggins.
IndyCar
GoDaddy's presence at the Indianapolis 500 included advertising during the 2009 and 2010 races. In 2011, it launched a promotional campaign connected to driver Dan Wheldon’s race in Las Vegas; tragically, Wheldon lost his life in an accident during that event.
NASCAR
GoDaddy held part-time sponsorship of Brad Keselowski in the Sprint Cup Series and expanded its involvement in the Nationwide Series in 2009 through JR Motorsports. Under GoDaddy’s sponsorship, Keselowski secured multiple wins. From 2010 until 2013, Danica Patrick competed in GoDaddy-backed cars across Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series events; notably achieving the first female pole position at the Daytona 500 in 2013. The company ceased NASCAR sponsorship activities in 2016 to concentrate on markets with broader global outreach but aimed to maintain a personal association with Patrick.
GoDaddy Bowl
Between 2010 and 2015, GoDaddy served as the title sponsor for the college football postseason event held in Mobile, Alabama, known as the GoDaddy Bowl, which was formerly called the GMAC Bowl. This sponsorship concluded in 2016 when Dollar General assumed the naming rights.
Philanthropy
In 2009, GoDaddy contributed $50,000 to the Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA and provided $500,000 to establish the Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com Domestic Violence Center at the UMOM New Day Center. Additionally, the company commissioned a custom motorcycle from Orange County Choppers to support charitable fundraising efforts.
IPO and private equity
GoDaddy initially intended to launch an IPO in 2006 but retracted the plan due to uncertain market conditions. In 2010, the company considered an auction process but ultimately canceled it despite receiving competitive offers. By mid-2011, private equity firms KKR, Silver Lake Partners, and Technology Crossover Ventures acquired a controlling interest for around $2.25 billion. Later that year, founder Bob Parsons resigned from his role as CEO.
In 2012, a class action lawsuit was initiated over fees charged for services that were advertised as complimentary. In June 2014, GoDaddy filed paperwork for a $100 million initial public offering, disclosing cumulative losses of $531 million since 2012. Parsons stepped down as Executive Chairman but retained a board seat. Blake Irving took on the CEO position from January 2013 until his retirement at the end of 2017.
The company debuted on the New York Stock Exchange on April 1, 2015, with shares increasing by 30% on opening day. Scott W. Wagner succeeded as CEO on December 31, 2017; Aman Bhutani followed him in this role on September 4, 2019.
Suspension of Seclists.org and acquisition of No Daddy
In January 2007, GoDaddy attracted criticism after disabling the security website Seclists.org following a complaint from MySpace concerning posted user information. This action provoked customer dissatisfaction and led to the creation of NoDaddy.com, a consumer advocacy platform highlighting complaints against GoDaddy. After Bob Parsons sold the company, GoDaddy acquired NoDaddy.com to reduce negative search engine visibility.
China domains
GoDaddy halted registrations of .cn domains in March 2010 due to data disclosure demands imposed by Chinese authorities but resumed offering these domain registrations in February 2016 as part of its expansion into Asian markets.
Super Bowl XLIX Puppy Advertisement
The January 2015 Super Bowl commercial by GoDaddy featuring a puppy traveling home faced criticism from animal welfare groups who claimed it indirectly supported puppy mills. In response to backlash and a petition garnering over 42,000 signatures, CEO Blake Irving withdrew the advertisement prior to its scheduled broadcast.
Namecheap rivalry
In December 2011, competitor Namecheap accused GoDaddy of breaching ICANN regulations by obstructing domain name transfers; GoDaddy refuted these claims by citing standard anti-abuse protocols but enforces a strict 60-day transfer lock following registrant changes, with an opt-out option available upon verification.
Support for SOPA and ensuing boycott
GoDaddy's endorsement of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in December 2011 sparked significant online opposition including domain transfer boycotts led by notable figures such as Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh. Facing mounting pressure, GoDaddy reversed its support within days but experienced a loss of roughly 37,000 domains amid ongoing protests before ultimately achieving net positive domain registrations by year-end.
Phishing Awareness Exercise Amid COVID-19
In December 2020, GoDaddy launched an internal phishing exercise by sending employees an email falsely promising a $650 bonus, aiming to enhance cybersecurity vigilance. The campaign faced backlash for being perceived as tactless, leading the company to issue an apology and refrain from distributing any bonuses.
Removing Clients in Response to Political Events
After the U.S. Capitol attack in January 2021, GoDaddy took down AR15.com’s hosting services due to the site’s failure to control content that encouraged violence. This decision was met with criticism from gun rights advocates who raised issues regarding free speech and censorship.
Texas Heartbeat Act Controversy
In September 2021, GoDaddy ceased hosting the website of Texas Right to Life, which had been collecting anonymous reports about violations of abortion laws under the Texas Heartbeat Act. Despite losing hosting support, the organization pledged to persist with its activities.
Data Breach Disclosures
On February 16, 2023, GoDaddy submitted its annual 10-K report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, disclosing under "Operational Risks" that it had suffered several data breaches within the previous three years. These breaches impacted over one million customers, underscoring persistent cybersecurity challenges faced by the company.